ST. PAUL – In addition to teaching sportsmanship and friendly competition, youth sports are said to help young people build character and strength. Being involved in sports at a young age also helps build meaningful connections and camaraderie – ideas that recently helped connect the tennis communities of St. Paul and Lloydminster.
On Aug. 19 and 20, the St. Paul Tennis Club, alongside the Lloydminster Tennis Association, held a junior tennis tournament for youth between the ages of 11 and 16. The tournament was held in Lloydminster on Aug. 19, and then a second portion was held in St. Paul on Aug. 20.
Two young people from St. Paul and six athletes from Lloydminster competed at the tournament. While the tournament was a bit smaller than anticipated, “the kids were able to play lots of games and get lots of experience,” said Noah Shankowski, a tennis instructor at the St. Paul Tennis Club.
“It was really good to see them out.”
Shankowski said this was the first time a tournament was organized in this way.
“Me and the coach there, Warren Aguinaldo, have been talking about it for a while, and finally got around to doing it this year,” said Shankowski. “It gives kids something to play towards."
“If you’re just like, ‘I love playing tennis,’ but you don’t have anything to work towards or anything to strive to be better... you lose sight of that sometimes,” he said. “So, playing against different people... against better people... a different community, it gives you a new perspective... renewed interest and motivation.”
Shankowski said everyone who took part was happy for the opportunity. “It was really impressive to see the character and the attitude that [the youth] had.”
And as a coach, it was rewarding to witness the athletes improve.
Most of all, the two communities coming together builds an even stronger sense of community.
“The kids can have a place where they feel they can belong. They can meet new people, and just at the end of the day, enjoy themselves and have fun,” said Shankowski.
The junior tennis program in St. Paul this year included about 30 youth between the ages of six and 16.
Shankowski hopes the program, as well as the tournament, will continue to grow even bigger in years to come.
