Attending Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the US Open is a priceless family tradition for us. For the tenth time, we hit the 18th annual Arthur Ashe Kids day. Since our whole family loves to play tennis, the annual US Open tournament is a chance to watch some of the tennis greats strut their stuff as well as gain a few tips.
The Family at US Open’s Arthur Ashe Kids Day 2013
Entrance to the day is free allowing everyone to experience tennis at its finest. Interactive games and activities are featured throughout the grounds and once you finish exploring you can even watch the pros practice at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Grandstand and Court 17. Our family enjoyed watching Novak Djokovic warm up for his big debut on center court:
Novak Djokovic Warming Up For Center Court
As pre-show entertainment, local stars provided a free concert on the Hess Stage till noon. Our daughter enjoyed seeing Megan Nicole and her cute single “Summer Forever”. The best part of the pre-show was how each musician shared “no matter your background, the love of tennis can be shared by all”. At 12:30pm the outside activities ceased, and the staff encouraged the crowd to enter the Arthur Ashe Stadium for the main festivities.
Fun Entertainment Through-out the Grounds
Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin and MTV DJ Ouodus introduced the entertainment with a tribute to Arthur Ashe and how he inspired us all to love tennis. The crowd gave his tribute loud applause with the help of the free thunder sticks under each seat. (While the noise makers are great for the event, they did not make it home because they induce headaches!). The popular band Fifth Harmony kicked off the event followed by a junior tennis contest. US Open Champion, Serena Williams presented the contest winner with a donation for their local tennis program.
After the award ceremony, Serena introduced a special guest, First Lady Michelle Obama who discussed the importance of getting exercise every day to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The First Lady spoke about how tennis is a great way to keep families active as part of her “Let’s Move” campaign, a comprehensive initiative dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation.
Michelle Obama At Arthur Ashe Kids Day 2013
Some quick family friendly tips:
- Arrive at 9:30 am before the gate opens so your children can enjoy the free tennis racquet, knapsack, hat and shirt giveaways
- Feed your children a big breakfast so you can do a light lunch at the event. The food is amusement park quality and quite expensive
- Wear hats, comfortable walking shoes and lots of sunscreen because all activities and seats are in sun
- For the show, try to buy seats in the lower sections because the view is worth it. If you end up buying general admission tickets which are only around $10, send a scout to secure seats an hour before the show or you will be sitting in the nose bleed section
- Arthur Ashe Kids Day is the best event for toddlers because no one minds the noise. During the main sessions, the crowd demands quiet
- If you can, take public transportation or arrive early to find parking
Attending Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the US Open is a priceless family tradition that we hope our children will continue with their children and maybe even bring us!
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