A free tennis clinic with former world-ranked tennis professional, Mary Lou Piatek-Daniels, will be held on Saturday, September 13 at the Piatek Tennis Courts in Whiting from 11 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. No pre-registration is required and tennis racquets will be provided to those who need them. Join the fun and learn tennis from a Whiting native who won the 1979 Wimbledon Junior Singles Championship.
Mary Lou was taught to play tennis by her father at a young age at the public courts in Whiting. She was named ‘Athlete of the Year’ for Trinity College in 1979-1980, and decided that she wanted to pursue professional tennis. Once becoming pro in 1980, she competed on the WTA Tour multiple times, capturing singles titles in both 1981 and 1984. Mary Lou also has 11 double titles in her name and reached #15 in the WTA world rankings in 1982. She is currently retired from professional tennis, but continues to play and coach others where she resides in Munster.
Mary Lou will lead the upcoming tennis clinic, where each of the five courts will have its own instructor. Twelve "mini-courts" will be set up for young children and beginners to provide the opportunity to learn how to play on shorter courts with smaller racquets and low-compression balls. The clinic will be open to players of all ages and ability levels. Children, high school players, and adults are encouraged to play.
The Piatek Tennis Courts are located at the Municipal Sports Complex on the corner of 117th Street and Oliver Street, west of the Little League fields. In the event of inclement weather, the clinic will be rescheduled for Saturday, September 27th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. We hope you’ll join us for this enjoyable, unique opportunity. For questions and information, contact Whiting City Hall at (219) 659-7700.