Lakewood Ranch Tennis Academy

FAQ's & Other Important Info

Booking Info: You can easily book appointments by contacting me via txt @ 941-357-7533, sending an email to lwrtennisacademy@gmail.com, or using the “Book A Lesson or Class” form near the bottom of the page for fastest response. If you're reaching out via phone or email please give me a detailed message with your name, age, skill level, preferred times/dates, and the type of lesson or class you'd like to participate in and I'll get back to you with more info within 24hrs! *usually much sooner 🙂 Payment info: For the convenience of everyone, credit/debit cards are the only form of payment I accept and I require a card on file for the booking and payment of all sessions. When we decide on the perfect date/time for your 1st session, I’ll send you a link via SMS or email (from my secure payment processor, Stripe) to capture your preferred credit/debit card information for the payment of your 1st lesson or class. Stripe then saves and encrypts your card info in their system (much like any other payment processor such as paypal, square, etc.), so it may be charged on an as-needed basis for the payment of our future or upcoming sessions. So there’s no need to worry about paying every time or sending money for your sessions. It also allows me to properly enforce the cancellation policy listed below. Please note that bookings/time slots aren’t confirmed or secured until payment has been received and/or a card is on file, especially for the first booking. Cancellation & Rescheduling Policy: All lessons and classes must be reserved with payment and/or card on file, at the time of scheduling, to secure your booking/time slot, as mentioned above. I currently have a strict 24hr cancellation and rescheduling policy in place. Should you need to cancel or reschedule your lesson or class spot, please do so prior to 24hrs in advance of your scheduled session. Any cancellations or rescheduling requests received, for any reason, less than 24hrs in advance, will be charged for the full amount of the scheduled lesson or class spot and will not be eligible for a refund. Tennis gear & what to wear to your session: As far as clothing, any kind of active wear that's light and easy to move in is perfectly fine but you can also find tennis specific clothing at many online or at brick and mortar sports stores. However, one of the biggest differences in tennis apparel ,from other sports, is footwear. For your safety, under no circumstances should you ever play tennis in any kind of open-toe shoe, barefoot shoe, sandal, flip flop, etc.. Ideally, you should wear a smooth bottom “hard court” tennis shoes (not to be confused with fashionable sneakers, gym, or running shoes that are commonly referred to as “tennis shoes”). For those that are new to tennis and haven’t been able to shop for tennis specific shoes as yet, the best alternatives are a flat sole gym or running shoe with minimal external “cushion”, ridges, or patterns. The bottom of the shoe should be very smooth and this is critically important for safety reasons. Most of the time, tennis requires you to move in a way that is more of a pivot-and-shuffle than a stride-and-run. Hard courts are essentially concrete and therefore, wearing improper shoes can cause you to trip, fall, or sprain an ankle quite easily and this is especially true for children. Tennis also requires you to make small, choppy, stutter steps and split-second stop/start movements, which will be very challenging or dangerous without proper footwear. As for racquets, children under the age of 8 typically do best with “junior racquets” (a smaller more manageable sized racquet) and older children and adults can use varying types and sizes of standard or “adult racquets”. Both of these racquet types are widely available at Target, Walmart, Dicks Sporting Goods, Amazon, and other online or brick and mortar sports stores. Finally, children and adults should bring plenty of water, a towel, hat/visor, and sunscreen, should it be needed. Location, Weather, & Court Availability: Currently all sessions are held at the Lakewood Ranch Park tennis courts @ 5350 Lakewood Ranch Blvd, Bradenton, FL 34211. These are located behind/across from the pickleball courts, which are in the vicinity. If you see the pickleball courts, you're in the right place. Parking is conveniently located in between the pickleball & tennis courts. When the parking lot is full, people normally park on the grass or across the street, which has never been a problem. The cancellation or rescheduling of lessons or classes due to bad weather or court unavailability are rare but will happen from time-to-time. In this case, I’ll typically get in touch with everyone on the schedule for that affected day or time frame and alert you of any current or expected weather and/or court issues, allowing us to plan or reschedule our session accordingly. If you have any further questions regarding availability, current rates, booking, or want to put together a game plan, feel free to contact me via phone call, text, or email.