FAQ for True Beginner Tennis For Women
EQUIPMENT:
Q. Do I need to bring my own racquet?
A: Women enrolling at the Pink Level will be given a racquet to use while she is enrolled in the TBT program. She should return it to the Pro when she purchases her own racquet or leaves TBT.
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Q. What is appropriate tennis attire?
A: Comfortable workout attire is advisable, but clothing made for tennis play can be acquired when you wish as it is specifically made for tennis activity.
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Q. How do I best protect myself from extreme heat on the court?
A. Hydrate, Hat, Sunblock and Sunglasses. Be smart – If you feel too hot, take a break and hydrate!
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Q: Do I need specific shoes for playing tennis at Flamingo Park Tennis Center?
A: Yes, tennis shoes are required at all times while on the courts to protect feet and ankles and prevent damage to the court surfaces. They must be shoes actually made for tennis and NOT ‘court shoes,’ ‘running shoes,’ ‘sneakers,’ cross trainers,’ etc.
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ETIQUETTE & PLAY
Q: What should I do upon arriving at the court for my class?
A: Please wait outside the tennis court fence until the exact time your class is scheduled to begin.
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Q: Who announces the score during play?
A: The person serving calls the points loud and clear before every serve, and opponents should ask for the score if unclear.
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Q: How can I determine if a ball is out?
A: A ball is considered out if it touches the ground outside of court boundaries; avoid hitting it before it touches the ground. For a ball to be OUT it needs to touch the ground. Do not hit it - if you hit the ball before it makes contact with the ground, the point belongs to the opponent.
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Q: If the ball accidentally hits a foreign object (leaf, hair clip, another ball, etc.)
during play, is the point played over?
A: No, each player is responsible for making sure her side of the court is clear of debris, and the point belongs to the opponent if the ball hits an object on the player’s side of the court.
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Q: What should I do if a ball lands on the line?
A: A ball landing on the line is considered in play.
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Q: Can I touch the net during play?
A: No, physically touching the net during play results in losing the point.
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Q: Is talking allowed during play or near other players?
A: Avoid discussion or talk during the point; use hand signals with your partner instead. Keep noise levels low to avoid disturbing nearby players.
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Q: What should I do if a ball rolls onto an adjacent court?
A: Wait until the players on that court finish their point before politely requesting the return of the ball.
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Q: When returning serve, what should I do if the serve is out?
A: The receiver must announce at once that the serve is out, loudly enough so all players can hear the call. Do not return the first serve when it’s out - best to hit all loose balls into the net - they are not likely to roll onto play area from there.
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Q: Who decides when to start the point?
A: The point starts when the server indicates to all players that she is ready to serve. Note: Any balls not in use are ideally kept on server’s person or the server’s partner (best kept in skirt or pocket). The server needs to have an uninterrupted flow between the first and the second serve, so make sure the server always has 2 balls before serving. Her partner should hold the third ball whenever possible.
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Q: Who calls the score during play?
A: The person serving is the person responsible for keeping score. She must call the point score loud and clear before every serve. If the opponent does not hear the score called, they should always ask for the score before the server serves.
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Q: What is done if there is a question about whether the ball is in or out?
A: If there is a question about whether the ball was in or out (on your court) then the point belongs to the other team - unless they are happy to re play the point.
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Q: Is it okay to talk with the other players during the point?
A: Discussion or talk during the point should be kept to a minimum. At no point are rude or hostile language or gestures permissible.
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COST
Q. What are the costs for TBT Sessions?
A. All Pink Level players must attend TBT 2x per week for each 4 week session. The cost for 2x per week is $199 (total 8 classes).
A. Red, Orange, Green and Yellow level player sessions are 1x per week for 4 weeks (total 4 classes). Cost per session is $99. Players may register for one or more sessions.
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Q: Can I purchase single classes?
A: Single classes may be purchased when available:
1) When offered by others in your skill level group as an exchange or ‘sale’ of a class she has purchased. E.g.: For enrolled participants who cannot make it to a particular class, she may “sell” the class by posting to her
skill level WhatsApp list as a ‘drop in’ at $25 per class. Any exchange of classes is handled privately between the enrolled person and the substitute. (i.e., Rebecca does not handle these exchanges.) It is suggested that you pay the person who is selling the class after the class has taken place in order to avoid paybacks for inclement weather. However, for any exchange of classes is between the seller and the buyer, I do not get involved in these exchanges.
2) If indicated as available on the website after the session has begun.
GENERAL
Q: What are the skill learning levels of TBT?
A: Currently TBT offers classes for 5 levels of playing skills with these general
guidelines:
1) Pink (Novice) (3 sessions):
* Pink 1 (little or no previous instruction)
* Pink 2 (has had some general instruction equivalent 4 private classes)
* Pink 3 (has knowledge of basic strokes, can manage slow rally)
2) Red - advanced beginner (over 3 months – 1 year of instruction)
3) Orange - low intermediate (has had about 1 year of instruction)
4) Green-Intermediate (2.0-2.5 level, about 2-3 years instruction, can compete in game play)
5) Yellow, advanced intermediate (ready for league competition at 2.5-3.5 level)
Note: If you are not sure of your skill level, please contact Rebecca Boyce via text or call 305-606-6939 (also may contact via WhatsApp).
Q: What happens in case of rain or cancellation of a class?
A: Please register at the tennis center reception to receive email notices of court closings for weather. Also, the app, ‘Flamingo Tennis Center’ advises when courts are not playable.

You may call Flamingo 305-673-7761 (rather than contact Rebecca about weather). Also, keep in contact with your session mates to help each other be aware of court cancellations as we are not always able to keep everyone updated about weather/rainouts, etc. Get used to being aware of the weather! - This is something for your entire tennis life that you will need to handle, so best to get used to helping yourself and your teammates about weather cancellations.
Note: If a class in progress is cut short by weather, it will be added to the end of the session ONLY if the class is cut short within 20 minutes or less. In other words, if the class has lasted more than 20 minutes, it will be considered a regularly scheduled class.
Q: What hours are available for TBT Scheduling?
A: The hours that we have available to us for TBT classes are:


730 to 8:30 AM on weekdays,
12 PM to 3 PM on weekdays,
7PM to 9PM week nights
7:30 AM to 1:30 AM on Saturdays, and
7:30 AM to 1:30 PM on Sundays. 

These are the hours that the tennis center management generously gives us for
our program because they must have courts available to the public for other
programs, private lessons and general play.
Q: Who are TBT Teaching Pros? And What is their Contact Info?
A: TBT Teaching Pros 2024:
Juan Miguel Soler +1 (512) 680-1383; juanmy2011@yahoo.com
Carlos Girola
Hermis Aguiar 1 (713) 384-3828; hermis_pro@yahoo.com
Jesus Rojas (305) 244-7421; jr19924rojas@gmail.com
Ricardo Cookson (305) 502-1945; ricardo_cookson@yahoo.com
Rai Medina
I suggest you text them, as they rarely return phone calls because they are usually on the court.
As these teaching pros work directly for TBT, and not for the city of Miami Beach, any private lessons must be arranged with them personally, generally outside Flamingo Park. Also there are public courts around Miami
Beach available for public use.
Q: Are men allowed to participate?
A: No. This is designed for women only.