For Parents 

tennis is a great choice for your child 

At TennisCT, we love tennis and of course do everything we can to promote the sport. We have seen firsthand the lifetime benefits of tennis and the lessons it can teach young people. Listed below are some of the reasons why we think it is the best choice for your child. Other sports of course have many of these same virtues, but we think tennis is unique in its combination of them all.

Tennis teaches real-time problem solving, focus and emotional control

The number of decisions that the mind makes in a given point is staggering. Add potential issues related to court conditions, physical health or ailments, and the simple fact that not all your shots work on a given day, and there is almost inevitably quite a bit of problem solving that goes on. That is before you consider what your opponent is doing! It’s imperative to keep calm in stressful match situations, and the game teaches kids how to do that in a fast-paced way few other sports can match.

Self-Esteem and Confidence

Studies have shown that tennis is more beneficial than other sports when it comes to developing self-esteem and confidence in kids. During the important developmental years, it is so important to develop a sense of optimism and proficiency in doing an activity where hard work pays off and kids can feel good about themselves. Additionally, kids who play tennis quite often outperform other non-tennis players in school and other extracurricular activities.

Responsibility and Work Ethic

Not only are kids responsible for practicing in order to get better, they also have to learn to be responsible in getting to lessons or groups on time, stretching before play, and of course how they act on the tennis court away from close parental supervision. They also learn how to responsibly play within the rules of tennis and how to treat their opponent in a competitive situation.

Dealing with Adversity

As adults know, some things in life you can control and some things you can’t. Through tennis, children learn how to handle their own responsibilities as noted above, but also situations that they can’t completely impact such as their opponent. There are also countless other variables that could be adverse perhaps having to compete with less sleep than usual the night before, balancing practice time on the court with a tough academic schedule, and even bad weather conditions like wind.

Physical Fitness - Get away from the screen!

Watch any elite tennis player for a few minutes, and you’ll understand just how athletic a sport tennis is. It can be physically grueling at the most competitive level, and still very active for beginners. The benefits are also both aerobic (building endurance) and anaerobic (building strength and fast-twitch muscle fibers through sprints).

Benefits for the Entire Body

Not only does tennis increase physical fitness, it doesn’t favor any one area of the body over the other. Upper body flexibility and core strength is needed for groundstrokes and the serve; lower body flexibility and leg strength is needed for movement and explosiveness. Studies have shown increases in bone density for tennis players especially.

Camaraderie and “Co-opetition”

Most kids and adults are familiar with what they see on the internet and ESPN, which is the singles version of tennis which is one man or woman against another. However, most tennis players at some point in their lives have played in a team environment. Whether it is a social mixed doubles at a club, being part of a league, or playing on your high school team, the team aspect of the game is perhaps the most fun part of all. It’s a unique quality for tennis since the sport does place high demands on the individual; most often tennis players become close to their teammates regardless of the level. A majority of tennis players also end up playing doubles which very much teaches the same team qualities as other sports.

Easy to Get Qualified Help

There are a LOT of great tennis players in the world that you don’t hear about. Pros and former pros who have reached the upper tier of the game but because the game is so global, you may never have seen play. The great thing is that there are tons of certified teaching professionals right in your backyard. We’re happy to point you in the right direction through one of our founding member clubs to get you the proper level of instruction you need.

Pieces of Flair

One of our favorite things about tennis is the individualism that accompanies the sport. Watch any professional tournament on TV and you see all kinds of characters. Different clothes, different rackets, different temperaments, different ages are all to be expected and embraced. Playing styles is another way that students can show their own character; some will choose to play with power and strength, others will utilize quickness or guile. The sport is not a one-size-fits-all which we think is invaluable.

It really is…The Sport of a Lifetime

You might have seen or heard the marketing campaign that began a few decades back: Tennis is the Sport of a Lifetime. Well, we’re here to tell you that’s true! Tournaments right now are being played between competitors in their golden years as well as kids. Once your child learns tennis, they can take their game anywhere in the world and strike up a game. It doesn’t matter what age you are, there is a version of tennis or modified tennis being played somewhere.

We hope this list of benefits covers is helpful to you in getting your child started in the game, but also encouraging them if they are already playing. The lifelong lessons and values that tennis brings to those who play the sport are invaluable.