Evergreen Tennis tournament fosters youth

A Summer Blast tennis tournament gave 22 kids an opportunity to raise money for the Evergreen Tennis Foundation Scholarship Fund.

“With Camas getting bigger and bigger every year, it’s great to have an event like this to bring everyone together,” said Evergreen Tennis Foundation Club President Samantha Merrill.

“The kids like to stick around after all the matches are over and just keep playing,” she added. “So, it’s been a really good experience for everyone here. No stress at all.”

Elin Bertheau beat Abhay Kadambi 8-5 for the “Blue Group” championship. Cole Osten defeated Sunny Wang 8-4 for the “Green Group” championship and Rohan Thaw beat Jesse Kim 8-5 for the “Yellow Group” championship.

Merrill enjoys watching the kids learn from their mistakes. Sometimes, they lose track of the score. Other times, they are not sure what side of the court to stand on. It takes Merrill back to when she first started playing tennis 11 years ago.

“I hope they gain a lot of confidence in their game, and I hope they think it’s fun, too,” she said.

Merrill will be a senior at Camas High School this fall. She says she enjoys being an ambassador for a club that has helped her grow as a tennis player and a person.

“I like sharing my love for the game with the kids and the community as well,” she said. “Just being at Evergreen Tennis all the time, it’s great to be involved with it, too.”

The $25 entry fee into the Summer Blast tournament and proceeds from $5 raffle tickets benefitted the Evergreen Tennis Foundation Scholarship Fund.

A scholarship applicant must write a letter to the foundation explaining why they need the money and how they incorporate tennis into their life, daily.

“As a board, we vote whether to give them money or not for lessons and camps,” Merrill said. “If the vote goes through, we decide for how long, what duration, what class and for how long we are going to help them.”

Applications are available at www.evergreentennis.net.

Merrill said there are three scholarships offered, but that number could increase with more fundraising.