In the Summer of 2006, Petersburg Racquet Club was one of 27 sites in America chosen for the Project 36/60 Pilot Program. Because of our success, in December 2006, PRC was one of four facilities in America invited to attend the Project 36/60 summit in Chicago, IL. This is where the initial decisions were made about the 6 different variables of the program.
After the Chicago meeting, the rules were intact and PRC went on the move faster than anyone in the country. We established the first 8 and under 36' court Junior Team Tennis league in America in January 2007. In February, Craig S. Jones (PRC Director of Tennis) took 16 kids to the USTA National Community Development Workshop in Atlanta, GA. for a presentation on Project 36/60'. In March, PRC hosted the first sanctioned 36/60' tournament in America.
Point from Coed 8 and Under Division
First day of action - 8 and under league
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Word was spreading fast about the PRC success. The USTA sent a film crew in March to video kids using the 36/60' format. Numerous visitors from the USTA, Southern Tennis and Georgia Tennis associations came to PRC to watch our kids in action. Several of our players went to Atlanta in July to help film the USTA national training video. Finally, Craig was asked to bring kids to New York to present on 36/60' at the USTA National Tennis Teachers Conference. They were the opening act on the US Open grounds the Sunday before the Open began. At the US Open, the USTA re-named the program Quick Start Tennis.
2007 US Open
Because of all of this, PRC was starting to receive national acclaim for their efforts. Vu Nguyen, PRC Head Pro, was picked as an USTA National Quick Start Trainer for Recreational Coaches and Craig S. Jones was picked as an USTA National Quick Start Trainer for High Performance Coaches. Craig has been busy doing Quick Start training and presentations across the country. Wilson has appointed him to their Premiere Advisory Staff and serves on their National Speakers Bureau as their Quick Start specialist. In 2007, Craig has received the USTA/USPTA Community Service Award, the Georgia Pro of the Year, Southern Pro of the year, and the Racket Sports Industry Junior Development Champion of the Year; all for his work in the Quick Start Tennis Program.
The most recent achievement for PRC is unveiling their new Progressive Court System/Quick Start Tennis Training Center. Our bottom four courts have been completely transformed into a 36/60' paradise. Inside of all four courts we have put down 60' baselines that also serve as the 36' court center service lines, hash marks for the 60' court and hash marks for the 36'court. All of these lines are in green to compliment our US Open Blue Courts. In addition, we have put in two permanent 60x21' courts in between the courts. The 60' courts have a retractable net system that can be put up for tournament play.
36' and 60' Courts
