Our Junior Coaching program follows the International Tennis Federation Tennis 10s structure.
What is ITF Tennis 10s?
ITF Tennis 10s provides a sound development structure for players aged
10 and under through 3 colour-coded stages.
Red, Orange and Green
Through these stages a series of developmental steps are created to allow players to progress along
a competitive pathway according to their age, ability, and confidence and orientation to competition.
In the process, the court size, racket length, ball speed and duration of games all increase until the
player is ready to move onto the full court and use a yellow ball.
Smaller, Slower, Easier
Most people understand that it‘s:
- a three-stage version of tennis
- designed initially for children, but now used for starter adults too
- a structured way of using slower balls, smaller courts and shorter rackets
- age and size appropriate
Efficient and Effective
It helps children to play the game faster and feel more competent as they do this, as:
- players learn skills faster and play the game quickly
- coaches teach the game of tennis and not just remote sets of skills
- players are motivated to stay in the game as they can play and progress
The most important thing is that it allows young or inexperienced players to learn the skills and tactics of tennis and actually play the game quickly.
Programmes
Through the use of these stages, each club or tennis facility can provide a structured programme that includes competition. Coaching sessions, play, and practice opportunities, are provided as a way of preparing for playing the game rather than being remote sessions that are not linked to actually playing.
Often children who try to play the game of tennis with yellow balls don’t continue. The ball bounces over their heads, rallies are short and they spend most of their time picking up balls – meaning they rapidly lose interest. By allowing children to actually play the game, more will stay
