BAINBRIDGE – Bainbridge Island 8-, 9- and 10-year-olds convened recently at Commodore gym for the 10th annual Elementary Tennis Tournament and pizza party.

Captain Johnston Blakely Elementary, Ordway Elementary, Captain Charles Wilkes Elementary and The Island School fielded teams, and this year a Commodore Options School team was added as well, comprised of kids from Carden Country School, Odyssey Multiage Program, St. Cecilia and several home school programs.

The youths had practiced in their own school gyms once a week in January and early February using short nets, foam balls and kid-size racquets.  Ninety-eight kids participated in the program.

On tournament night ­— Feb. 11 — more than 200 people filed into Commodore Gym. Wearing brightly colored team T-shirts, schools played each other in short rounds with parents, grandparents and siblings cheering them on.

The program is run by the Bainbridge Community Tennis Association, a nonprofit that also provides seasonal programming for intermediate, middle and high school kids and offers outdoor multi-level adult doubles throughout the year, weather permitting.

Information on BCTA and its programs can be found at www.bainbridgecta.com.