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Missionary offering free tennis lessons

It starts next Monday and Tuesday, with details on how to sign up.
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Tennis lesson host Ted Burgess serves a ball at Memorial Park’s tennis courts on Thursday. (X. Y. Zeng photo)

Visiting resident Ted Burgess is offering tennis classes for free.

Burgess works as a missionary with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and said he wants to give back to the community on his free time.

“I enjoy tennis and I like meeting people and I like teaching, so it’s a good fit, so I thought I would offer some tennis lessons to anybody interested in Hope,” said Burgess.

Burgess will host a beginner and intermediate session for six weeks. Beginners will learn how to pick a racket, rules of game, scoring and strokes, with a goal for the beginner to be able to keep the ball going back and forth by the end of the lessons.

The intermediate class is suitable for people who have experience and can keep the ball in play. The goal here is to improve their techniques.

“I think if you practise correct technique, then you can take your game to a higher level,” said Burgess.

Burgess has no formal coaching experience. He has years of experience as a player and also coach in Arizona when he and his wife leave for the winter. “I teach a lot of the tennis teams down there,” said Burgess.

Players need to bring a racket and comfortable shoes with good grip.

The first beginners’ session commences Monday at 4-5 p.m., and repeats until July 10. The intermediate session starts Tuesday at 7-8 p.m. until July 11. Burgess said he can take up to eight participants.

“If there’s more than that, we can probably fit them, but that’s probably the most I can comfortably teach at one time,” said Burgess.

Interested people can call or text Burgess at 604-649-8067.