Our Tennis Program
Our main group lessons teach kids the basics of tennis in a fun and supportive team-based environment. Kids progress through groups that are organized according to age and skill level in a manner which continually builds upon what they have learned. Smaller groups (up to 4 kids) and one-on-one instruction may also be used to focus on further refining technique, improving consistency, and preparing players for competitive play. Such approaches may also be used for shyer players or to accelerate learning for players at all levels.
Core Competencies
As hand-eye coordination, proprioception and efficient footwork are essential to tennis, they are also a key focus within our program. In fact, our younger beginner groups often do drills that focus solely on these areas and do not even require a tennis racquet. While we always make such drills fun for the kids, it is amusing when they sometimes ask, "Aren't we supposed to play tennis?" As we have learned, failing to build this foundation of basic competencies often places a ceiling on a child's ability to later acquire tennis-specific skills. Moreover, these basic competencies clearly benefit kids in other sports and domains of life. There are also specific ages at which children are best able to acquire these competencies, making it all the more important that our training captures those windows of opportunity.
Progressive Tennis
If you are from my generation, you likely started playing tennis as a kid with a standard adult racquet and balls on a full-size tennis court. If you were lucky, you survived that stage and ultimately grew into the equipment. If you weren't lucky, you likely quit, frustrated with a racquet that was too long and heavy, a ball that bounced too quickly, and a court that was far too big to reasonably navigate as a child.
Fortunately, things have changed. About 20 years ago the concept of progressive tennis was first introduced, and it has now become a mainstay of kids' tennis programs. Kids are initially provided with smaller racquets, larger balls that do not bounce as much, lower nets and smaller courts. As the child progresses, each of these dimensions gradually gets closer to the adult standard. In this way, difficulty increases at a pace that corresponds with the child's physical development and acquisition of skill.
More specifically, there is an initial red ball stage followed by an orange ball stage, a green ball stage and finally a yellow ball stage, which is simply standard adult tennis. We incorporate the core aspects of these stages at KOURT, and the specific characteristics are described below. While we indicate an age range for each stage, please keep in mind that it is highly individual, and different organizations suggest different age ranges. A child's stage depends on a number of factors, including their physique and their experience with tennis and other sports. In fact, the progressive tennis approach is even used with adult beginners. In short, we have found it best to determine a child's stage on a case-by-case basis, and we will advise what is most appropriate after meeting your child.
Red Ball Stage (4–7 years)
Red balls are the slowest and easiest balls to use in the progression. They have only 25% of the compression of standard balls and are noticeably larger and lighter. As they move more slowly through the air and have a lower bounce, they are easier to track and to hit.
The red ball net is about 10% lower than a standard net: 80 cm high, compared with 91.4 cm. A red ball court is about 25% of the size of a standard court and may be laid out on a standard court as follows:
At KOURT, our red ball classes may also incorporate pickleball where useful, since kids need to develop the same foundational competencies (e.g., hand-eye coordination) in both sports; in fact, many of the same drills are used in both to develop them. Each sport also offers contrasting advantages at this stage that benefit kids, whichever sport they ultimately choose to pursue. See "Pickleball in Our Tennis Program" below.
Orange Ball Stage (7–10 years)
Orange balls have 50% of the compression of a regular yellow tennis ball. They are slightly faster than red balls, with a slightly higher bounce, and are comparable in size to a regular yellow ball. The orange ball court is about twice the size of the red ball court but still slightly smaller than a standard court (see above). The net height is the same as for red ball, at 80 cm.
Green Ball Stage (10+ years)
Green ball is the final stage of progressive tennis and only involves a modification of the balls themselves. The balls have 25% less compression than a standard tennis ball, which gives players more time to set up and execute their shots. Both the court size and the net height are the same as for standard adult tennis played with the yellow ball.
Yellow Standard Ball Stage (14+, or once the green ball stage is mastered)
Other Balls and Tools
Foam tennis balls are sometimes used before the red ball stage, as they are even slower and easier to manage for absolute beginners. We also use other balls (e.g., balloons, beach balls, yoga balls, soccer balls), objects (e.g., bean bags, juggling scarves) and teaching tools at various stages to engage the kids more effectively and teach specific concepts and skills. We do not allow tennis convention to limit our creativity in this regard.
Pickleball in Our Tennis Program
We also incorporate pickleball (paddles provided) into some of our red ball classes, as well as the other tennis stages, for a number of reasons.
The relative benefits of both sports
Pickleball's short paddle, slower ball and compact court let kids start rallying, and playing real competitive games, even more quickly than in red ball tennis. More hits per rally, along with quick exchanges at the net, help kids develop fast reflexes and build hand-eye coordination, proprioception, court awareness and movement more quickly, along with more confidence and more fun. Switching to a different ball, paddle and bounce also teaches kids to adjust to new conditions, a skill that is important to develop at an early age. Even the "pop" of the ball on the paddle gives kids important feedback they can use to refine their timing, and, as we have discovered, kids love it.
Tennis, in contrast, has a longer learning curve, and it takes more time to develop the entry-level skills needed to rally. The larger court, longer racquet, and the varied ball movement and spin that result from the ball's complex contact with a bed of strings make tennis one of the most difficult sports to learn, let alone master. It builds patience and perseverance. Kids who stick with it learn to keep working through challenges, which makes each new skill they acquire all the more rewarding.
Neither sport is better than the other. They are simply different, and each has its own advantages when it comes to engaging kids in sport. We want kids to enjoy the quick success and competitive rallies that make them want to keep playing, and also to learn that some things take time and are worth the effort. Using both sports gives them both.
What about tennis technique?
We are aware of the critique that pickleball may hurt tennis technique, but we feel this is overstated for young kids, who are developing broader fundamentals rather than fine-tuning sport-specific skills. In our experience, any potential risks are outweighed by the benefits we have already seen. For the tennis purists out there (as many of us at KOURT once were), have a look at this article by Jon Coles, a former NCAA Division I player, elite college tennis coach and father of an All-State tennis champion. He makes a strong case for pickleball for younger kids, both as a primary sport and as an adjunct to tennis.
More options = more kids who stay in sport
With pickleball's growing popularity and accessibility in our communities, it clearly gives kids more opportunities to stay active than tennis alone. In the end, kids who find a sport they love will keep playing. While some kids will love the fast rallies of pickleball, others will love hitting a big tennis forehand. As our ultimate goal is for kids to be happy, healthy and active, we don't care which sport gets them there. Our red ball program is the starting point for both. From there, kids can continue into our progressive tennis or pickleball stream, or both.
Downtown or East Side?
To see upcoming tennis classes at each of our locations click on the applicable link below: