Parental involvement is one of the key elements in a successful Little Tennis program. Many USPTA professionals have found that having parents actively participate with their beginner children is extremely advantageous.
Parents may toss balls, be no-net tennis hitting partners and run relay races with their children. When each child has a parent-coach, it is easier for the professional to keep all students active instead of waiting in lines. This also allows for larger class sizes without introducing a greater possibility of danger, since children are continuously supervised.
Parents with tennis skills may also act as assistant coaches.
Some professionals may make it mandatory that a parent stay with each child during the lesson. They may also opt to meet with parents alone before the lesson series to review the basics of tennis, discuss the objectives of the program and parents’ roles in it, and to encourage at-home practice. Parents who are involved become as excited about Little Tennis as their children.
Parents will also be able to take on some administrative roles in the program, such as organizing carpools and refreshments and keeping attendance. They are also the natural candidates to be homework partners for their children between lessons.
You will see throughout this Web site references to head clinicians, instructors or assistant coaches, and parent-coaches. Below are their definitions.
Head clinician -- the teaching professional in charge of lesson development and orchestration, and coordinator of on-court activities
Assistant coaches/instructors -- teaching professionals, volunteers or parents who have been selected by the head clinician to assist in instruction and where playing skills are required
Parent-coaches -- parents who are encouraged to be on court with their children to act as hitting partners, relay team members and homework partners
