Tennis Camps and Coaching is taking place in the Club for Summer 2010. Dates as follows;
- Parks Tennis 05th - 09th July for more details contact Laois County Council Sports Office.
- Bryan Stewart 25th - 29th July.
- Paul Quinn 26th & 27th June, 17th & 18th July, 10th & 11th July for more details see below.
THE BALL IS THE KEY
Children V’s Adults Children don’t react as well or as quickly as adultsChildren aren’t as strong as adultsChildren aren’t as tall as adultsChildren don’t have the same endurance as adults You wouldn’t expect a 6 year old to play;Rugby with an adult’s rugby ballSoccer with an adult’s soccer ballHurling with an adult’s sliothar Then why expect them to play tennis with an adults tennis ball? If we use the correct ball with each child, they will enjoy more success, learn the skills of the game better, play the game earlier and with more skill. The result of not adapting the ball to the child’s developmental stage is less success, reduced ability to play the game of tennis making the sport less enjoyable and increasing the chances of the child dropping out. Tennis balls for children come in 3 stages (the traffic light system); Red, Orange and Green. They progress from the red ball, then onto the orange and finally green. As they progress the ball gets harder, bounces higher and travels faster. These balls make playing the game easier, giving the player more time and control. The game can be played early and playing the sport is much more enjoyable than collecting the balls. Red Ball = Mini TennisAppropriate for mini tennis playersChildren aged 5-8 and adult starter players Orange Ball = Midi TennisAppropriate for midi tennis playersStarter adults and children aged 7-11 Green Ball = Full Court IntroductionAppropriate for introducing players to the full courtChildren aged 10-15 and adults beginners If you want to give your child the best chance to play tennis, using the correct ball is the key. Bryan Stewart (Advanced Tennis Coach)
Choosing Your Childs Tennis Racket
Rackets for children come in all shapes, sizes and colours. While your child will be attracted by the colour of the racket, picture on the cover etc. Full size rackets for tennis are 27 inches long, but this is obviously smaller for children. The most important things you need to consider when buying a racket for your child are his/her playing level and height.
Playing Level
Tennis for children between 5-12 years of age is adapted to their capabilities. The ball, racket, court size and playing format are all changed to help the child learn to play the game early and easily. These changes are made up of a number of different development stages;
1) Micro Tennis – Co-ordination development
2) Mini Tennis – Learn to play over lower net in service box
3) Midi Tennis – Learn to play on three quarters of the full court
4) Maxi Tennis – Learn to play on the full court
5) Full Court Tennis – Playing and using skills on the full court
Racket Length for each stage
Micro Tennis – racket no more than 19 inches
Mini Tennis – racket no more than 21 inches
Midi tennis – racket no more than 23 inches
Maxi tennis – racket no more than 26 inches
Full Court tennis – full size racket – 27 inches
Below is a table to calculate your child’s height and match up their required racket length. Note that the height reference is the minimum height required by the child for that racket length.
Child’s Height Racket Length in inches
92 cm 19"
114 cm 21"
125 cm 23"
132 cm 25"
137 cm 26"
142 cm 27"
Bryan Stewart
Advanced Tennis Coach
Children’s Fitness Specialist
