How To Introduce Tennis To Your Kid
You may be a tennis enthusiast, playing for years now, and have reached plenty of achievements in the sport over the years. So, it’s only natural that you encourage others, such as friends, family, and co-workers, to enjoy tennis with you. Then, when you have a child of your own, you see this as a big opportunity to pass on the love of tennis to your family. But, it’s not as easy as, say, gifting your little girl a sleeveless tennis dress and expecting them to love the sport there and then. You will have to do different strategies that will work on kids, especially those under 10 years old. We listed down these strategies below.
Let them explore and play.
Don’t go straight into explaining strategies about tennis. Instead, just show your kids the basics of the game. This includes using the racket and getting the ball over the net. Then, let them play to their heart’s content and curiosity. Experimenting in the game will help them determine whether they like the sport or not.
No too long lectures.
If they decide that they want to try it out, your next task is to not make it boring. Instead of lecturing them about proper racquet swings, make it a short, fun game to improve their grip and coordination. Our recommendation is the Koosh ball pass, where you pass a beanbag to each other and make it more challenging when you think they get the hang of it.
Invite their friends along.
If there’s one thing that kids love to do, it’s to play with their friends. So, this is a good opportunity to introduce tennis to a couple of other kids when you invite them along to practice with your daughter. But, if you don’t have the resources to host a game and train with a group of kids, you can look for tennis programs in your community that can assist you.
Make sure to keep them moving.
Kids are easily bored. That’s why when working with a group of kids in tennis, make sure that everyone is active, even the ones that are at the benches. Give them exercises and challenges, so they are not sitting out for long. A few suggestions include challenging them to keep count of their highest ball bounces or dribbles in a row.
Keep it fun.
When introducing something to kids and gaining their attention, it’s all about making it fun. Be creative in introducing new drills. Provide positive reinforcement always when it comes to development. And, no matter the outcome of their game, make sure to emphasize healthy competition and that it is with every game that they become better.
Street Tennis Club believes tennis is a wonderful game to introduce to little girls all over the world. But, we do understand that sometimes, they may have different interests of their own. So, as parents, you should always remember that you may not always pass down the things you love. All you can do is hope.
If you’re looking for tennis apparel for your daughter today, check out our sleeveless tennis dress, tennis dress with shorts, and more at streettennisclub.com.