Hamptons Community Tennis Academy pushes affordable, open access in Hampton Bays

Hamptons Community Tennis Academy’s Wednesday Night Junior Clinics run July 8 through Aug. 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m., with players ages 6 to 17 split by age and ability and spots filled first-come, first-served. The pricing, $48 to $340 for Suffolk County students and $52 to $370 for non-local players, is the clearest sign the Hampton Bays program is trying to make East End tennis feel less like a club gate and more like a community entry point.

The academy’s summer 2026 messaging also lists Fun Fridays, 2026 tournaments, private lessons and small-group instruction, all centered at 72 Ponquogue Avenue in Hampton Bays, NY 11946. That address matters in a market where tennis is often tied to private membership, because the academy is operating from a public-facing community setting rather than a closed club model. An 8-clinic package comes with a $10 sibling discount, another practical nod to families trying to stretch one tennis budget across more than one player.

HCTA has already used that same setup to build repeat participation. Its 2025 summer camp flyer, circulated through Hampton Bays schools, ran July 7 to Aug. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday, at Hampton Bays Elementary School for ages 6 to 17. Tuition was $195 per week, with a $35 surcharge for non-Suffolk students and multi-week discounts, and the flyer also pointed to additional adult and junior programs. Earlier that summer, a June 7-8 UTR Sports listing for the HCTA Summer Opener described an all-ages open tournament at Hampton Bays Elementary School, added a complimentary juniors clinic for players 18 and under, and split competition into UTR <4 for age 17 and under and UTR <10 for all ages.

The academy’s broader pitch fits into the local access network built by the USTA Eastern Long Island Region, which organizes USTA tennis programs in Nassau and Suffolk counties and works across clubs, facilities, parks, schools and community groups. Against the backdrop of club tennis on the East End, that contrast is sharp. East Hampton Tennis Club, for example, describes itself as a private club with 15 outdoor Har-Tru courts, two year-round paddle courts and more than 50 years of operation. HCTA is trying to answer that world with something different: lower-friction entry, recurring junior programming and a price structure that gives Suffolk families a real reason to look beyond the private-club model.

The coaching side reinforces that approach. Jordan, one of the academy’s coaches, was born and raised in Manorville, graduated from SUNY Oneonta, played college tennis, earned a BS in Psychology and coached full time with competitive junior players across Long Island, New York City, Miami and Spain. Put together, the academy’s schedule, staff and pricing read like an attempt to make Hamptons tennis less exclusive without making it casual, and the hardest part is still the same one the region has always had: keeping the door open once families get there.