Time:
60 minutes
Equipment:
Racquets, low pressure or foam balls, spots, teaching towers or cables, ball in sock teaching aids and small nets
1. Welcome/attendance (3 min.)
2. Warm-up
Run the lines (5-10 min.)
Pupils line up at the baseline and doubles sideline. The pattern is as follows:
- forward along the doubles sideline to the net
- sidestep across to the singles sideline
- backward along the singles sideline to the service line
- sidestep across the service line almost to the T
- up the center service line to the net
- sidestep to just across the center service line
- backward along the center service line to the service line
- sidestep to the singles sideline
- up to the net
- sidestep to the doubles sideline
- backward along the doubles sideline
- and sidestep across to the center hash mark
Walk or jog the lines once and then run the pattern.
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
Throw three in a row (5 min.)
Place three balls along the service line, one at each of the sidelines and one at the T. Have the children start at the ad court doubles sideline, move to pick up the first ball and throw it over the net, run or sidestep to the middle ball and throw it over, and then to the third ball. Place targets across the net or add more balls to keep it challenging.
- 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.
4. Racquet skills
Shot of the day serve (10 min.)
1. Demonstrate and have the class shadow the three progression steps practiced last week: the trap, tray and V position.
2. Demonstrate the full serve with full follow-through. Have the children hold a ball and shadow a throw, then shadow throws with a racquet in the hand.
3. Use a tennis ball in a tube sock as a teaching aid. With the ball tied in the toe of the sock, hold the open end of the sock and pretend to throw. (The ball drops behind the student’s back and loops before coming over the head as the racquet will on the serve.)
4. Demonstrate the toss when applied with the service motion. Practice the toss by placing a target on the ground and letting tosses fall.
Serve progression on dangling balls (10 min.)
Hang up to five dangling balls on each teaching cable and place spots to correctly position kids. Adjust the ball line to the maximum length, allowing children to hold the ball low and toss it up for the serve. Have the children:
1.Throw the ball using correct ready position and follow-through that is identical to the serve.
2. Hit the ball using a full service motion, if possible, and a correct underhand toss.
- Stress contact point in front of the children.
- If the full serve is frustrating the child, move him back to the previous progression step with which he had the most success.
Serve for score (5-10 min.)
Two pupils stand as a doubles team across a small net from an assistant coach. Pupils alternate serving until they have had two each, then new players rotate in. The goal is to serve with good form so the coach does not have to move to catch the ball. The coach can score each serve on a 1 to 10 scale, according to form and control. Each serve can be scored separately or points can be accumulated.
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 let the players alternate serving and then play out the point, reminding them to keep their feet moving between balls. If serving is still difficult, let the children drop and hit. After a specified number of balls played or minutes, the doubles team can be switched out with a waiting team
A parent-coach can keep waiting children occupied at a safe distance.
6. Review/homework
Practice suggestions (2 min.)
Parents should practice with children, and everyone should warm up before playing:
- No-net tennis -- groundstrokes and volleys
- Bump-ups with a bounce, bump-ups, bounce-downs and flip flops (tap the ball up, then flip the racquet over and hit the ball with the other side of the strings)
