Before Serena Williams and Roger Federer became tennis legends, they were kids who didn’t know what tennis was. Even superstars have to learn how to play. If your kid wants to get involved in the game of tennis, they can’t start without a little help from you! We can’t just plop our kids on a tennis court, hand them a racket, and expect them to produce a killer two-handed backhand right away. It takes much more thought than that. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! The best way to get them warmed up to the idea of playing tennis is to make sure it’s easy and fun for them, along with being a little heavier on the social interaction side of things.
Ways to Successfully Introduce Tennis to Kids
Let Them Play
The beginning of your child’s tennis journey doesn’t have to actually happen on a tennis court. It doesn’t even need to happen with a real tennis racket. When you make a big deal out of things, like going out and getting an expensive racket and balls and dragging them to a court, or signing them up for a competitive match as an introduction, the fun factor has gone way down.
The introduction to tennis for kids should be very low stakes, allowing them to focus on learning the game as opposed to being concerned that they might not be good at it right away. That’s where playing with modified equipment comes in. You can buy a kid’s tennis set and put it together in the backyard for them to play with anytime they please.
No heavy rackets or actual courts and balls are needed – all they have to do is walk out the backdoor to start getting acclimated to a brand-new sport. And that’s really important.
Find Some Organized Programs
No, we’re not saying you should immediately be putting your child in a program where the goal is to make everyone a pro tennis player (Remember, we’re all amateur tennis players at some point). With the introduction of a sport being crucial toward the eventual longevity of it in their life, find programs that focus on all different aspects of tennis. This includes sportsmanship, camaraderie, and fun/friendly ways to compete. This is where our adidas tennis camps can help!
Each year, we have tennis players of all ages and skill levels join us for a few days in the summer. Our Camp Directors are all empowered to create an experience that’s catered to each and every individual in attendance. We want all of our campers to feel accomplished by the time they go home, knowing they improved multiple aspects of their tennis game.
Get Involved
If you’re one of those parents who has never played tennis, don’t feel like you can’t get involved in some way, whether it’s through coaching kids around the same age as your child or something else. This is a great opportunity to create more social interaction among the players on the team. That includes setting up carpools or arranging end-of-season parties allowing everyone to celebrate.
As long as you keep the right attitude over what the goals should be (getting better and having fun in a positive environment), you’ll love being a part of your child’s tennis experience.
