Time:
60 minutes
Equipment:
Racquets, low pressure balls, spots, teaching cables and small nets1. Welcome/roll call (3 min.)
2. Warm-up
Follow the leader (4 min.)
Everybody follows the coaches around the perimeter of the court twice, using crossover steps on the sidelines and shuffling on the baselines.
Slow stretches (3 min.)
Have the students count aloud during the following stretches:
- Neck rolls -- roll your head six times to the left and six times to the right
- Swing both arms -- do six rotations to the left and six rotations to the right
- Roll dominant wrist -- do six rotations to the left and six rotations to the right
- Ready, set, stretch -- in starter’s block position, extend the right leg, then the left leg and hold each for six counts
- Windmill toe touches -- alternate touching the right hand to the left foot and the left hand to the right foot for a total of 12 touches
3. Motor skills
Simon says -- parts of the court (5 min.)
Everybody starts at the fence with a ball balanced on their racquet strings. The instructor directs the children to different parts of the court. If the instructor does not say "Simon says" with his instruction, the children should not move. When he does say "Simon says," the children run to that part of the court and freeze.
Bump-up tennis – solo (5 min.)
Use a low pressure or foam ball the children can control to do the following skills. To add difficulty, do any of these drills in a limited space, taking only one step or while standing on one foot:
1. Bump-ups with a bounce -- drop the ball and bump it up after the bounce, then let it bounce again and bump it up
2. Bump-ups -- bump the ball and keep it from hitting the ground
3. Downs -- use the racquet to dribble the ball
4. Racquet skills
Shot of the day -- groundstrokes with basic footwork (5-10 min.)
1. Demonstrate and have the children shadow the forehand and backhand from a sideways position as previously learned.
2. Demonstrate and have the children shadow the groundstrokes, starting from ready position facing the net with the racquet centered. Include the pivot turn, backswing, step, forward swing, contact point and follow-through.
Groundstroke progression on dangling balls (10 min.)
Hang up to five dangling balls on each teaching cable. Place spots to correctly position kids in ready position or hitting stance. Do all drills in this category first with forehands and then with backhands. In all drills, stress contact point in front of the child. Have the children use the correct ready position, pivot, backswing, step, contact point and follow-through to:
1.Hit a stationary ball steadied by a parent-coach between hits
2.Hit a ball swung gently by a parent-coach, who catches the ball while the child regains ready position
3.Gently hit consecutive balls, constantly regaining ready position between shots. This takes quick footwork and compact strokes
- Good drills for this are "10 Club,""20 Club,""30 Club" and "World Record."
5. Playing skills
Small-net tennis (10 min.)
A good ratio for this game is one assistant or parent-coach who can control the ball well to four or six students. The coach stands across the small net from two players who share the court as a doubles team. The coach should alternate balls to the players, reminding them to keep their feet moving between balls. Do not insist on precise styling of the turn/step/hit sequence, but do ask for considerable movement. After a specified number of balls played or minutes, the doubles team can be replaced with a waiting team.
Excellent games for rotation are "5 and You’re Out,""10 Club,""20 Club"
and "World Record."
- Spots can help children understand their positions on the court.
- A parent-coach can help keep waiting children occupied at a safe distance.
Later, alligator (5-10 min.)
Divide the children into teams of four to six players. Assign one coach to stand across the small net and play points with each team. One at a time, team members step into the court, hit the feed from the coach and continue the rally. Team members should count aloud the number of strokes in the rally. If the parent misses the ball, the child receives 1 point and remains on the court to play again. If the child misses, teammates scream, "later, alligator," and the next player gets a chance. Count accumulated points after a specified period of time.
6. Review/homework (3 min.)
Practice suggestions:
Parents should participate with children on homework assignments, and everyone should warm up with standard exercises.
- Bump-ups with a bounce, with or without a partner
- Wall tennis -- stress getting ball back with control, consistency and some footwork
- No-net tennis -- practice groundstrokes with medium-high bumps and consistency
