There are a tremendous amount of good ideas, technologies, coaching, and sport science knowledge available on-line and through tennis programs to help junior players achieve competency in the sport of tennis. In Northern California where I work and teach tennis to juniors the quality of coaching is deep. Interest in tennis is high. What is missing for families and young players are user friendly environments for their children to develop their competitive experience and skills.
Tennis should look more closely at the youth soccer, basketball even baseball system of immersion. A family whose child plays on a soccer team frequently will play 2-3 games in one day during a weekend. A tennis family drives 30-40 miles to a tournament which maybe provides a first round or feed-in consolation. The fee for the tournament is up to $45.00 at some tournaments. The child may receive a t-shirt and play two matches. How do you think a parent feels spending hundreds of dollars on coaching, clinics, tennis equipment, entry fees to watch their child play one or two matches and lose? Realistically most families can't keep up with the financial stress. Versus a family can for $300.00 or less join a soccer team, and be guaranteed at least one to two practices a week, the coaching can be hit or miss but they are out on the field competing and are guaranteed least 12 or more competitive games.
If tournaments at the Novice and Challenger level converted to round-robin the 30 or 40 minute drive to the tournament - cost of family time and gas - would begin to be worth it. Value to the junior player is knowing that regardless of the outcome he/she will play 4-5 matches when entered in a tournament. The longer term pay off is the young player gets to test his/her skills against all the players in the tournament vs. the luck of the draw or seeding. It provides a truer value to the family investment, and a more worthwhile value to the player's mental, emotional, physical growth.
Why do kids quit tennis? Unless they are top dog and winning it's tough getting squashed in the early rounds week after week. Think back to when you were 9 or 10 and how lousy it felt to be "the loser." It's even more uncomfortable to be in that spot today with the pressures of junior tennis. But if the player knows that he/she has the opportunity to play all the players not only does the player have hope that it's possible to beat at least one player in the mix, they also receive valuable competitive play time. Overtime playing that many matches the player will improve or find another sport. Over and over again the discussion moves to what is the purpose of junior sports? Development. Mental, physical, strategic/technical/ emotional development.
There are many ways to make tournaments not only user friendly but welcome the families and players who are participating. Motivation is having a sense of purpose and opportunity for the outcome to be favorable. Someone may not be able to beat the strongest player's in the field but at the junior level it's important to have a shot at least practicing against a stronger player in a tournament. A less skilled player may find that he/she can't beat the best players but at least use the weekend to practice competing.
For example; A tournament entry in an age group draws 16 players. Players who lose in the the first round can be put in one round robin group and the other 8 players can be put into another grouping. Over four days of competition a player will play 7 matches. Competition allows players the opportunity to see different styles of play and figure out what strategies work in what situations.
There are excellent tools to draw upon to help a player learn to hit a tennis ball. Now there needs to be more user friendly modifications in the early stages in the competitive arena so the young players have the time and space to gain their footing and confidence. There is no shortage of talented athletic youths.
Tennis is an individual sport at the professional level. Offer players a user friendly environment to find their way.
