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ATTLEBORO - District Attorney Sam Sutter likes to tell the story about how his professional tennis-playing father worked to expand the appeal of the game beyond the country clubs to public schools and public parks.

Now Sutter is continuing the family legacy by offering free tennis lessons to Attleboro children next month.

While his father Clifford Sutter, a top-ranked professional in the 1930s, brought tennis to the masses out of a love for the game, Sutter is doing it for both love and pragmaticism.

The district attorney said at a press conference at Attleboro High School Wednesday that children involved in sports like tennis are less likely to get into trouble and use drugs.

"Sports isn't the perfect barrier to drug use," he said. "....But, it is a barrier." Sutter, a top player at Brown University in his younger days, said that he will personally lead the tennis clinics with the help of players from Attleboro and Bishop Feehan high schools.

Attleboro Mayor Kevin Dumas said the lessons add to the city's "Activate Attleboro" campaign which aims to get people exercising through means such as walking and biking.

The lessons are being sponsored by the City of Attleboro, and the District Attorney's Community Outreach Division led by former Red Sox pitcher Brian Rose of Dartmouth.

Sutter said he conducted clinics in New Bedford last summer and has been giving free lessons in Fall River for eight years.

In that time, hundreds of children have participated in the clinics and some have gone on to be high school players, he said.

Sutter said the free lessons have attracted a good percentage of minority and low-income children.

"We provide all the rackets and the balls. If a child has the interest, we're going to make sure they have the means to get better and better," he said.

Attleboro High player James Bennson, Bishop Feehan High School players Siobhan Licudine and Michaela Monroe, local player Charlie Shanley, Feehan coach Paul Perry, and local professional instructor Paul Carden will be assisting Sutter at the clinics.

The clinics will be held on Saturdays, June 14, 21 and 28. Children ages 7 and 8 will play at 8:30 a.m., children ages 9 and 10 will start at 9:45 a.m. and children ages 11 and 12 will begin at noon.

Spreading the gospel of tennis is a family business to the Sutters. After retiring as a professional player, Clifford Sutter became president of the Eastern Lawn Tennis Association in 1962 and began building courts in public parks and bringing the sport to public schools.

The New York Times once called Clifford Sutter a "tennis populist."

Sam Sutter continued the tradition by starting a free tennis clinic for Fall River youth several years ago.