Adult beginners · Balboa Park
You have never played. Neither has anyone else in the group.
The Balboa Beginner Pathway is for adults picking up a racket for the first time, and for adults who last played sometime in the last century. We built the whole thing around one idea: nobody should feel watched.
Your first class
Here is exactly what happens.
No surprises. This is the hour, in order.
You show up ten minutes early
Someone from our team meets you at the gate and walks you to the court. You will not be wandering around a club you have never been to looking for the right group.
You get a racket if you need one
We keep loaners on court. Please do not buy anything before your first class.
You hit a ball in the first ten minutes
No lecture. We start close to the net with a soft ball, and almost everyone makes contact right away.
You do it again for an hour
Short, simple, repeated. By the end of the hour you have hit a few hundred balls and you know what a forehand feels like.
You leave knowing three names
Everyone in the group started the same day you did. That is the whole point of the group.
What to wear
- Sneakers you can move in. Running shoes are fine.
- Shorts or leggings and a t-shirt. Whatever you would wear on a walk.
- A hat and sunscreen. This is San Diego and the courts are outdoors.
- A water bottle.
What you do not need
- A racket. We lend you one.
- Tennis clothes. Nobody is checking.
- To be in shape. You will move at your own pace.
- A partner. Come by yourself, that is the norm here.
- Any prior experience whatsoever.
The honest version
You will miss a lot of balls in your first hour. Everyone does, and your coach has seen it a few thousand times.
After about six weeks, most people can rally. After a season, most people are playing socially with friends they met in this class. That is the actual product.
We are not going to talk to you about your level. We are going to get you hitting balls.
Questions first? Email Coach Victoria Garcia at karenvictoriagc@gmail.com. She teaches this program.
How to register, in three steps
Download CourtReserve
Free app, iPhone or Android. It is how every class at both of our locations is booked.
Choose Balboa Tennis Club
When the app asks you to pick a facility, search for Balboa Tennis Club and select it. That is where our programs live, including the ones at UCRC.
Open Events and register
Find your class, tap register, and you are in. Prefer a browser? Use the web portal instead.
Classes run at Balboa Tennis Club, 2221 Morley Field Dr, San Diego, CA 92104. The club is independently operated; HJK Ventures teaches on four of its courts.