For millions of American families, sleepaway camps, travel leagues and organized sports programs during summer vacation are getting harder to afford.

The average overnight summer camp costs $1,250 for just one week. Playing youth basketball now costs more than $1,000 a year. Youth soccer runs nearly $1,200. It's no surprise that six out of 10 families say youth sports strain their budgets.

Most sports, anyway. But a few — most notably tennis — are vastly more affordable, especially at the U.S. Tennis Association National Tennis Center in Queens, where the U.S. Tennis Open Championships are now underway.

To get started at tennis, players need a racket and a few balls — about $30 worth of equipment total. That's it. No team, league, uniform or club membership necessary. With roughly 270,000 tennis courts across the United States — many of them open to the public — there's a good chance one is nearby. And if not, a backyard wall, driveway or local park will........

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