Time:
45 to 60 minutes
Equipment:
Spots, small soft balls, racquets, beach balls or balloons, targets and tees
1. Welcome/roll call (3 min.)
2. Warm-up
Warm-up zone (5 min.)
In a section of the court or at a spot, have each child perform a series of activities, such as:
- Jumping in place
- Jumping back and forth across a line or in and out of a hoop
- Jumping jacks
- Squats
- Jumping from a squat
- Alternate jogging in place with running in place as fast as you can
Slow stretches (2 min.)
Have everyone count aloud while performing the following stretches:
- Windmills -- alternate reaching the right arm to the left foot and the left arm to the right foot
- Arm circles forward and backward
- Ready, set, stretch -- in a starter’s block position, first with the right leg extended, then the left
3. Motor skills
Ball drop relay (5-10 min.)
Place the children in two or more single-file lines at the baseline. Lay one racquet on the ground at the net for each line. Each child should have a ball or pick up a ball from a bucket at the baseline. The first child in each line races to the racquet at the net, lays his or her ball on the racquet and races back to tag the next child’s hand. The relay continues until each child has taken his ball to the racquet. Run the race again, letting each child pick up one ball.
Throw three in a row (5 min.)
Place a row of balls across the court, just inside the service line, with one ball at each of the sidelines and one on the center line. (Or, use a small net or short court.) Have the children start at the ad court doubles sideline, move to pick up the first ball and throw it over the net, run to the middle ball and throw it over, and then to the third ball. A parent-coach can quickly replace the balls so the next child does not have to wait.
- Left-handers should go before or after the right-handers and start from the deuce side.
- Add more balls or place targets across the net to keep it challenging.
4. Racquet skills
Hit to target (10 min.)
Set up one or two tees in front of the net and use the same targets (e.g., inflatable targets, spots or hoops) across the net as in the previous throwing drill. You can also toss balls for children to volley. Give the children a specific number of chances to make the target, changing it (from close up to farther away) according to their success.
After some practice, make it a relay race counting target hits or successful shots over the net.
Balloon or beach ball tennis (10 min.)
Have the children try to use a racquet to keep a balloon or beach ball in the air. They can keep it afloat:
1. By themselves
2. With a parent-coach, in an open space or across the net
5. Final game/wrap-up/homework
Red light/green light (5 min.)
All children begin at the baseline and the coach stands at the net. When the coach calls "green light," children move as quickly as possible toward the net. When the coach calls "red light," the children must freeze. The game continues until a child reaches the net.
Advanced: Have them try to balance beanbags on their racquets.
Practice suggestions:
Walk the dog -- push the ball along the ground, following a line or person
Beanbag balance -- balance an object on your racquet strings and carry it across the yard or house
Play catch with a large ball
