Evening star., 1935-07-21

7 NsURED-Your tennis future, pro-
vided you are now beneath the
age Of Is. Cost-One hours at
u tentiveness each week, plus prac-
tice sessions, arranged to suit your
self. Premiums - Three grade Al
teachers, furnished by this concern.
Signed, The Association for the As
surance of Continued Good Tennis
Players in the District Of Columbia,
alias the Department Of Public Play
grounds.
That's what it would sound like II
you, as q youngster, desired the Gre
dentials necessary to insure you
against unsound tennis after you had
passed out Of your teens. But no Gre
dentials are necessary to file appLca-
ton for such insurance. No expensive
policy need be taken out. And that's
probably what makes q lot OF kids
think there's q catch in it, the old
adage being that you can't get some
thing for nothing"
But this time there is being given
something that costs you not one red
cent, provided you haven't started to
count your ages in the 20s yet. And
It's something that makes this city
stand unique among American cities
in playground activities. For it is be-
neved that few, If any, other cities
offer tennis instruction for the boys
and girls who frequent their play
grounds and recreation centers.
VET, It is being done right here In
Washington and how popular it
has become and how well its worth Is
realized is attested by the statistics,
which show that more than 2,500 chill
dren are taking advantage Of free
court lessons given to every play
ground in the city one hour each
week. Three instructors, two men and
q woman, make the rounds every day
In distributing their knowledge and
experience of the game to those Just
learning how to play.
Unto Mrs. Helen Deason, a George
Washington University graduate Of
1894 with a B. s. degree has been
given the responsibility of teaching the
girls Of the city, and how well she
fullfils her job could be seen at the
Chevy Chase Playground this last
week when an unusually high caliber
Of tennis was exhibited by girls still
in the high school age and some, not
that far advanced.
Before becoming connected officially
with the Playground Department, Mrs.
Deason had the good fortune Of en-
rolling in one of Miss Maude Parker's
physical education classes at G. W.,
and the thrill that she SenSed was
associated with playground work in
creased in direct proportion to the
high opinion in which she was being
held by Miss Parker, so that upon her
graduation, it was but a question of
waiting until the proper time to sign
up, officially, as a member of the play
ground staff.
The male instructors, meanwhile,
long have been familiar figures on the
courts here. Phil Degnan and Stanley
Haney are the two who were picked
to show the boys how to emulate Bar
ney Welsh, Dooly Mitchell, ct al. Deg
nan is a Georgetown graduate of 1884,
having played on Hilltop net teams
during his undergraduate days. He is
New Yorker by birth, and at pres
ent, is interning at Gallinger Hospital
preparatory to a medical career.
Haney, like Mrs. Deason, claims
George Washington as his alma mater
and few years back ranked among
! the best 20 players of the District.
HOW the playground tennis program
logically is planned to give forth
the aroma and lure of older and more
advanced play is shown In the COM
petition arranged. Early in the year
each playground has its own tourna-
ment to determine the best four play
ers Of each center. Afterward comes
the District playground champion
ships In which only these surviving
players appear. And, like any Other
tournament, elimination play follow!
| until the champion is left unbeaten
Later on in the year, playground
league is formed, each playground
sending q team to represent it. So