Warning: Tennis may be addictive.

It's not a new addiction — the sport has roots in ancient Greece — but it is a significant one. Many students are exposed to the sport through school. Tennis clubs get children involved as early as age 4. There is a demand for indoor tennis courts so people can play year-round.

"There is a deep history of tennis in Butler," said Whitney Snyder, the head tennis professional at Butler Country Club.

He attributed the sport's popularity to school and youth clubs. When kids are exposed to the sport early, they tend to stick with it, he said.

At Butler High School, longtime tennis coach David Barnes has seen many students become lifetime enthusiasts of the sport.

Snyder said children tend to find tennis more enjoyable if they are part of a team. "People always think of tennis and golf as solo sports. If the kids are part of a team, they are excited to be part of the program," said Snyder.

One of the few tennis clubs here, the Butler Junior Tennis Association teaches students from ages 4 to 18. "Hundreds of kids have been involved with that program over the years," said Snyder.

Anna Marie Prichard and her husband, John, were two of the people who started the program in their Butler Township neighborhood in the 1990s. Prichard is now the vice president of the association.

Their neighbor, Jerry Dellich, decided to start the association when elementary-aged children in the neighborhood became interested in the sport. At the high school level, the association could compete with other clubs in the area.

"There was a real need to start a club so we can go to other clubs, and get better. You can't get any better just playing the same people every time," Dellich said.

Prichard said affordability is important. "We try to keep it as economical as possible."

The cost is $70 for the eight-week program for children ages 5 to 18. It is $85 for the program if the player wants to travel to different clubs in the Greater Pittsburgh area and play teams there.

There is a summer program at Butler High School and a winter program indoors at Lakevue Athletic Club in Middlesex Township.

The summer program is eight weeks long, and there are three consecutive programs run at Lakevue from November to April. Both programs feature tennis lessons, matches and tournaments with other clubs.

The association is a member of the West Penn Tennis League, a junior league with 16 to 20 clubs participating in it. There are also teams at Treesdale Country Club and the Butler Country Club. Prichard and Julie Babler, who works at the Treesdale club, coordinate the league.

Prichard said the association is successful because it focuses on fun, not competition. "We don't put a lot of pressure on kids. We focus on friendship and companionship on the court. We don't stress winning as much as that friendship," said Prichard.

"Tennis is a sport you can play forever. I have seen people play it in their 90s," she said.

The association is open to anyone living within the Butler School District.

Dellich's daughter, Katie, now works for Peter Burwash International as a tennis director in Honduras, Calif. She manages about 20 courts, used by more than 300 people each day.

She was a three-time Most Valuable Player at Butler High School and made the NCAA D-2 National Tournament when she played at West Liberty State College. She also played at Robert Morris University.

After working summers through college at the Van der Meer Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, S.C., she landed her current job. Much of her success she credits to Butler's support of tennis programs.

"The whole point is to, in general, get people away from playing video games, to get off the couch and away from the TV," she said of the Butler Tennis Association.

Of course, the sport is not just for students and young adults. "There is a good mix of junior and adult interest in Butler," Snyder said.

In fact, many adult players want to be able to play year-round, and use indoor courts such as the one at Lakevue.

Unfortunately there are no indoor courts in Butler.

"It is frustrating for a lot of tennis enthusiasts. Indoor tennis in Butler would do very well," said Snyder.