Coaching Guide
ARAA GUIDE FOR COACHES This guide is intended to give ARAA coaches basic information on coaching youth tennis. Our goal is to provide the children with a safe and fun environment where they can learn the basics of the game and start playing tennis quickly!
EXPECTATIONS OF COACHES
Be on time: 15 minutes early to set up and stay after to put away equipment. Dress in tennis attire. Wear ARAA shirt. No flip flops! Be prepared. Go over your daily activities in advance. Please ask if you need help with this. Focus on the players at all times. Smile a lot! Have fun! If you are not having fun, the players are not either. Keep track of hours for community service or payment. Ask an assistant to sub for you if you have a conflict.
GENERAL GROUP TEACHING PRACTICES
Always stress safety! Compliment them about following safety rules and don’t hesitate to stop an activity when a child is doing something unsafe. Children should learn early to hug their racquets and to "freeze" upon command. Learn names and use them often - Play the ―Name Game‖. Move kids from one area of the court by challenging them with ―Who’s going to be the last person to the baseline?‖ or ―Who’s going to be the last one to the net?‖ (No one wants to be last and this keeps things moving) When organizing players for a drill, tell each player where to stand using names of court, how many turns they will get, and how to rotate. When demonstrating, have players stand with back to net so they watch you, not the ball! You look into the sun; keep students with back to sun when possible. Make sure they can see your hands when demonstrating. Counting aloud (for concentration and consistency) helps keep children motivated. One counting method is to have the children try to join the "5 Club," "10 Club," "20 Club" or to achieve a "World Record." Use spots to position children for most drills. Compliment good efforts frequently; try to be specific instead of ―Nice shot‖ say “Great follow through”. Adjust to different abilities by changing where you feed from/where they hit from, i.e. stand close to beginners and move away as they have success. Move them closer to net to serve at first, etc. Wrap up with “Did you have fun? What was your favorite thing we did today?” Assign Tennis Practice.
PRACTICE SESSION STRUCTURE 60 MINUTE SESSION 10 minutes Physical Skills 10 minutes Review Previous Skill and Practice 15 minutes New Skills - Introduce and Practice 20 minutes Games 5 minutes Wrap up – Did they have fun? Assign practice tennis GENERAL TENNIS CUES SAFETY CUES
“Do not swing near another player; Do not go near a player who is swinging”. Show players where to stand when waiting for their turn; ENFORCE THIS! “No wild swinging”; Good tennis players may swing fast but they are ―In control” Stop and take a child's racquet when actions are unsafe. ASK FOR HELP IF YOU HAVE A CHILD YOU CANNOT CONTROL!
KEY TENNIS CUES
“Ready position” – Racket in front in two hands; lower at baseline and higher at net. "Playing height" - Can't see your toes. “Split step” – Quick jump on balls of feet; gives you balance to change direction. “Keep your feet moving!” BOUNCE! Gives you momentum to help you get to the ball!
TENNIS ETTIQUETTE CUES
Spin to see who goes first. Use hand signals to show in or out; wait until ball bounces. Teach the universal ―Nice Shot‖ ball to racquet signal. Shake hands with opponents after match.
BASIC STRATEGY CUES – PRIORITIES
Keeping the ball in play; consistency. Hitting to the open court. Hitting to opponent’s weakness; using your strength. Hitting with pace
2
TEACHING THE SKILLS FOREHAND GROUND STROKE Basic action Take the racquet back above the hand in a shallow loop Swing it forward through the contact point - to the side and in front of the body Follow through on the opposite side of the body between the waist and shoulder Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few shallow loop forehands in a controlled manner.
READY
LOOP
SWING
BACKHAND GROUND STROKE Basic action Take the racquet back above the hand in a shallow loop Swing it forward through the contact point - to the side and in front of the body Follow through on the opposite side of the body between the waist and shoulder Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few shallow loop forehands in a controlled manner.
READY
LOOP
3
SWING
VOLLEY Basic action Hold the racquet head up and in front of them, so that they punch the racquet head forward at the ball Keep the action very short with the wrist firm Finish the stroke with the racquet in front and maintain their balance Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few forehand and backhand volleys in a controlled manner. Cues: “Ready”, “Step” Also: “Give the ball a High Five””Punch The ball”.
READY
Forehand Volley STEP
READY
Backhand Volley STEP
OVERHEAD Basic action Turn sideways and drop racquet behind back Point at ball with hand Swing up to hit ball above head Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few overheads in a controlled manner.
TURN
SCRATCH BACK
4
FIRE
OVERHAND SERVE Basic action Start with the player holding the racquet and ball held together out in front of the body The player stands sideways to the baseline, with feet about shoulder width apart for balance The racquet arm and ball arm split and simultaneously and move in opposite directions (this is a complex coordination movement that some children find difficult, but simply needs help and patience from the coach) The ball arm moves up to release the ball above and in front of the head, as the racquet arm swings behind the body and quickly up and forward to contact the ball The arm should be extended, and the racquet contacts the ball slightly in front and to the side of the body The racquet arm then moves across the body and follows through on the opposite side Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few serves in a controlled manner.
READY
SWING
FIRE
UNDERHAND SERVE Basic action Start with the racquet and ball held together out in front of the body (as they are for the overhand serve). Children stand behind the baseline, turned sideways, with feet and about shoulder width apart to help their balance The racquet and ball arms then move in opposite directions (as they do for the overhand serve). The racquet is taken back with one hand and the ball is tossed a short distance up in the air with the other to drop onto the racquet as it swings forward After contact, the racquet swings forward to finish in front of the body Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few serves in a controlled manner.
Ready
Swing
5
Fire
BASIC PRACTICE DRILLS Ages 3-6
Feed two or three lines of players when possible to maximize participation. USE PARENTS! Stand next to them and drop in front, say ―Bounce/Hit‖. Gradually increase distance you toss from using underhand toss. To feed volley – Stand at service line and under hand to toss high ball or use racquet to player at net. Make this fun; set goals, add in competition; use stickers. Roll ball with racquet to the side to practice groundstrokes. Roll & trap, progress to roll and roll back. Then progress to over net.
Ages 7-10
Toss, Hit and Catch – Partner up players with each other or with coaches – One player tosses to partner, tries to hit ball to partner so they can catch it – Forehands & backhands Toss, Hit Volleys – Partner stands at service line and underhand tosses to partner at net Mystery Ball – Each player will get 4 balls. One forehand, one backhand and the next two are mystery balls the coach or partner picks. Rally Contests – See which pair can rally the most number of balls in a row Overhead Drill 1 – Coach in ad alley and 1st player with racquet back at service line; coach underhand tosses ball to player who catches ball in non-dominant hand; player then self tosses and hits overhead. Overhead Drill 2 – Same position at service line; coach underhand tosses to player for overhead. Progress to feeding from other side of net. Serving Drill – Four at a time spread out along baseline at a spot; coach at ad alley coaching player on end; players take 2 serves each then rotate to left with waiting player coming in near coach for feedback. Serve & Return Drill – Two returners returning cross court; two servers at baseline (or service line) serving 2 balls each; then rotating to left with waiting players rotating in. Rotate in two new returners after all have served.
6
PHYSICAL SKILLS –Activities are for all ages unless noted STATUES
Balance
Players jog around in all directions on court, coach moves, too On FREEZE, players stop and balance on one leg facing coach like statues. Repeat with jump, skip, hop, shuffle, etc.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
All ages
Coach at net faces group at baseline. Coach uses crossover steps, shuffle steps, run, carioca steps and players copy. Coach should change direction.
DYNAMIC STRETCHES Run to the net, return to baseline by:
Jumping Walking on toes Walking on heels
LINE GAME
Flexibility
Monster walks Robot walks Circling arms
Running, agility
This is a fun warm-up which teaches players the areas of the court. Teach them parts of the court then challenge them with ―Who wants to be the last one to the baseline, to the net, to the ad singles sideline…to the service line, to the deuce doubles sideline, to the ad alley, to the deuce service box, to no man’s land―. Add footwork to this and have them cross step or shuffle. Use this challenge throughout the session. It’s a high energy way for moving players for games and drills and keeps activities moving quickly.
PARTNER BALL TOSSING
Coordination
Partners face at alleys: Shuffle and bounce one ball back and forth Shuffle and toss one ball back and forth With two balls, shuffle and one player tosses and one player bounces; switch
NAME GAME Players form a circle. Coach starts game by asking and saying a name of person in circle then tossing a ball to them. That player does the same until all players in group have received a ball and their name has been said with the last player tossing back to the coach. Repeat with tossing to the same person each turn. Coach introduces more balls to the game until players can’t keep up.
PARTNER NAME GAME
Quickness
Partner up players, one ball per pair. Player without ball has back to partner. Player with ball tosses ball up and says partner name at the same time. Partner turns and tries to catch ball after one bounce. Switch roles. Switch partners and repeat.
GRANDMOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Balance
Players start on the baseline with a ball and a racquet. The coach stands at the net facing them. When the coach faces the other way, the players must try to reach the coach while balancing the ball on the racquet. When the coach turns around, the players must stand still. If the ball falls off or if they are still moving, they go back to the baseline.
WIND UP
Flexibility
Players stand back to back and pass a ball to each other. They start by passing it around by the feet, then by the waist, and then by the shoulders. After each set of three passes, players take one step away from each other, so they must stretch to pass the ball, keeping their feet still, and eventually throw it. They can only step away if they complete the whole set of three passes. A variation is to use racquets and pass a ball from string bed to string bed.
ANIMAL WALKS – 6U
Strength
Children take turns picking an animal and imitate. Suggestions: frog, kangaroo, crab, dog, eagle, etc.
7
WALK THE DOG – 6U
Coordination
Players spread out on court with their ball on a line. Players move around court, tapping ball along line using forehand. SAY Backhands and players reverse direction and use other side of racquet to tap the ball.
ALLEY DRILL-SIDEWAYS
Speed
Players start outside doubles sideline facing the net holding racquets. On ―GO‖, players shuffle (side-step) into court to get both feet over singles sideline. Quickly reverse direction to get both feet over doubles sideline. See which player can be the first get feet over lines 30 times.
BALL RACE
Speed
Partner up players. Each player should set three balls on the deuce doubles sideline and their racquets on the ad doubles sideline. Players start at center facing each other. On ―GO‖, players race to pick up one ball at a time and place on their racquet. First player with three balls on racquet wins.
CHUCK N CHASE
Flexibility,strength
Players line up on either side of the court (at least two on each side). Using two hands, the first player throws a large ball from the forehand side, across the court (it must bounce inside the boundaries specified by the coach). Then they run across the court after it and join the line on the other side. The player who caught the ball throws it from the backhand side and also crosses the court. Rotations continue with players throwing then running. The throw should be a groundstroke swinging action. The movement across the court can change as specified by the coach.
SANDWICH RACE
Balance
Two players make a sandwich by starting with one player holding his or her racquet, placing a ball on their racquet and having another player put a racquet on the ball. Players attempt to move to a designated spot and back as a team. After each attempt, add one more player to the sandwich. Continue until six or more players are making a sandwich.
TUNNEL BALL
Quickness
Players line-up in ready position in a single file line facing coach. Coach rolls a ball to either side of line and players shuffle to get ball to roll between legs. If they miss or if ball hits a player’s foot, they go to the end of the line.
8
SKILL DEVELOPMENT GAMES - Games are for all ages unless noted AROUND THE BLOCK Groundstrokes Two teams of multiple players are on opposite sides of net (at Service line - Mini or Baseline - Full Court depending on level). Players hit one ball and runs to end of line and next player in line plays net shot. Play to 11 points or until coach calls time. Younger players may do this rolling the ball under the net tape.
BEAT MR. NOBODY
Serving, scoring
Player plays a game against an imaginary opponent. Start in deuce court, player serves. If ball in, they get a point. If they double fault, the opponent gets a point. Then serve from ad side, etc. until they reach game. Seven points – 8U or regular scoring for 10U.
BACK OF THE BUS
Volleys, overheads
Players are lined up along net. Player on the end to the coaches’ left is the Bus Driver. Player on the right end is at the back of the bus. Coach feed high balls for players to volley or hit overhead. If they miss, they go to the back of the bus and others get to move up a spot. Goal is to end game as the Bus Driver.
BALLOON GAME
All skills
Two teams line up at service line or baseline for ground strokes or at net for volleys or overhead. Two feeders feed balls to each team. A team gets a point every time a ball goes over the net or for higher level over the net and in the court. The first team to 15 points wins. They last player to hit the ball over runs to the balloon and jumps on it to break it. This game can be used for serving as well. This game can be used for competition among courts as well.
BE MY PARTNER
Rallying, groundstrokes
Coach and partner play against two players. If the players win a point, the player who hit the ball last becomes the coach's new partner. If players are waiting, the player rotate one spot when they lose a point and new team comes in.
GET THE FIRST ONE IN
Serving
Players are spread out on all courts. On GO, they serve to the opposite court. If they get it in, the move to the next half court to their right. If they miss, they repeat until they get the ball in. The goal is to get around to all courts with the least number of serves. A perfect score would be 16.
CARD GAME – 10U
Groundstrokes
Players are partnered up. On ―go‖, one player runs to coach who has a deck of cards. Players try to hit the ball as many times as the number on the card. When accomplished, the other partner runs to get next card, etc. until all cards are gone. Winning team has most points on their cards.
SERVE & RETURN GAME
Serving, returning
One player serves and one receives the whole game. If server gets ball in, they get a point. If returner gets return in, they also get a point. If server double faults, receiver gets a point. Play to seven points, and then switch servers. Variation: Server and returner score as a team and play against another pair on their court, trying to get to eleven points before the other team.
FISHES AND SHARKS
Groundstrokes
Players ―Fishes‖ are lined in ad alley or at baseline. Feed to forehand to first player at T who tries to get ball over net and in (or just over net depending upon level). If successful they still are a ―Fish‖. If a player misses 2 times, they become a ―Shark‖. Sharks put their racquet by net and go to other side. They need to catch ball in air (or after one bounce or two bounces depending on level) to become a fish again. The player that hit the caught ball becomes a ―Shark‖. Game continues until one player is left.
9
GOOF BALLS & MAGIC BALLS
Serving, Ground stokes
All ages
Demonstrate how to drop hit a forehand. Form two teams at baseline. Place 10 ―Magic‖ balls in pile by each net post. Set one hopper of ―Goof‖ balls behind teams. The first player on each team starts with a Goof ball and attempts to drop hit a forehand over the net. If successful, they run to get a Magic ball from pile and hand it to net player in line. If they miss, they run to get a Goof ball to give to next player. First team to use up all Magic balls wins.
HULA HOOP HITS
Groundstrokes
Each Team has a hoop across net held by parents, coaches or two players. Players attempts to drop hit a forehand into hoop. OR coach may feed. Teammates should yell ―GOAL‖ when the ball goes in. First team to 7 balls in hoop wins. Repeat game and move hoop cross-court from hitters.
PROGRESSIVE RALLY GAME
Groundstrokes
Partner up players with coaches or each other. Pairs start three steps back from the net. Each pair tries to rally, hitting ball three times each. Then step back and do the same until a pair makes it back to the baseline. Serving, groundstrokes SCORING GAME – 8U Form two teams at baseline. On other side of net, set up seven cones on each sideline – each cone is a point. One player comes out on court and attempts to serve. If they miss, they go to end of line. If they are successful, they run to their cone and place a ball on first cone. Team wins race by reaching the last cone with a ball which is Game. Switch sides and repeat game. Same game may be played with drop-hit forehands.
SCORING GAME – 10U
Serving, Groundstrokes
Form two teams at baseline. On other side of net, set up 4 cones on each sideline – each cone is a score 15, 30, 40, Game. One player comes out on court and attempts to serve. If they miss, they get a 2nd serve – if they double fault, they go back to end of line. If they are successful, they run to their cone and place a ball on first cone. Team wins race by reaching the last cone with a ball which is Game. Switch sides and repeat game. Same game may be played with drop-hit forehands.
SERVE IT DEEP
Serving accuracy
Players score on their own or as teams of two. Set up a line to divide serving box in half. Players score two points for a serve that lands deep and one point for serve that lands in front of line. Play first to seven points then switch sides.
RING RING – 10U
Groundstrokes
Champs of the Court large group game for all players on all courts, 1-5. Singles or doubles games. Send over defending Champs. Challenging players feed a friendly feed to start game on court 1. Whether they win the point or lose the point, they will advance to the next court 2. If they win the point, they keep it. If they lose a point, they still advance to next court 3, etc. When they have a total of 2 points, they say ―Ring Ring‖ and put 2 fingers up to let the Champs know that if they win this point they take their spot.
SEE YA – 10U
Volleys, groundstrokes
Multiple players line up in alley near coach on opposite side of the net. Two players go in to service line on each side. Coach feeds ball and players volley to other side. Play continues until a miss. Player who misses, goes out (coach says ―See Ya‖) and players rotate to make room for new player. No scoring – players just try to stay in by not missing. Coach can be very creative and challenging with feeds; stress that this is a ―fun game‖ not a ―fair game‖.
10
STUFFED SHIRT
Groundstrokes
Divide group into 4 - 6 teams. Each team sends a captain who can tuck in shirt to other side at the net. The rest of the team is single file behind the baseline. Players take turns and drop hit a forehand from the baseline (or service line) to their captain. Captains try to secure balls and stuff them in their shirt. Captains may steal from other teams. Play for 3 minutes or so. Team with most number of balls wins!
THROW BALL TENNIS
Serving
Two teams of multiple players are spread out on opposite sides of net with no racquets. One player starts by throwing ball to other side with overhead throw. Players must catch ball in air or after one bounce or other team scores a point. Players may take only one step from where they catch ball before they throw. Play game until one side gets seven points.
WIPEOUT
- 10U
Groundstrokes
Two teams of multiple players are lined up behind baselines single file. Feed ball to one player and then play out the point. The winning side gets to add in another player. The losing side rotates a new player in to the first player’s spot so it’s a two on one advantage. Play continues until one side has all players in and wins one more point. Any time a team loses a point, all players are wiped out. Award one point for this and start the game over with one player for each team.
CHAMPS OF THE COURT – 1OU
All skills
Singles or doubles challengers try to become Champs by winning two points in a row. Challengers feed ball to Champs to start points. Vary game with the position the Champs play from.
THREE BALL-TWO BALL – 10U
Groundstrokes, volleys
Doubles game with four players. Players have 2 balls in pockets. First player has extra ball to start game. Extra players are on sideline with two balls in their pockets. When player loses point, they feed ball from pocket. When player is out of balls, they rotate out and new player comes in. Players all start at service lines to focus on volleys. Players start at baselines to focus on groundstrokes.
TEAM COMPETITION – 8U
Match play
Divide players into two teams. Pick team name. Each team is on opposite baseline. Designate some courts as singles and some as doubles, depending upon number of players. On GO, players start playing, Alternate serve every two points. After five minutes, call STOP and players report their total points they won for their team. Players rotate on spot to right then play new opponent. Match play would last 20 minutes.
TEAM COMPETITION- 10U
Match play
Same as above using no-ad scoring and play for ten minutes. Players report games won.
11
Standard Tennis Diagram & Scoring
Server's Score is always said first. First point is always served to the deuce side — the server gets two chances to serve the ball in the appropriate box. Second point is played to the ad side, etc. 1st point is called 15. 2nd point is called 30. 3rd point is called 40.
40 – 40 is called deuce, and a player must win the next two points to win that game. The point after deuce is called advantage, either to the server or receiver. The point after an advantage will either be game or back to deuce. You must win six games by two to win a set Switch sides of the court after every odd game
4th point is called game. You must Play a tiebreak at 6 – 6 in games. win a game by a margin of two points. 12
TIEBREAK The player that first wins seven points by at least a margin of two wins the tiebreak and the set. If the score reaches 6-6 in points the tiebreak is extended until someone wins by a margin of two. The player whose turn it is to serve will start the tiebreak, serving to the deuce court. The other player will then serve the next two points starting to the ad court. Each player will then serve alternately for two consecutive points always starting to the ad court. Players change ends of the court every six points and at the conclusion of the tiebreak. The player who started the tiebreak as the server will start as the receiver for the next set.
8U SCORING Beginners: There are seven points in a game. Play the best of three games; the first to score seven points wins the game. The first to win two games wins the match. The longest a match will last is about 20 minutes.
10U SCORING Play the best of three short sets; the first to win four games wins a set. For the third set, play a tiebreak to seven, win by two. Players can serve with an overhand or an underhand motion.
Players use underhand serve and hit ball out of their hand. Players serve two points in a row them switch servers. Advanced: Play the best of three tiebreak games to seven, win by two,
13
No tennis if it rains or is 45 degrees or colder. Contacts: Kiersten Thomsen: 763-227-1282 [email protected] Patty Egart 763-438-8466 [email protected]
THANK YOU FOR COACHING ARAA TENNIS!
YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MANY CHILDREN!
14
EXPECTATIONS OF COACHES
Be on time: 15 minutes early to set up and stay after to put away equipment. Dress in tennis attire. Wear ARAA shirt. No flip flops! Be prepared. Go over your daily activities in advance. Please ask if you need help with this. Focus on the players at all times. Smile a lot! Have fun! If you are not having fun, the players are not either. Keep track of hours for community service or payment. Ask an assistant to sub for you if you have a conflict.
GENERAL GROUP TEACHING PRACTICES
Always stress safety! Compliment them about following safety rules and don’t hesitate to stop an activity when a child is doing something unsafe. Children should learn early to hug their racquets and to "freeze" upon command. Learn names and use them often - Play the ―Name Game‖. Move kids from one area of the court by challenging them with ―Who’s going to be the last person to the baseline?‖ or ―Who’s going to be the last one to the net?‖ (No one wants to be last and this keeps things moving) When organizing players for a drill, tell each player where to stand using names of court, how many turns they will get, and how to rotate. When demonstrating, have players stand with back to net so they watch you, not the ball! You look into the sun; keep students with back to sun when possible. Make sure they can see your hands when demonstrating. Counting aloud (for concentration and consistency) helps keep children motivated. One counting method is to have the children try to join the "5 Club," "10 Club," "20 Club" or to achieve a "World Record." Use spots to position children for most drills. Compliment good efforts frequently; try to be specific instead of ―Nice shot‖ say “Great follow through”. Adjust to different abilities by changing where you feed from/where they hit from, i.e. stand close to beginners and move away as they have success. Move them closer to net to serve at first, etc. Wrap up with “Did you have fun? What was your favorite thing we did today?” Assign Tennis Practice.
PRACTICE SESSION STRUCTURE 60 MINUTE SESSION 10 minutes Physical Skills 10 minutes Review Previous Skill and Practice 15 minutes New Skills - Introduce and Practice 20 minutes Games 5 minutes Wrap up – Did they have fun? Assign practice tennis GENERAL TENNIS CUES SAFETY CUES
“Do not swing near another player; Do not go near a player who is swinging”. Show players where to stand when waiting for their turn; ENFORCE THIS! “No wild swinging”; Good tennis players may swing fast but they are ―In control” Stop and take a child's racquet when actions are unsafe. ASK FOR HELP IF YOU HAVE A CHILD YOU CANNOT CONTROL!
KEY TENNIS CUES
“Ready position” – Racket in front in two hands; lower at baseline and higher at net. "Playing height" - Can't see your toes. “Split step” – Quick jump on balls of feet; gives you balance to change direction. “Keep your feet moving!” BOUNCE! Gives you momentum to help you get to the ball!
TENNIS ETTIQUETTE CUES
Spin to see who goes first. Use hand signals to show in or out; wait until ball bounces. Teach the universal ―Nice Shot‖ ball to racquet signal. Shake hands with opponents after match.
BASIC STRATEGY CUES – PRIORITIES
Keeping the ball in play; consistency. Hitting to the open court. Hitting to opponent’s weakness; using your strength. Hitting with pace
2
TEACHING THE SKILLS FOREHAND GROUND STROKE Basic action Take the racquet back above the hand in a shallow loop Swing it forward through the contact point - to the side and in front of the body Follow through on the opposite side of the body between the waist and shoulder Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few shallow loop forehands in a controlled manner.
READY
LOOP
SWING
BACKHAND GROUND STROKE Basic action Take the racquet back above the hand in a shallow loop Swing it forward through the contact point - to the side and in front of the body Follow through on the opposite side of the body between the waist and shoulder Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few shallow loop forehands in a controlled manner.
READY
LOOP
3
SWING
VOLLEY Basic action Hold the racquet head up and in front of them, so that they punch the racquet head forward at the ball Keep the action very short with the wrist firm Finish the stroke with the racquet in front and maintain their balance Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few forehand and backhand volleys in a controlled manner. Cues: “Ready”, “Step” Also: “Give the ball a High Five””Punch The ball”.
READY
Forehand Volley STEP
READY
Backhand Volley STEP
OVERHEAD Basic action Turn sideways and drop racquet behind back Point at ball with hand Swing up to hit ball above head Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few overheads in a controlled manner.
TURN
SCRATCH BACK
4
FIRE
OVERHAND SERVE Basic action Start with the player holding the racquet and ball held together out in front of the body The player stands sideways to the baseline, with feet about shoulder width apart for balance The racquet arm and ball arm split and simultaneously and move in opposite directions (this is a complex coordination movement that some children find difficult, but simply needs help and patience from the coach) The ball arm moves up to release the ball above and in front of the head, as the racquet arm swings behind the body and quickly up and forward to contact the ball The arm should be extended, and the racquet contacts the ball slightly in front and to the side of the body The racquet arm then moves across the body and follows through on the opposite side Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few serves in a controlled manner.
READY
SWING
FIRE
UNDERHAND SERVE Basic action Start with the racquet and ball held together out in front of the body (as they are for the overhand serve). Children stand behind the baseline, turned sideways, with feet and about shoulder width apart to help their balance The racquet and ball arms then move in opposite directions (as they do for the overhand serve). The racquet is taken back with one hand and the ball is tossed a short distance up in the air with the other to drop onto the racquet as it swings forward After contact, the racquet swings forward to finish in front of the body Demonstrate: Instructor should demonstrate a few serves in a controlled manner.
Ready
Swing
5
Fire
BASIC PRACTICE DRILLS Ages 3-6
Feed two or three lines of players when possible to maximize participation. USE PARENTS! Stand next to them and drop in front, say ―Bounce/Hit‖. Gradually increase distance you toss from using underhand toss. To feed volley – Stand at service line and under hand to toss high ball or use racquet to player at net. Make this fun; set goals, add in competition; use stickers. Roll ball with racquet to the side to practice groundstrokes. Roll & trap, progress to roll and roll back. Then progress to over net.
Ages 7-10
Toss, Hit and Catch – Partner up players with each other or with coaches – One player tosses to partner, tries to hit ball to partner so they can catch it – Forehands & backhands Toss, Hit Volleys – Partner stands at service line and underhand tosses to partner at net Mystery Ball – Each player will get 4 balls. One forehand, one backhand and the next two are mystery balls the coach or partner picks. Rally Contests – See which pair can rally the most number of balls in a row Overhead Drill 1 – Coach in ad alley and 1st player with racquet back at service line; coach underhand tosses ball to player who catches ball in non-dominant hand; player then self tosses and hits overhead. Overhead Drill 2 – Same position at service line; coach underhand tosses to player for overhead. Progress to feeding from other side of net. Serving Drill – Four at a time spread out along baseline at a spot; coach at ad alley coaching player on end; players take 2 serves each then rotate to left with waiting player coming in near coach for feedback. Serve & Return Drill – Two returners returning cross court; two servers at baseline (or service line) serving 2 balls each; then rotating to left with waiting players rotating in. Rotate in two new returners after all have served.
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PHYSICAL SKILLS –Activities are for all ages unless noted STATUES
Balance
Players jog around in all directions on court, coach moves, too On FREEZE, players stop and balance on one leg facing coach like statues. Repeat with jump, skip, hop, shuffle, etc.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
All ages
Coach at net faces group at baseline. Coach uses crossover steps, shuffle steps, run, carioca steps and players copy. Coach should change direction.
DYNAMIC STRETCHES Run to the net, return to baseline by:
Jumping Walking on toes Walking on heels
LINE GAME
Flexibility
Monster walks Robot walks Circling arms
Running, agility
This is a fun warm-up which teaches players the areas of the court. Teach them parts of the court then challenge them with ―Who wants to be the last one to the baseline, to the net, to the ad singles sideline…to the service line, to the deuce doubles sideline, to the ad alley, to the deuce service box, to no man’s land―. Add footwork to this and have them cross step or shuffle. Use this challenge throughout the session. It’s a high energy way for moving players for games and drills and keeps activities moving quickly.
PARTNER BALL TOSSING
Coordination
Partners face at alleys: Shuffle and bounce one ball back and forth Shuffle and toss one ball back and forth With two balls, shuffle and one player tosses and one player bounces; switch
NAME GAME Players form a circle. Coach starts game by asking and saying a name of person in circle then tossing a ball to them. That player does the same until all players in group have received a ball and their name has been said with the last player tossing back to the coach. Repeat with tossing to the same person each turn. Coach introduces more balls to the game until players can’t keep up.
PARTNER NAME GAME
Quickness
Partner up players, one ball per pair. Player without ball has back to partner. Player with ball tosses ball up and says partner name at the same time. Partner turns and tries to catch ball after one bounce. Switch roles. Switch partners and repeat.
GRANDMOTHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Balance
Players start on the baseline with a ball and a racquet. The coach stands at the net facing them. When the coach faces the other way, the players must try to reach the coach while balancing the ball on the racquet. When the coach turns around, the players must stand still. If the ball falls off or if they are still moving, they go back to the baseline.
WIND UP
Flexibility
Players stand back to back and pass a ball to each other. They start by passing it around by the feet, then by the waist, and then by the shoulders. After each set of three passes, players take one step away from each other, so they must stretch to pass the ball, keeping their feet still, and eventually throw it. They can only step away if they complete the whole set of three passes. A variation is to use racquets and pass a ball from string bed to string bed.
ANIMAL WALKS – 6U
Strength
Children take turns picking an animal and imitate. Suggestions: frog, kangaroo, crab, dog, eagle, etc.
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WALK THE DOG – 6U
Coordination
Players spread out on court with their ball on a line. Players move around court, tapping ball along line using forehand. SAY Backhands and players reverse direction and use other side of racquet to tap the ball.
ALLEY DRILL-SIDEWAYS
Speed
Players start outside doubles sideline facing the net holding racquets. On ―GO‖, players shuffle (side-step) into court to get both feet over singles sideline. Quickly reverse direction to get both feet over doubles sideline. See which player can be the first get feet over lines 30 times.
BALL RACE
Speed
Partner up players. Each player should set three balls on the deuce doubles sideline and their racquets on the ad doubles sideline. Players start at center facing each other. On ―GO‖, players race to pick up one ball at a time and place on their racquet. First player with three balls on racquet wins.
CHUCK N CHASE
Flexibility,strength
Players line up on either side of the court (at least two on each side). Using two hands, the first player throws a large ball from the forehand side, across the court (it must bounce inside the boundaries specified by the coach). Then they run across the court after it and join the line on the other side. The player who caught the ball throws it from the backhand side and also crosses the court. Rotations continue with players throwing then running. The throw should be a groundstroke swinging action. The movement across the court can change as specified by the coach.
SANDWICH RACE
Balance
Two players make a sandwich by starting with one player holding his or her racquet, placing a ball on their racquet and having another player put a racquet on the ball. Players attempt to move to a designated spot and back as a team. After each attempt, add one more player to the sandwich. Continue until six or more players are making a sandwich.
TUNNEL BALL
Quickness
Players line-up in ready position in a single file line facing coach. Coach rolls a ball to either side of line and players shuffle to get ball to roll between legs. If they miss or if ball hits a player’s foot, they go to the end of the line.
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SKILL DEVELOPMENT GAMES - Games are for all ages unless noted AROUND THE BLOCK Groundstrokes Two teams of multiple players are on opposite sides of net (at Service line - Mini or Baseline - Full Court depending on level). Players hit one ball and runs to end of line and next player in line plays net shot. Play to 11 points or until coach calls time. Younger players may do this rolling the ball under the net tape.
BEAT MR. NOBODY
Serving, scoring
Player plays a game against an imaginary opponent. Start in deuce court, player serves. If ball in, they get a point. If they double fault, the opponent gets a point. Then serve from ad side, etc. until they reach game. Seven points – 8U or regular scoring for 10U.
BACK OF THE BUS
Volleys, overheads
Players are lined up along net. Player on the end to the coaches’ left is the Bus Driver. Player on the right end is at the back of the bus. Coach feed high balls for players to volley or hit overhead. If they miss, they go to the back of the bus and others get to move up a spot. Goal is to end game as the Bus Driver.
BALLOON GAME
All skills
Two teams line up at service line or baseline for ground strokes or at net for volleys or overhead. Two feeders feed balls to each team. A team gets a point every time a ball goes over the net or for higher level over the net and in the court. The first team to 15 points wins. They last player to hit the ball over runs to the balloon and jumps on it to break it. This game can be used for serving as well. This game can be used for competition among courts as well.
BE MY PARTNER
Rallying, groundstrokes
Coach and partner play against two players. If the players win a point, the player who hit the ball last becomes the coach's new partner. If players are waiting, the player rotate one spot when they lose a point and new team comes in.
GET THE FIRST ONE IN
Serving
Players are spread out on all courts. On GO, they serve to the opposite court. If they get it in, the move to the next half court to their right. If they miss, they repeat until they get the ball in. The goal is to get around to all courts with the least number of serves. A perfect score would be 16.
CARD GAME – 10U
Groundstrokes
Players are partnered up. On ―go‖, one player runs to coach who has a deck of cards. Players try to hit the ball as many times as the number on the card. When accomplished, the other partner runs to get next card, etc. until all cards are gone. Winning team has most points on their cards.
SERVE & RETURN GAME
Serving, returning
One player serves and one receives the whole game. If server gets ball in, they get a point. If returner gets return in, they also get a point. If server double faults, receiver gets a point. Play to seven points, and then switch servers. Variation: Server and returner score as a team and play against another pair on their court, trying to get to eleven points before the other team.
FISHES AND SHARKS
Groundstrokes
Players ―Fishes‖ are lined in ad alley or at baseline. Feed to forehand to first player at T who tries to get ball over net and in (or just over net depending upon level). If successful they still are a ―Fish‖. If a player misses 2 times, they become a ―Shark‖. Sharks put their racquet by net and go to other side. They need to catch ball in air (or after one bounce or two bounces depending on level) to become a fish again. The player that hit the caught ball becomes a ―Shark‖. Game continues until one player is left.
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GOOF BALLS & MAGIC BALLS
Serving, Ground stokes
All ages
Demonstrate how to drop hit a forehand. Form two teams at baseline. Place 10 ―Magic‖ balls in pile by each net post. Set one hopper of ―Goof‖ balls behind teams. The first player on each team starts with a Goof ball and attempts to drop hit a forehand over the net. If successful, they run to get a Magic ball from pile and hand it to net player in line. If they miss, they run to get a Goof ball to give to next player. First team to use up all Magic balls wins.
HULA HOOP HITS
Groundstrokes
Each Team has a hoop across net held by parents, coaches or two players. Players attempts to drop hit a forehand into hoop. OR coach may feed. Teammates should yell ―GOAL‖ when the ball goes in. First team to 7 balls in hoop wins. Repeat game and move hoop cross-court from hitters.
PROGRESSIVE RALLY GAME
Groundstrokes
Partner up players with coaches or each other. Pairs start three steps back from the net. Each pair tries to rally, hitting ball three times each. Then step back and do the same until a pair makes it back to the baseline. Serving, groundstrokes SCORING GAME – 8U Form two teams at baseline. On other side of net, set up seven cones on each sideline – each cone is a point. One player comes out on court and attempts to serve. If they miss, they go to end of line. If they are successful, they run to their cone and place a ball on first cone. Team wins race by reaching the last cone with a ball which is Game. Switch sides and repeat game. Same game may be played with drop-hit forehands.
SCORING GAME – 10U
Serving, Groundstrokes
Form two teams at baseline. On other side of net, set up 4 cones on each sideline – each cone is a score 15, 30, 40, Game. One player comes out on court and attempts to serve. If they miss, they get a 2nd serve – if they double fault, they go back to end of line. If they are successful, they run to their cone and place a ball on first cone. Team wins race by reaching the last cone with a ball which is Game. Switch sides and repeat game. Same game may be played with drop-hit forehands.
SERVE IT DEEP
Serving accuracy
Players score on their own or as teams of two. Set up a line to divide serving box in half. Players score two points for a serve that lands deep and one point for serve that lands in front of line. Play first to seven points then switch sides.
RING RING – 10U
Groundstrokes
Champs of the Court large group game for all players on all courts, 1-5. Singles or doubles games. Send over defending Champs. Challenging players feed a friendly feed to start game on court 1. Whether they win the point or lose the point, they will advance to the next court 2. If they win the point, they keep it. If they lose a point, they still advance to next court 3, etc. When they have a total of 2 points, they say ―Ring Ring‖ and put 2 fingers up to let the Champs know that if they win this point they take their spot.
SEE YA – 10U
Volleys, groundstrokes
Multiple players line up in alley near coach on opposite side of the net. Two players go in to service line on each side. Coach feeds ball and players volley to other side. Play continues until a miss. Player who misses, goes out (coach says ―See Ya‖) and players rotate to make room for new player. No scoring – players just try to stay in by not missing. Coach can be very creative and challenging with feeds; stress that this is a ―fun game‖ not a ―fair game‖.
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STUFFED SHIRT
Groundstrokes
Divide group into 4 - 6 teams. Each team sends a captain who can tuck in shirt to other side at the net. The rest of the team is single file behind the baseline. Players take turns and drop hit a forehand from the baseline (or service line) to their captain. Captains try to secure balls and stuff them in their shirt. Captains may steal from other teams. Play for 3 minutes or so. Team with most number of balls wins!
THROW BALL TENNIS
Serving
Two teams of multiple players are spread out on opposite sides of net with no racquets. One player starts by throwing ball to other side with overhead throw. Players must catch ball in air or after one bounce or other team scores a point. Players may take only one step from where they catch ball before they throw. Play game until one side gets seven points.
WIPEOUT
- 10U
Groundstrokes
Two teams of multiple players are lined up behind baselines single file. Feed ball to one player and then play out the point. The winning side gets to add in another player. The losing side rotates a new player in to the first player’s spot so it’s a two on one advantage. Play continues until one side has all players in and wins one more point. Any time a team loses a point, all players are wiped out. Award one point for this and start the game over with one player for each team.
CHAMPS OF THE COURT – 1OU
All skills
Singles or doubles challengers try to become Champs by winning two points in a row. Challengers feed ball to Champs to start points. Vary game with the position the Champs play from.
THREE BALL-TWO BALL – 10U
Groundstrokes, volleys
Doubles game with four players. Players have 2 balls in pockets. First player has extra ball to start game. Extra players are on sideline with two balls in their pockets. When player loses point, they feed ball from pocket. When player is out of balls, they rotate out and new player comes in. Players all start at service lines to focus on volleys. Players start at baselines to focus on groundstrokes.
TEAM COMPETITION – 8U
Match play
Divide players into two teams. Pick team name. Each team is on opposite baseline. Designate some courts as singles and some as doubles, depending upon number of players. On GO, players start playing, Alternate serve every two points. After five minutes, call STOP and players report their total points they won for their team. Players rotate on spot to right then play new opponent. Match play would last 20 minutes.
TEAM COMPETITION- 10U
Match play
Same as above using no-ad scoring and play for ten minutes. Players report games won.
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Standard Tennis Diagram & Scoring
Server's Score is always said first. First point is always served to the deuce side — the server gets two chances to serve the ball in the appropriate box. Second point is played to the ad side, etc. 1st point is called 15. 2nd point is called 30. 3rd point is called 40.
40 – 40 is called deuce, and a player must win the next two points to win that game. The point after deuce is called advantage, either to the server or receiver. The point after an advantage will either be game or back to deuce. You must win six games by two to win a set Switch sides of the court after every odd game
4th point is called game. You must Play a tiebreak at 6 – 6 in games. win a game by a margin of two points. 12
TIEBREAK The player that first wins seven points by at least a margin of two wins the tiebreak and the set. If the score reaches 6-6 in points the tiebreak is extended until someone wins by a margin of two. The player whose turn it is to serve will start the tiebreak, serving to the deuce court. The other player will then serve the next two points starting to the ad court. Each player will then serve alternately for two consecutive points always starting to the ad court. Players change ends of the court every six points and at the conclusion of the tiebreak. The player who started the tiebreak as the server will start as the receiver for the next set.
8U SCORING Beginners: There are seven points in a game. Play the best of three games; the first to score seven points wins the game. The first to win two games wins the match. The longest a match will last is about 20 minutes.
10U SCORING Play the best of three short sets; the first to win four games wins a set. For the third set, play a tiebreak to seven, win by two. Players can serve with an overhand or an underhand motion.
Players use underhand serve and hit ball out of their hand. Players serve two points in a row them switch servers. Advanced: Play the best of three tiebreak games to seven, win by two,
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No tennis if it rains or is 45 degrees or colder. Contacts: Kiersten Thomsen: 763-227-1282 [email protected] Patty Egart 763-438-8466 [email protected]
THANK YOU FOR COACHING ARAA TENNIS!
YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF MANY CHILDREN!
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