WAIKOLOA, Hawai'i — For a week in January, this is the only place on the planet where a happy mob of Hawai'i kids with a newfound passion for tennis mingles with a bunch of single-minded young adults who are among the best players in the world.

The kids from the Kohala Youth Tennis Academy have been ballgirls and boys at the Hilton Waikoloa Village USTA Challengers this past week. The $50,000 women's and men's Pro Circuit events conclude today at 10 a.m. with seventh-seeded Sandra Kloesel playing Japan's Rika Fujiwara for the women's title and second-seeded Vince Spadea taking on taking on sixth-seeded Yen-Hsun Lu for the men's championship. The women's winner gets $7,700 and 35 WTA ranking points, while the men's champion earns $5,000 and 55 ATP ranking points.

The kids, ages 7 to 13, are part of a first-year program sponsored by Hilton Grand Vacations, which is also supporting the USA Hawai'i-Japan Junior Cup (golf) and Lavaman Youth Triathlon Series. They wrote an essay to apply for the free lesson series, which includes equipment, apparel, bags and snacks. It started in September. The roster has grown to nearly 40.

The kids can now continue with "significantly discounted" lessons at the resort courts, while plans are being made to re-start the academy in the fall. This week, the kids have seen, among other memorable things, Spadea go from knocking off the 30th-ranked player in the world at the year's first major in Australia to knocking out a bunch of guys ranked between 100 and 1,000 in the world.

Spadea, 33, was ranked 18th two years ago. Robby Ginepri, 25 and one of the guys he beat here, was 15th back then after falling in five sets to Andre Agassi in the U.S. Open semifinals.

At last weekend's qualifier, three pint-sized academy players lined up under a tree behind stadium court and watched Alexandra Stevenson, a Wimbledon semifinalist nine years ago.

What was the biggest difference between their games and the what they watched below?

"They hit harder," all three answered in unison.

How much harder?

The three girls looked at each other, held hands and stretched their arms as wide as possible.

"This much harder," they giggled.

The kids in the program are all from Waikoloa and Waimea. About 10 had some experience in the game, Waikoloa head pro Nick Moxley said. The rest started from "ground zero," as he did as a child in the Tennis in No Time program near Seattle.

"We all started as kids like this. Very few people started with $100 lessons," said Moxley, 26, who believes the new equipment makes the game immensely easier now. "They pick it up so quickly and they get these wonderful friends. ... And how could you beat this setting? I played in a dungeon of a court."

The interaction with pros can only help the kids, according to Moxley, who emphasizes watching footwork. "It shows you how hard you really have to work," he said. "The pros are always moving and always looking to improve their position. ... It teaches such good life lessons."

Moxley's coach back in Washington was Mark Hansen, who now works with Julie Ditty. She is ranked 101st in the world, came to Waikoloa after falling at the Australian Open and is winner of a record 30 USTA Pro Circuit titles.

Victor Sheverda, a 10-year-old Waikoloa Elementary fifth-grader, could see himself in Ditty's sneakers. He plays three times a week now and was promoted to the high school group because of his gift for the game.

Sheverda says his "forehand is better, backhand is faster and stronger, and my overheads don't go into the net" after taking lessons. He is easily able to analyze the intricacies of the pros' games, picking the parts he likes for his own.

"I think I could do this," Sheverda said, "if I don't get too much homework."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.