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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The USTA announced today that SmashZone, the premiere fan interactive attraction at the US Open, will be hitting the road for a 15-city mobile tour. SmashZone Mobile includes a 53-foot trailer, which anchors four kid-sized tennis courts for youth play and is a complement to the USTA’s ongoing youth participation initiative, 10 and Under Tennis. Since it is targeting a family audience, the tour will stop at fairs and festivals, along with some retail environments and downtown locations in markets across the country, including some of the Olympus US Open Series markets.

The trailer, which is handicap accessible, will feature interactive activities for visitors, including a Tennis Magazine Green Screen Cover Shoot, Wii Tennis and Touch Screen Kiosks. The kiosks will allow the public to find a facility in their area offering 10 and Under Tennis programming, and also will afford them the opportunity to design their own racquet (from an array of colors, frames, grips and strings), to become a USTA member, and to sign up for the Home Court Championship Sweepstakes, in which the USTA is giving away a tennis kit every day through the conclusion of the US Open. In addition, SmashZone will allow participants to try their skills on any of the four 10 and Under Courts, which will feature games such as “Champion of the Court” and a Target Challenge. All of the courts are made of Sport Court’s high-performance PowerGame™ modular playing surface.

10 and Under Tennis is part of an ongoing effort to encourage young people across the country to get active and start playing the sport. Similar to other youth sports where equipment and playing fields are scaled-to-size for kids, 10 and Under Tennis, utilizing the QuickStart Tennis play format, gives children age 10 and under the chance to achieve immediate success by playing tennis on smaller courts, using smaller and lighter racquets, and slower-moving and lower-bouncing balls. These monumental changes to the sport make tennis more fun for kids by allowing them to learn and develop their skills in an enjoyable way, increasing the likelihood that kids will continue to play and continue to improve.

“Taking one of the premiere attractions of the US Open on the road to showcase our 10 and Under Tennis initiative allows us to reach audiences that might not have ever experienced tennis before,” said Jon Vegosen, USTA Chairman of the Board and President. “To be able to get more racquets in kid’s hands at a young age, and to share with them the idea that tennis can be played anywhere from schools yards, to parks, to clubs, and even at home, underscores the fact that tennis is the sport of opportunity.”

To find more information about the SmashZone mobile tour and to find if it is coming to a city near your check out 10andundertennis.com.

The USTA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in the U.S. and the leader in promoting and developing the growth of tennis at every level — from local communities to the highest level of the professional game. A not-for-profit organization with 750,000 members, it invests 100% of its proceeds in growing the game. It owns and operates the US Open, and launched the Olympus US Open Series linking 10 summer tournaments to the US Open. In addition, it owns the 90-plus Pro Circuit events throughout the U.S., is a minority owner and promotional partner of World TeamTennis, and selects the teams for the Davis Cup, Fed Cup, Olympic and Paralympic Games. USTA Serves, the National Charitable Foundation of the USTA, provides financial support for disadvantaged youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs. For more information on the USTA, log on to usta.com.

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