Tennis
City Parks Foundation
718-699-4200
cityparksfoundation.org
This nonprofit offers free tennis lessons for kids 4 to 16 at
nearly 40 parks throughout the five boroughs. Kids are grouped
by age, and the program culminates with a novice tournament
held in Central Park. Tennis with the Pros, a week of free instructional
clinics held before the US Open, has featured superstars Steffi
Graf, Venus Williams, Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick.
Central Park Tennis Center
212-316-0800
nytennis.net
Children 4 to 17 can learn the basics on the park’s
26 clay and 4 asphalt courts. Beginner programs include after-school
sessions in spring and fall, and a summer camp (starting at
$135 a week). Advanced players move on to tournament training
at a fourteen-court club near Yankee Stadium, where kids over
10 work in groups of four.
Champion Tennis Club
1918 First Ave., at 99th St., third fl.
212-876-7766
championtennisclub.com
Located on the roof of a three-story Upper East Side building,
Champion Tennis Club caters to all ages—there’s
even a Tennis for Tots class (for ages 3 to 6). The Champion
Junior Program works on confidence and focus through a mix
of drills, games, instruction, and physical conditioning (ages
6 to 16). Nine-week sessions (with one-hour lessons) cost
$405.
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Tennis Instruction |
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USTA National Tennis
Center
718-760-6200, extension 6213
At the home of the US Open—also the largest
public tennis center in the country—kids 18
and under can take private lessons with a pro, or
join group lessons and match-play programs, in which
they’ll hit with the best players from around
the city.
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Riverside Clay Tennis Association
Riverside Park, near 97th St.
917-513-1970
rcta.info
An annual permit ($100) from the Parks Department will buy
a family access to these ten red-clay courts (as will $5 at
the gate). Group ($90 for a package of six) and private ($50
per hour) lessons are available, and age-appropriate equipment
is provided. The association also holds free lessons for groups
of twenty or so kids. The courts are usually open from April
through November, depending on the weather.
Sutton East Tennis Club
Under the Queensboro Bridge, at York Ave. and 59th St.
212-751-3452
suttoneasttennis.com
The city’s biggest indoor tennis center features short
portable nets and Pee Wee racquets for little hands. Kids
start playing with tennis balls as young as 3, gradually moving
on to racquets and increasingly bigger courts; kids 8 and
up participate in full-court play. Private and group lessons
cost $40 to $110 for an hour. In the summer, the club moves
outdoors to satellite locations at Hunter College, John Jay
College, and P.S. 183 for five-week camps ($205 for kids ages
3 to 6).
Tennis Club of Riverdale
2600 Netherland Ave., Riverdale
718-796-9099
tennisclubofriverdale.com
The six indoor courts at this 96,000-square-foot center may
be a bit north of Manhattan, but the club will pick your kids
up from school and drop them at home. Group lessons in fourteen-week
sessions are taught by ex-college players and pros ($2,000
for 60 minutes; private lessons are $850 for ten 60-minute
lessons on weekdays between opening and 3 p.m.).
Track & Field
The Armory Track & Field Center
Fort Washington Ave. and 168th St.
914-366-4175
nyrrc.org
Founded by Bob Glover—author of The Runner’s
Handbook, a veritable bible for the sport—and his
wife, Shelly, this program’s four six-week sessions
train kids 5 to 13 in long-distance running, sprints, relays,
hurdles, long jump, high jump, shot put, and javelin. Low-key
competitive meets are held each week; all participants get
ribbons. $2
Yoga
Karma Kids Yoga
104 W. 14th St.
646-638-1444
karmakidsyoga.com
Designed to look like an urban garden, this downtown studio
for kids has squishy floors so no one gets hurt. Moms can
incorporate babies as young as 2 months into their routines
($25 per drop-in class), before graduating to parent-child
classes for walking toddlers ($23). Kids-only classes start
at the age of 3 ($18) and focus on movement, incorporating
songs and animal noises.
Next Generation Yoga
200 W. 72nd St., Ste. 58
212-595-9306
nextgenerationyoga.com
This bright, colorful studio claims to be the first in the
world dedicated to yoga for kids. In a 45-minute class, children
ages 2 to 4 will sing a song about dogs and walk around in
the downward-dog position; ages 5 to 7 work on group and partner
poses; ages 8 to 14 work on holding poses as well as journal
writing and self-reflection. It’s $20 to $28 per class;
Sunday classes with student teachers are half-price. All classes
are limited to eight kids.
Sonic Yoga Kids
754 Ninth Ave., near 50th St.
212-397-6344
sonicyoga.com
Sonic Yoga instructors break down relaxation technique by
making up stories about poses and getting kids (18 months
to 12 years) to imagine they’re plants and animals.
Family Play is a modified yoga class for moms, dads, and babies;
Family Flow is straight-up yoga. For kids, the $16-per-class
rate is a suggested donation.
Universal Force Healing Center
7 W. 24th St.
917-606-1730
The Adventures in Yoga program at this beautiful, skylit studio
starts with Circus Yoga, where the 2-to-4 set imitates animals
and plays with hula hoops, and moves into Jungle Adventure
Yoga, which gets 4-to-6-year-olds to work on poses by linking
them to familiar animals (think crab pose). Ten classes are
$150, and there’s a free trial class; all ages.
The Yoga Garden for Children
925 West End Ave., No. 4E
212-662-2323
Certified kundalini instructor Deborah Bos teaches children’s
yoga out of various sites (mainly uptown) in Manhattan. Employing
storytelling, music, and even meowing (for cat poses) as teaching
devices, Bos places emphasis on yoga as a tool for relaxation,
introspection, and creativity (she encourages kids to make
up their own poses). Classes are taught in series of ten ($225
for drop-offs; $275 for parent-child) and are organized by
age; available to kids 2 and up.
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