A partnership between the United States Tennis Association and West Virginia University will provide valuable training through a conference held on campus this summer. The training will offer lifetime leisure activities to the College of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences’ Physical Education Teacher Education Master’s degree program.
“This conference is a way of helping teachers add a lifetime activity component to physical education class,” said David Robertson, a CPASS coaching and teaching studies doctoral student. Robertson is coordinating the summer experience.
The one-day conference is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, and will focus on learning both tennis and golf. USTA representatives will host the tennis training and focus on developing the ability to teach age-appropriate skills. Training will start with simpler skills and build to the more complex.
“The day won’t start out playing full-court tennis,” Robertson explained. “It’s about teaching the basic skills and then starting to learn how to lead in to advanced level playing skills.”
The golf training is currently being finalized. Instructors will follow a similar gradual training instructional manner as tennis. The golf-equipment is oversized to help PETEstudents feel comfortable and familiar with the equipment. Confidence in both the skills and handling equipment is the main goal of the conference.
“For both of the organizations to help with the implementation of these programs for PE teachers instructing lifetime leisure activities, it’s very important,” said Robertson. “These organizations are trained in this and it’s a great partnership.”