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5 Great Benefits of Tennis For Kids

With so many sports and activities out there, it can be tough to find the right fit for your young athlete. 

If you’re looking for a fun, safe and healthy outlet that also boosts your child’s mental, emotional and physical development, very few options can rival tennis. Best of all, it doesn’t require a ton of expensive gear — all that’s needed is tennis shoes and a racquet. 

Let’s explore the unique benefits tennis serves up both on and off the court for kids.

Safety first

First off, tennis is a non-contact sport that’s easy on the joints, significantly reducing your child’s likelihood of suffering an injury. While all physical activities carry an inherent risk, tennis is unique for the fact that players receive one-on-one coaching or small-group classes to learn proper form, which is a level of attention that’s rarely found in traditional team sports.

Great exercise

Tennis is an amazing outlet for little ones to let out that seemingly boundless energy. Not only will they sleep soundly, but they’ll get the double benefit of learning gross motor skills (using large muscles) and also fine motor skills (using smaller muscles).

Other physical perks include greater total body strength, improved cardiovascular fitness, and help maintaining a healthy weight. While some sports like football are notorious for having lots of benchwarmers, tennis is a different story: It’s a sport that is guaranteed to keep your child moving around for the majority of a game, regardless of their height, weight, speed, level of athleticism, etc.

And we can’t forget the immune boost that physical activity provides, which can help kids combat the seasonal sniffles.

Instills strong values

Whether playing singles or doubles, tennis is a sport that challenges kids individually and as a team. Little ones learn valuable lessons in teamwork and camaraderie while also developing the discipline, patience, self-confidence and work ethic to compete solo. Learning to win and lose with grace on the court translates to behaving with integrity off the court, too.

Plus, what many parents do not know is that there have been numerous studies performed on youth tennis participants and how they compare to their peers that are involved in other activities. Here’s just a few promising findings provided by Arun Pant, CA tennis assistant general manager:

• Tennis players have a higher GPA than other sports on average.
• Kids that play tennis are less likely to get expelled and engage in risky behavior.
• Kids that play tennis are more likely to volunteer more in their communities.

A young player gets an early start at Long Reach Tennis Club.

A lifetime of fun

While a lot of team sports drop off in high school when only the elite athletes continue on to the pros, tennis offers opportunities for all ability levels. Because of the low-impact, no-contact nature of the game, it’s an activity that can be enjoyed for a lifetime. Tennis has leagues, clinics, and tournaments for all ages, ranging from super casual to competitive.

Encouraging your kids to play tennis sets them up with a healthy, social outlet for stress relief for years to come. It’s even been found to extend life expectancy by nearly 10 years!

Boosts brainpower + mood

As the saying goes, a fit body leads to a fit mind — but the strategic thinking required in tennis takes it up a notch! Tennis is an ace for helping children work on focus and critical thinking. Each shot requires them to make technical and tactical choices, developing their decision-making abilities and stress management under pressure.

It also helps regulate serotonin and endorphins, both of which are linked to important brain functions and known to elevate mood. Plus, we all know the wonders that fresh air and healthy screen time breaks have on our children’s emotional state.

Kick off your child’s tennis journey with CA

CA’s tennis programs offer classes for children ages three and up! No matter your child’s skill level, we have a class that fits their age and experience. We make it a point to develop better, well-rounded athletes through the medium of tennis. All junior classes run a comprehensive dynamic warm up that works on player agility, balance, coordination and speed that will pay off in other sports, too. 

For more information, visit our website.