West Orange Tennis Club

1448 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange New Jersey

973-731-1740

Summer 2023 Junior Tennis Programs

June 12- August 25, 2023

WOTC Summer Junior tennis

Committed to providing a Clear pathway for juniors of all ages & skill levels

From picking up a racquet for the first time to playing competitively, West Orange Tennis Club offers a summer of fun for all Juniors.

Meet The Directors

Our nationally recognized and dedicated coaches are what makes WOTC. As the largest single tennis club in New Jersey, tennis is what we do.

Michael Smookler

Club Manager & Tennis Director

Coaching and directing tennis since 1989
USPTA Elite Certified Coach since 1994
2005 USPTA New England Facility Manager of the Year
2006 USPTA New England Pro of the Year
2017 USPTA Eastern High School Coach of the Year
2019 USPTA Eastern Pro of the Year
USPTA Eastern Section 1st Vice President
Trained with retired pros Guillermo Villas, Matas Wilander, Tim Mayotte, Rod Lavor, Tom Gullikson, and many others
Four years of tennis for Lyndon State College and competed in three NAIA National Tournaments
Native of Berkeley Heights, NJ

Les Smith

High Performance Director

Coaching tennis since 1994
USPTR Certified Coach
Coached players in state , sectional, and national championships in singles and doubles.
Highly sought by elite juniors transitioning to college play
Co-founder of Les Smith Tennis, LLC providing consulting for prospective college tennis players
Former number one singles player for Western Michigan University
Native of Flint, Michigan

Yudy Shivkumar

Junior Development Director

Coaching since 1999
USPTA Certified Coach
Expertise from junior to collegiate level
Director of junior programs for over ten years
2014-19 Head Pro at West Orange Tennis Club
2014-19 Owner/Manager of West Orange Total Tennis Summer Camp @ West Orange Tennis Club
Competed in Semi-Pro curcuit
Native of Guyana, W. Indies

ROGY & High Performance Tennis

ROGY Tennis

Now, like most sports, Tennis is more kid friendly than ever. Endorsed by the USTA, ROGY (Red Ball, Orange Ball, Green Ball, Yellow Ball) adjusts the dimensions of the court, racquet size and bounce of the ball to the child’s height and age.

red ball: ages 4-7.5

Play on a 36' court with a larger, lower compression ball. At WOTC we want our players to not only improve their hand-eye coordination and learn proper techniques, but to be able to rally with each other, have fun and build confidence.

orange ball: ages 7.5-10

Play on a 60' court with a lower compression ball the size of a standard Yellow Ball. At this level, players continue to work on proper technique and footwork, with more of an emphasis on how to use their skills in match play.

Green ball: ages 10-11.5

Play on a 78' court with a lower compression Green Ball ( 25% less than a yellow ball). Players concentrate on the transition to Yellow Ball and being able to play at Middle and High School levels

yellow ball: ages 11.5-Up

Play on a standard 78' court with Yellow Balls. Players at this level are working on their mental toughness while continuing to tweak basic fundamentals, footwork, and strategies. Most players in this program are looking to apply their skills to Middle and High School Teams and tournament play.

High Performance Tennis

The High Performance Tennis provides the serious player an opportunity to play in a highly structured, competitive environment. Read the student requirements below.

student qualifications

Students in the program must be actively playing USTA tournaments from the L1-L6 levels.

commitment required

The player must be committed to an intense 4-hour daily schedule with the understanding that maximum effort is a requirement not an option.

approval required

Acceptance into the program must be approved by the director

weekly training

Incorporates but is not limited to live and dead ball drills,groundstroke pattern development, transitioning, net play, singles and doubles strategy, on court fitness, and match play