Moving to Ponte Vedra Beach-Tennis and Ballet Recommendations for kids? (Jacksonville: sales, school)

[famrelo]

We are moving to PVB from Minneapolis in a couple of months and I am trying to figure out how to transition my kids into their extra-curricular activities as seamlessly as possible. My son (age 10) is an avid tennis player. He also just made the travel baseball team here in MN so I'm wondering if anyone has info to share on those 2 sports, especially tennis as from afar, all programs claim to be the best! We've looked into country clubs but don't want to make the financial commitment until we know that club is where we really want to be, so for the tennis, it would have to be non-country club affiliated to start. Here in Minneapolis, there is one program that is the clear top tier program - Is there a top-rated program in the PVB area?

My girls are competitive dancers and also do a lot of ballet. Looking for a studio(s) which offer one or both, including a Nutcracker production, etc.

Any help on these would be much appreciated!

[Acebab]

For Tennis, check out TODD MARTIN TENNIS | Junior Tennis Development in North Florida - they operate out of Sawgrass Country Club, but you do not have to be a member of the club to partake in the program. I have heard very good things about it and it comes highly recommended.

Ponte Vedra Baseball at www.sports.bluesombrero.com/pvaabaseball, although Jax Beach also has a very competitive baseball league. Jacksonville Beach, FL Little League | Jax Beach Baseball |

Barbara Thompson School of Dance has a very "elite" reputation in Jacksonville (Barbara Thompson School of Dance | Jacksonville, Florida), although not overly convenient to PVB. Atlantic Coast Dance is located in PVB and my little girl did dance there and we were very happy with the studio. Watching the older girls in the recital, I was very impressed! We took this year off to give gymnastics a try, but we will be back there next year. Home - Atlantic Coast Dance Studio

[famrelo]

Thanks so much for this info. We will definitely be going with Todd Martin and I've been a bit stumped on the dance. Where do kids generally go for gymnastics? Thanks again!

[williamwebb1986]

Originally Posted by famrelo

Where do kids generally go for gymnastics?

The "Y"?

[Acebab]

No gymnastic's places overly convenient to PVB either. There is Beaches Gymnastics in Jacksonville Beach - beachesgymnastics.wordpress.com - if you live in northern PVB, this would be a good option. There is also First Coast Gymnastics First Coast Gym and Jacksonville Academy of Gymnastics, Jacksonville Academy of Gymnastics located off of US-1/Phillips Hwy which can be somewhat conviently reached via the Nocatee Parkway from Ponte Vedra - especially if you are living in the more southern part of PVB. There are a few more good options, but these would be the most convenient to PVB. We use to live intown Jax and we have done classes at Starlight (which is GREAT - but not convenient at all to PVB - but if my child was was a serious competitor, this is probably where I would want her to be). This past year, we were at First Coast. They are smaller gym, but a good gym. We have been happy there and would not hesitate to recommend them.

[JessicaJax]

Some of the country club kids' tennis programs don't require you to be a member -- definitely look into them.

I've heard good things about the program at Sawgrass Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge), but I'd be hesitant to sign up for anything at that country club because they aren't taking good care of the tennis courts at all right now (they appear to be having money issues).

For ballet, it depends what you're looking for. My daughter dances with Miss Felicia's Dance which is located at Christ Episcopal Church on Solana Road in PVB. It's a wonderful program -- very inclusive and encouraging. Every December they put on a performance of the Nutcracker, and all sales go to help a child through Make a Wish. I've also heard good things about Atlantic Coast Dance Studio, which is located in the shopping center at A1A and Solana that also has Winn Dixie. I've also heard good things about the ballet classes at the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center.

For Gymnastics, most of the kids I know either go to Beaches Gymnastics in Jacksonville Beach or TNT Gymnastics on St. Johns Bluff Road in Jacksonville (just north of the Town Center, maybe 25 minutes away).

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by JessicaJax

Some of the country club kids' tennis programs don't require you to be a member -- definitely look into them.

I've heard good things about the program at Sawgrass Country Club (formerly known as Oakbridge), but I'd be hesitant to sign up for anything at that country club because they aren't taking good care of the tennis courts at all right now (they appear to be having money issues).

For ballet, it depends what you're looking for. My daughter dances with Miss Felicia's Dance which is located at Christ Episcopal Church on Solana Road in PVB. It's a wonderful program -- very inclusive and encouraging. Every December they put on a performance of the Nutcracker, and all sales go to help a child through Make a Wish. I've also heard good things about Atlantic Coast Dance Studio, which is located in the shopping center at A1A and Solana that also has Winn Dixie. I've also heard good things about the ballet classes at the Ponte Vedra Cultural Center.

For Gymnastics, most of the kids I know either go to Beaches Gymnastics in Jacksonville Beach or TNT Gymnastics on St. Johns Bluff Road in Jacksonville (just north of the Town Center, maybe 25 minutes away).

Just to get the names straight....

The old Oakbridge Country Club is now Ponte Vedra Golf and Country Club - not to be confused with the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. It's in the part of Sawgrass that's west of A1A. Neither has anything to do with Sawgrass Country Club - which is in the part of Sawgrass east of A1A. Which is where Todd Martin's facility is located. Judging from the golf course reviews of PVG&CC - it is having maintenance issues (at least in terms of the golf course).

I haven't heard anything bad about Sawgrass Country Club - and I doubt Todd Martin and Brian Gottfried would partner with a facility where the tennis courts weren't in top shape. About the only issue I might have with Sawgrass - at least in terms of the facility - is that the last time I looked all the courts were Har-Tru. Which is a great surface for recreational players (especially older ones) - but not necessarily the best surface - at a certain point - for young very competitive minded juniors to train on. So I guess a lot depends on what a kid's abilities/aspirations are. Note that Todd Martin's school also runs programs at the Bolles School in JAX - and I assume the courts there are hard courts. Robyn

[JessicaJax]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Just to get the names straight....

The old Oakbridge Country Club is now Ponte Vedra Golf and Country Club - not to be confused with the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club. It's in the part of Sawgrass that's west of A1A. Neither has anything to do with Sawgrass Country Club - which is in the part of Sawgrass east of A1A. Which is where Todd Martin's facility is located. Judging from the golf course reviews of PVG&CC - it is having maintenance issues (at least in terms of the golf course).

I haven't heard anything bad about Sawgrass Country Club - and I doubt Todd Martin and Brian Gottfried would partner with a facility where the tennis courts weren't in top shape. About the only issue I might have with Sawgrass - at least in terms of the facility - is that the last time I looked all the courts were Har-Tru. Which is a great surface for recreational players (especially older ones) - but not necessarily the best surface - at a certain point - for young very competitive minded juniors to train on. So I guess a lot depends on what a kid's abilities/aspirations are. Note that Todd Martin's school also runs programs at the Bolles School in JAX - and I assume the courts there are hard courts. Robyn

You are absolutely right -- I meant Ponte Vedra Golf and CC, the one that used to be Oakbridge. I know they used to have a good children's tennis program, but may not now.

I've heard nothing but good things about Sawgrass CC!

[Robyn55]

And there are kids' programs - and kids' programs.

My husband and I used to follow junior tennis a lot - especially when we lived in Miami. And watched things like a 12 year old Anna Kournikova play and win here:

https://juniororangebowl.org/tennis/

OTOH - reckon anyone with kids playing this caliber of tennis won't be asking us here about the best places for their kids to play/train. Robyn

[famrelo]

We toured Sawgrass the other week and yes all courts are Har-Tru. The facility looks to be in really great shape. My son's never played this surface but it looks like a good place to start given all the recommendations we've had about Todd Martin's program (although we did hear that he was actually leaving to head up some other venture - can't recall what it was - and that pros from other programs in the area were hoping to get some of their top players back once he did).

I saw Miss Felicia's studio on the web - it looks like a nice program. My girls did their first Nutcracker last year and now, of course, feel that they need to do it every year. Do other studios in the area also put on a Nutcracker performance? Atlantic Coast? Also, is anyone familiar with PV Ballet and Dance Co on A1A near Starbucks? That's the first studio to come up when I google dance in PVB and we were there the other week (at Starbucks) but the studio was closed. I guess I'm trying to replicate what we have right now which is a ballet arts academy adjacent to a dance studio, which offers the competitive lines in tap, jazz, etc. Most of the girls dance at both studios. I know we won't replicate but that's where we're coming from.

Thanks also, for the info on gymnastics!

Now if I could only get the PV baseball people to respond....