JrTennis.org

As parents, we can teach our kids a great deal.  Life can also teach your child a great deal, and sometimes when they don’t know it.

In playing junior tennis, your child is learning a great number of things, most of which they aren’t even aware.  To me, this is the greatest thing that tennis does for our children, but as parents we do need to talk to our kids about this.

Our daughter started playing USTA matches at age 8.  She got beat rather soundly for several matches until she won one, but we made it a point to reinforce the other things she was learning.  She had to go up to a complete stranger (usually, unless they played each other before), interact with that person, warm up, and then play a competitive match with her.  We pointed out to her that this was a valuable skill she was learning, especially for someone who was a bit shy (as she was).  Now it doesn’t even phase her, and even better she has evolved into a girl who makes friends very easily.

Annie mixing it up

She had to call her own lines, and deal with kids who did too.  This taught her how to resolve a conflict, and also how to stick up for herself when she knew she was right.  Also, in cases where she knew she had hit a good shot and the other kid called it out, it showed her how to deal with things that were unfair.  She tries to stick up for herself, but in the end she knows it’s the other person’s call.  She also has the mindset “it’s only one call”, and goes on with the match.  Very few matches are decided by a single bad call, and there are no instances of my daughter losing a match over a single bad call.

When things aren’t working in a match, she had to learn to make adjustments.  We have seen her mix a few more slices when playing against a big hitter who maybe doesn’t move so well.  Another case is where she noticed her opponent could barely keep a rally going, so she played her shots away from the lines and hit solid groundstrokes.  These are critical thinking skills essential in problem solving.

Best of all, she is playing a sport she truly enjoys and she is pretty good at it.  Point out to your child these life lessons tennis teaches them.