When working with kids I've found they love games. Forehands, backhands, and all the rest are important but what about games? The red ball and modified equipment for juniors definitely has made the game easier to with smaller lighter rackets and smaller courts. Even so, there is a need to mix it up with fun group events that gets everyone involved.
For the longest time, Max, one of our students had been asking to play a made-up game of "tennis baseball." This was one of the countless invented games I've come up with but had forgotten. After several weeks of his asking I decided to agree to it if he would help me remember it, which he was only to happy to do.
First, all the players in the class are numbered to establish a batting rotation. One player is selected to be at bat (has to hit the ball over the net). All of the other players put their rackets down on a side of the court and then stand in positions out in the court on the other side of the net. They have to stay within their designated areas and cannot run into fellow outfielders in an attempt to snag balls from them. The player who is batting hits a fed ball from the instructor using a tennis stroke over the net. If one of the players on the other side catches the ball on the fly (this can modified to one bounce for smaller children) then that is one out. The batter gets a maximum of two outs. A miss over the net or outside the boundries of the court is also an out. If the batter makes a successful hit with no one catching the shot inside the boundries that is a single, then makes a backhand over successfully without catch or error, a double. If the players makes a third (a deep forehand) a triple, the fourth shot (a deep backhand) a run batted in.
The two out rule keeps batters rotating quickly. Keeping the ball in court with tennis strokes fosters good fundamentals, and having to catch a ball requires tracking and focus. All of these qualities make a better tennis player. With tennis baseball all of the kids get equal amounts of opportunity and the group excitment is contageous. The game is over when the instructor determines.
Perhaps a small award can be given for sportsmanship, winning, hustle, catch of the day, shot of the day, etc. The game can be modified with anything the instructor / students wish. This game could be done with red balls, foam balls, real tennis balls, and used with approach shots, volleys, overheads, serves, returns. This keeps the game interesting and develops all areas of the game in a fun setting. Time goes by fast. They don't want to leave the court.
For the longest time, Max, one of our students had been asking to play a made-up game of "tennis baseball." This was one of the countless invented games I've come up with but had forgotten. After several weeks of his asking I decided to agree to it if he would help me remember it, which he was only to happy to do.
First, all the players in the class are numbered to establish a batting rotation. One player is selected to be at bat (has to hit the ball over the net). All of the other players put their rackets down on a side of the court and then stand in positions out in the court on the other side of the net. They have to stay within their designated areas and cannot run into fellow outfielders in an attempt to snag balls from them. The player who is batting hits a fed ball from the instructor using a tennis stroke over the net. If one of the players on the other side catches the ball on the fly (this can modified to one bounce for smaller children) then that is one out. The batter gets a maximum of two outs. A miss over the net or outside the boundries of the court is also an out. If the batter makes a successful hit with no one catching the shot inside the boundries that is a single, then makes a backhand over successfully without catch or error, a double. If the players makes a third (a deep forehand) a triple, the fourth shot (a deep backhand) a run batted in.
The two out rule keeps batters rotating quickly. Keeping the ball in court with tennis strokes fosters good fundamentals, and having to catch a ball requires tracking and focus. All of these qualities make a better tennis player. With tennis baseball all of the kids get equal amounts of opportunity and the group excitment is contageous. The game is over when the instructor determines.
Perhaps a small award can be given for sportsmanship, winning, hustle, catch of the day, shot of the day, etc. The game can be modified with anything the instructor / students wish. This game could be done with red balls, foam balls, real tennis balls, and used with approach shots, volleys, overheads, serves, returns. This keeps the game interesting and develops all areas of the game in a fun setting. Time goes by fast. They don't want to leave the court.
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