MARCH 7 UPDATE: The warmest day of the year so far featured our hottest competition of the Winter session. Justin Marino had the best day of his young career, hitting numerous backhands and forehands -- some on the run -- to keep rallies going. He proved very difficult to knock off the King side of the court. Other students who participated in long, well-thought-out points were Abigayle Knapp, Sophie Collet and Dylan Eliasson.

FEBRUARY 28 UPDATE: Ting Fang used a late consistent burst to finish as Rally Queen of the 3:15 p.m. clinic Sunday. Ting, 13, attends the Baldwin School and is making progress on the tennis court along with her brother James Fang, 11, who attends Spring-Ford Intermediate School. In the second group, Millena Chirillo had her best day so far with some excellent backhands. Millena's sister, Cianna, was celebrating her sixth birthday! It's always exciting for a coach to see players develop to the point where they can play exciting points against each other. Dylan Eliasson and Katarina Sobolewski gave us the point of the day in the third class. During the Rally King / Rally Queen competition, Dylan and Katarina had a four-hit rally that ended with Katarina hitting a running down-the-line winner after a hustling shot by Dylan to keep the point going. Great playing!

Photo: Left-hander Abigayle Knapp, a 9-year-old from Limerick, is all focus as she hits a backhand Sunday at the Spring Valley YMCA. Abigayle's backhand is rivaled only by her sense of style!

FEBRUARY 21 UPDATE: James Kishtok, a 12-year-old from Schwenksville, had a Sunday to remember at the Spring Valley YMCA. He went 8-for-8 during forehand and backhand warm-up, then turned that consistency into a victory in the King of the Court competition at the end of class. James is one of our hardest-working and pleasant students, so it is wonderful to see him improving. Great job, James! In the 2:15 p.m. class, Katarina Sobolewski continued her excellent season as she used consistent groundstrokes to be the first student to get Around the World and also win the Rally Queen competition. Katarina, 10, attends West-Mont Christian Academy. The day started off with consistently deep, hard groundstrokes delivered by Vincent Weiss, 4, of Skippack. Vincent's forehand has come a long way in less than two months. Many of our students have siblings that also play. Two of our most enthusiastic and focussed students are brothers Justin and Ryan McMorow of Lower Pottsgrove. Justin, 4, attends Grace Lutheran Preschool and has the same focus and desire to learn as many students twice his age. Ryan, 6, attends Lower Pottsgrove Elementary and sets a fine example for his younger brother with his enthusiasm, focus and solid play. Speaking of siblings, a special Thank You to sisters Cianna and Millena Chirillo. They presented the coach with several beautiful hand-drawn pictures of young people taking tennis lessons.

Congratulations to Katarina Sobolewski for earning Athlete of the Week honors for the period ending February 28. Katarina, 10, who attends West-Mont Christian Academy, has been attending clinics since last summer. She is one of our regular winners in Around the World and Rally Queen - testaments to her consistency. Katarina has such smooth form on her groundstrokes that she sometimes makes the shots look effortless. Yet she still generates good depth while maintaining excellent control. Another asset is her quickness and court-sense. Katarina has the ability to run down her opponents' good shots and turn them into winners. Great job, Katarina!

RECENT WINNERS

Taylor and Xander Crawford, Phoenixville; Alice Liang, Audubon; Aris Poloway, Phoenixville

This week's tennis trivia question is especially for students ages 7-and-under. Name three different words that begin with the letter 'T' that have something to do with tennis. We will give you the first one to get you started: Talent. Email your answer to customerservice@will2winathletics.com by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 12. From the correct answers, one winner will be drawn to receive a free cotton W2W Tennis cap. Last week's question: Name four different tennis shots we have learned in our clinics. Answer: Forehand, backhand, volley, overhead. Bonus if you remembered the serve. Be sure to check this section every week for your chance to win great tennis prizes including T-Shirts, hats, free private lessons and discounts on programs.

The seasons, opponents and playing conditions change. But there is one constant ... Your desire to improve and be the best player you can. Proudly display your winning attitude with W2W Tennis and Sports wear. Our great new cotton T-shirts and stylish hats show that you love the game and have what it takes to be the best you can. To see all our shirts and hats, click the tabs on the left.

Pictured: Long-sleeve white cotton T-shirt with "Will2Win Athletics Tennis School" on the front and large tennis ball, "W2W TENNIS" and list of our training locations on the back.