Tennis is a perfect sport for children; it’s fun, it’s good exercise, and it’s relatively safe to play compared to slightly tougher “contact” sports like rugby and soccer. Children who play tennis will see marked improvement in their agility, coordination, flexibility, speed, and strength, as well as more psychological characteristics such as cooperation, discipline, and problem solving. In addition to playing matches, there are many smaller games that you can play with your budding tennis stars to ensure they stay on top of their game and give them a greater understanding of the fundamentals, ground rules, and benefits of being able to play. . play tennis.
Count the successes
Focusing on teaching kids to accurately hit backhand and forehand shots, this is a great game for those who want to focus on individual shots. The children form a line behind the baseline, and one player at a time moves just inside the baseline towards the center of the court. From the opposite side of the net, hit or throw the ball over the net to the player’s forehand or backhand side and ask him to return it to his side of the net. See which player can hit the ball in play the most times in a row.
Hit and run
This game prepares children for long rallies during matches and is appropriate for school-age children who have a little experience in the game. It is another game in which you only need a court, a ball and a racket, which makes it easy to practice free tennis. Have one student at a time line up in the center of the court between the baseline and the service line, and from the opposite side of the net, alternate the hitting of balls between two opposite corners so that the children have to run to hit the ball. and then immediately run back to the middle. See which player can hit the most balls in a row before getting tired.
Cell
Requiring at least four students, this is a great game to focus on the accuracy of young players. The children line up at one end of the court, and the coach feeds from the other side of the net. Each boy has a certain number of opportunities (depending on his skill level) to hit a forehand or backhand on the doubles court. If they get one, they are safe; if not, they are in jail and go to the other end of the court to try to catch a ball hit by another player. If they catch, they are free and the player whose shot they caught will take their place in jail. When there is only one player left, they try to make three shots that are not caught, before missing three. If they are successful, they win the game. If someone catches one of your shots, it’s a jailbreak – everyone is free and a new round begins.
Worldwide
One of the most popular games played in schools and children’s tennis clubs, it involves a larger group, with half the children lining up on one end line and half on the other. The coach gives a ball to one of the boys at the front of the line, who must hit it over the net onto the singles court and then run to the end of the line on the other end line. The boy in front of the other line must do the same, and the play continues, each player returns the ball and then runs around the court to join the end of the opposite line. If a player misses the ball, he loses a life; start your children in 1, 3 or 5 lives, depending on the level of difficulty. When they have lost all their lives, they are out. Once there are only two players left, they no longer race around the net: they simply play points against each other until a victor emerges.
With these games and more, you can develop your students’ physical conditioning, speed, strength, and understanding of the game, helping them along their journey to becoming well-rounded players as they reach adolescence and adulthood. . Of course, there is no substitute for real matches, so make sure they are practicing a lot in the game as well; however, these simple and fun exercises and games will ensure that your students stay on top of the attributes necessary to maintain a high quality of play and develop skills that can then be transferred to their game of tennis in the game.
