Tennis Activities for Kids

At the age of 3, Toni Nadal saw that his nephew had a natural gift for the game of tennis, and shortly after he began training him. Sixteen years later, at the age of 19, Rafael Nadal won his first Grand Slam title at the 2005 French Open. Whether you're looking to raise a Grand Slam champion of your own or just teach your child a sport that will keep him healthy, there are many great ways to teach tennis to kids.

  1. Watching and Learning

    • The best way to get someone interested in something is to show it to them. Until recently, the only tennis that was televised was from the Grand Slam events as they approached the championship match. Now, in 2009, Tennis Channel covers well over half of the tournaments for the year, Davis Cup tennis and other tennis-related shows. There is also plenty of online content from lessons to match streaming. Introducing your kid to current players will give them someone to look up to and try to emulate. It will also give them a better understanding of the game, its rules and its scoring.

    Equipment

    • Although some kids may be able to use adult racquets, this will slow their ability to learn racquet control. Tennis racquets for kids come in a variety of sizes based on the age and size of your child. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) suggests that kids age 8 and under use 19-inch, 21-inch or 23-inch racquets and those aged between 8 and 10 use 21-inch or 23-inch racquets. Regulation balls may also be too heavy for kids who are trying to learn the game. There are companies that make larger foam balls for younger kids who are just starting out. There's also the option of decompressed balls that will move more slowly on the court. You can find these products at your local sporting goods stores or from online vendors.

    Drills

    • Getting familiar with the racquet is the most important part of playing tennis. To improve your child's familiarity, have her bounce a ball off of her racquet. At first, set a goal of about 10 consecutive times for her to hit the ball and move the number up as necessary. Also, instead of bouncing it up, having the child bounce it against her racquet and off of the ground for a similar amount of times. This will familiarize her with the racquet and how the ball feels coming off of the strings. Teaching her the different grips and having her hit forehands and backhands will also be beneficial.

    Ideas For Games

    • To keep tennis different and fun, there are many different games that you can play aside from tennis itself. If you have a few people, have half of them stand single-file at one baseline and the other half at the opposite baseline. One of the kids will hit the ball into play and run to the back of the line. The goal is for each person to only hit the ball once before going back to the end of the line and to keep the ball in play in the singles court. Another popular game is volleyball, where you stand inside the service line and can't let the ball touch the ground. The USTA has a national program targeted for kids 10 and under called QuickStart. With a shortened court, lower net, different scoring system and youth-specific equipment, the QuickStart program has been a great success since its inception. The program has two different age groups, one for kids ages 5 to 8 and another for kids ages 8 to 10, and is offered all across the United States.