TIPS FOR PARENTS: How to Ensure Optimal Development for Your Child

Tennis is a sport which taps into many different aspects of a person’s ability both mentally

and physically! It can be a challenging yet rewarding road for children who begin playing at a

young age. While coaches are a major influence on their tennis development, the role

parents can play is undeniably important in facilitating optimal development as well.

Tip 1: Be supportive no matter how fast/ slow they are progressing!

Having supportive role models in any area of life is essential for overall life and skill

development. If your child is finding tennis difficult or disheartening at first, having the

backing of a parent giving them reassurances and compliments on small wins on the tennis

court can go a long way! This builds the child’s confidence and this allows them to build a

positive mindset and further tackle challenges on the tennis court. If they do not have the

backing of parents, or worse, have parents who criticise bad performance, this may build a

negative mindset within the child and may result in them not wanting to take on further

challenges. Positivity and patience is key!

Tip 2: The more hitting time, the better!

This may seem obvious to say, but it is important nonetheless! The more time your child has

on court compared to others, the further ahead they will be in their development! This may

be in the form of multiple lessons a week, or hitting with friends/ family and even private

lessons!

Tip 3: Get into competition early!

The earlier you get your child into competition once they have developed reasonable skills,

the better it will be for their overall development. There’s nothing that can replicate match

play like actual match play, and while it may be difficult at first, those early losses will slowly

start turning into wins!

Tip 4: Stay healthy!

Like with any sport, if you give your child a nutritious diet and keep them healthy and active,

they will be much better athletes than if they were to eat junk food 90% of the time and sit

around playing games all day! Warmups, stretching and recovery will have a great impact on

your child’s body in the long run, so getting into a good habit is invaluable!