School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard, whose position is funded through Partners for a Healthier Community, invited trainers from the U.S. Tennis Association New England to come to the Silvia School in Fall River to teach physical education staff some ways they could incorporate tennis into their classes. The suggestion came from Physical Education Teacher Teresa Mahjoory who learned that schools can qualify for the free program if they make a commitment to engage students in learning about tennis. "This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce our students to tennis by leading them in a series of games that get them familiar with the equipment," noted Mahjoory. The two hour training comes with materials that schools can use throughout the year.  Click here for a 16-minute video of portions of the training. For more information, contact School Wellness Coordinator Marcia Picard at 774-319-0107.

(First row) Trainers Sarah Rice and Kristen Liteplo introduce themselves to the teachers after greeting Ms. Picard. (Row two) Teachers work on hand-eye coordination by laying their racquets on the floor to mark the distance between two balls that they will each try to hit with another rolling ball. (Row three, left) Sara Rice directs teaches Carol DeCambra, Jason Springer and John Harrington to the next exercise. (Row three, center and right) Teacher Stephanie Ponte talks with Janet Brown before she joins her on a team with John Harrington, Matt Ducharme and  Teresa Mahjoory. (Row four, left) Mike Kelly lobs the ball over the net while Mike Santos, Michelle Oehmen and Tracy Wonica watch. (Row four, center) Kristen gives instruction on a game of speed and coordination where participants have to let go of their racquet and grab the one next to them. (Row four, right) Jason Springer runs around collecting balls. (Bottom row) Matt Ducharme coaxes one of the balls along the ground before Kristen stops the game to talk about how these games can be used in P.E. classes.