Starting Tennis Lessons Early

 

Since tennis is much of a physical game, the body needs to develop the stamina to last for the duration of the sets. Kids who are 6 years and above start developing the muscle structure to withstand the rigors of the game. However, over-enthusiastic parents, wanting to make the next Nadal or  Sharapova, often push their children as early as 2 or 3 years old into the game to get the early starter advantage. More often, the child’s early enthusiasm weans off unless there is constant motivation and interest created by the professional coach as well as parents or guardians.

To sustain over longer periods of time, tennis coaching should be restricted to a few days in a week for younger players. This will  make sure the player doesn't get burned out too soon.The weekly breaks also enable children to recoup physically and mentally. These little breaks keep the interest in tennis going and make the child look forward to the next training session.

As the kids grow, it is often seen there is a tendency to lose interest in tennis as they find more interesting diversions to occupy their time. This is where the motivational pep talks by the coaches help the kids in keeping the interest alive and wanting to continue playing the game.

If the child’s interest in the game is well nurtured, the options of playing the game at competitive levels multiply once the kids enter junior high. They can participate in various school based and local tournaments which can encourage them by giving them the thrill of winning.

The secret to getting the kids interested in tennis is to make them love the game by letting them have fun and challenge while playing it. Once the interest is generated, it is easy to spot the talent and work with them. Unfortunately, most parents take this as a task to train their kids to be the next  #1 tennis player in the world. If the parents are too pushy, it will backfire and the children will rebel and lose interest.