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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, August 9, 2002

RECREATION
Rallyball scores high as tennis teaching tool

Kacie Young, 9, connects on a serve during a Rallyball outing as teammates Tara Nilsson, left, and Andie Enomoto look on.

Photos by Eugene tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

To fully embrace Rallyball you need to forget a few tennis basics.

Wearing all white is considered bad form. Sets are out, replaced by three 15-minute "periods." Scoring is not even remotely similar to the traditional "love-15-30-40-deuce" and the result comes as a complete surprise at the conclusion.

And that's the formal game. For Rallyball Rookies — say anyone under 4 feet — rules are a fluid process.

"Sometimes," Wai'alae Iki V coach Albert Murata admits, "I make up the rules as I go along."

Murata has three teams currently competing in the East Honolulu Rallyball League with Kilauea, Koko Head and Waialae Country Club. Bob Keaunui has so many kids playing he runs his own league of "Bob's Mob" teams out of Kane'ohe District Park.

Program still in infancy

Mako Nishimura, top, and Kristina Lum, bottom, get in their licks during a recent Rallyball outing at the Wai-alae Iki V courts. Rallyball "brings a level of competition where they can play at an early stage," Waialae Iki V coach Albert Murata says. "Before, they had to wait for team tennis."
The format was introduced by the U.S. Tennis Association in 1999 and is in its fourth year here. It is designed to bring elementary school kids who crave a team setting into the sport as early as possible.

"It brings a level of competition where they can play at an early stage," Murata said. "Before they had to wait for team tennis. This always gives them something to shoot for that keeps them in the game.

"And the kids like playing games. Any game."

On the USTA "pathway" of "try, learn, play, compete," this is "play," with the emphasis on a friendly atmosphere and teaching basics.

"It gets Tara motivated," says Harold Nilsson about his 10-year-old daughter. "She thinks it's fun to play games, whether she wins or loses."

Nilsson comes to her match in a team shirt and basketball shorts and shoes, prepared for her Friday night hoops league. She also plays soccer and volleyball but her parents — Harold and Lois Saruwatari — have both started playing tennis since she gravitated to Rallyball.

Tara's favorite athletes are Mia Hamm and Allen Iverson. Teammates Kacie Young and Andie Enomoto play other sports but lean toward tennis players Andre Agassi, Jennifer Capriati, Venus Williams and Pete Sampras as their favorites.

Social, athletic outing

Young's father Robert says his daughter always goes over her match with him when they get home, recalling specific shots.

"She takes pride in it," Robert says. "It's a non-threatening atmosphere because nobody knows the score. And I think she likes it because it's team and individual."

For Enomoto, there's no question that the team aspect is the best part. "Basically, I just like the game and playing with them," she says, looking at her teammates. "I meet a lot of people."

Their tennis goals are precisely defined. Enomoto wants to move up to a league where she can play singles. Nilsson is looking to hit deep shots better and Young hopes to improve her serve.

The USTA supplies a 50-page Procedure Manual that outlines Rallyball, but most coaches use it only as a guideline. The league is tailored to the players, not the other way around.

Rules flexible

In East Honolulu, the "rules" are simple. If you get your first or second serve in, your team gets three points. If you get your third serve in, it's two points. If your fourth attempt hits anywhere in the court, that's one point. Every ball that goes in for the rest of the rally is also worth a point.

Serving is crucial but the modified format relieves some of the pressure. Scoring is totally out of the players' hands. Parents keep the points a secret until the end and help call lines. The objective is to allow players quick success while introducing tennis concepts, terminology and skills.

Rosters must have at least six players, but only two are needed for a match to take place. Even that is open to Rallyball debate because opponents are encouraged to supply subs to eliminate forfeits.

Every player rotates in during every period, clearing balls and feeding servers in their off time. Matches take less than an hour, as do weekly practices.

Game options are endless. Some leagues don't bother with the serve, letting coaches or parents throw the ball in to start a rally. Most leagues use older balls to slow the game down. Some allow more than one bounce and/or shorten the court.

Progressing at own pace

Rallyball feeds the local Junior USA Team Tennis League and nearly everyone advances, at their own speed. Rallyball has three seasons a year. Some kids move up after one, others take two or three. The idea is to move up when you won't be overwhelmed.

The smallest are never overwhelmed. Murata takes the sub-4-footers to an adjacent court for 30 minutes and creates games to get them ready for Rallyball. One Friday night, he fed them balls and gave them three strikes. If they hit a ball in, they ran to first base, then third and home.

Most ran the wrong direction. One girl couldn't hit without spinning like a ballerina. One boy was ecstatic when he missed because it meant he got to hit again.

Meanwhile, on the opposite court, Wai'alae Iki V Red and the Kilauea Bulls made their way through the third period and anxiously waited to hear the score.

It was 121-all. Everybody went home happy.

For information, call Madeleine Dreith at 955-6696 ext. 26.