Teacher shares love of tennis with students

Many years ago, when Julie Peterson was a budding tennis player growing up in Hoffman Estates, she used to hit balls against the side of her elementary school building, John Muir.

Now Peterson is a teacher at Muir and wanted instill a love for the game in a new generation of Muir students.

So this summer, she hosted a free weekly tennis academy for about 15 Muir students, some of whom hadn't had the chance to play the sport before.

Her friends provided the rackets and helped during the lessons, the South Barrington Club donated the balls and the Hoffman Estates Park District offered up free court time at High Point Park.

"The kids loved it," Peterson said of the group she dubbed the John Muir Aces. "They all showed up and kept coming back."

Peterson was interested in giving something back but also to provide something healthy and active for the kids to do over the summer.

She hopes to offer, and possibly expand, the tennis academy again next summer, which would be great as far as 10-year-old participant Valerie Glazier is concerned.

"I thought it helped me a lot because now I know a bunch more," said Valerie, who'll be a fifth-grader in the fall. "If you ever got stuck on something, she'd help you out."