At the Wellington Tennis Center, a strong mix of structure, growth, and community is helping shape one of the most active public tennis environments in South Florida. The facility has continued to expand its junior programs over the past year, creating opportunities for players of all levels to develop in a consistent and welcoming setting.
Junior Elite Tennis Director Jeff Bearup has played a key role in that evolution. “I’ve been in tennis pretty much my whole life,” he says. “I come from New England. I came down here to kind of semi-retire, but still have my foot in the game, and I’ve been participating here in the junior development and kind of remodeling that program.” That work has already made an impact. “We’ve achieved quite a bit of growth in the past year, so we’re continuing to expand and try new things.”
A central piece of that continued growth is the upcoming summer program, which will run Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and is designed to accommodate every level of player. “We have every level—red, orange, green, yellow ball,” Bearup explains. “We probably have around 15 courts going every day of the junior development program.” The goal is not only to develop competitive players but also to introduce new ones to the sport in a comfortable way. “If you want to come and try the game and you’ve never played, we’ve got lots of space for you to do that. Fun is the key word.”
That balance between development and accessibility is reinforced by a clear structure across all levels. “The thing that we try to do now more than anything is make sure that there’s a common language through the program,” Bearup says. “So as the kids progress from ball to ball, the concepts and the language are consistent so that the learning curve increases and improves.” Players and parents can find details about each level, including required competencies, through the Village of Wellington’s website, but flexibility remains part of the system. “Anybody’s welcome. We make subgroups to fit, and we have tons of coaches in the summer, so it works out great.”
The program is also designed to adapt to Florida’s weather without losing momentum. “We’re here rain or shine,” Bearup adds. “If we get a little bit of rain, we go upstairs, we do video, we have ping pong tables, we have pool tables, so the kids still get competitive games and learn things like keeping score. There’s lots of tennis activity still going on even when we’re off court.”
For players, that consistency and support translate directly into development. Lukas Hartmann experienced that firsthand after arriving at the facility while searching for a place to train. “I found this tennis club on the internet, I called, and when I got here it immediately felt like a good place to play,” he says. “I met the coaches—Coach Austin, Coach Aaron—and from the beginning they started to support me.”
Hartmann quickly became a regular, training multiple times per week as he prepared for his high school tennis season in the United States. “I was able to come here four times a week, and they really supported me, pushing through and preparing me for the high school season.” Even after the season ended, he chose to continue training at the facility before returning to Germany. “For me, it’s been a great experience to practice here and have the opportunity to keep playing in America.”
He points to the structure of the sessions as a major reason for his improvement. “We always start with warming up and having a routine, then we do different drills to build stability, and at the end we’re always doing match play and some games to practice that.” That progression—from fundamentals to competition—mirrors the philosophy implemented across the entire program.
“The tennis in Florida is really big,” Hartmann adds. “This is a place where I can practice and improve, and also play tournaments.”
With a growing junior base, a structured development pathway, and a coaching staff focused on consistency and accessibility, the Wellington Tennis Center continues to strengthen its role as a key training ground in the area. The combination of organized programming and a welcoming environment allows players of all backgrounds to find their place in the sport while continuing to improve over time.
Exclusive Video
===
Written by Associate Editor Osvaldo Godoy.