Surf's Up, Serve's Up

By Christine Nip, USTA Hawaii Pacific Section

Running a tennis curriculum for 750 eager students is not a one-man show, and Coach Kui Ramos knows that firsthand. Ramos has been the physical education teacher at Salt Lake Elementary School in Honolulu since 2009. After attending a USTA workshop in 2011, he jumpstarted a tennis program at his school. However, limited time and resources eventually led him to pause after one season.

The program was reignited two years ago, when the USTA reached out again to coordinate an on-site school clinic with a professional coach and equipment provided. The students had a blast! Today, all students from kindergarten to sixth grade play tennis during the school year, including children with special needs. The sport’s popularity has even expanded beyond school hours, and Ramos now runs an after-school tennis program for the community. The success at Salt Lake Elementary School is best described in the words of Coach Ramos himself: “Mo’ people, mo’ betta!”