You're child loves tennis and wants to do more, which is great news! How can you help? The items below can help you both with the tennis journey. 

Parents play a pivotal role in sport and young people depend heavily on their involvement, support and encouragement.

The LTA work closely with Sports Psychology experts from Loughborough University and the University of Roehampton to offer a progressive parent support programme that provides advice and guidance to parents nurturing the next generation of players.

Stage one is aimed at parents whose children are just beginning their competitive journey and features a ‘Start Competing’ guide and a series of short videos. To access the videos, please click here

Start Competing Parents Guide

This guide is packed with information on finding the right competition and preparing your child for tournaments. It's a perfect starting point for parents who have just begun entering their child into competitions. 

Download the Start Competing Parents Guide to find out more.

Allow your child to grow with Tennis. Parents (and Coaches) can often become an obstacle by "helping too much"

The '40 yard rule'- From Coach -Allistair McCaw

I’ve been around youth sports for probably well over 30 years now. And if there is one thing I believe in it’s the 40 yard rule. In fact, it’s one of my standards before working with a family. 

It’s the distance I recommend for parents to spectate the from sideline/field/court/rink/pitch. 

Is it punishment? Heck, no. It’s just something that allows your child to better focus and enjoy their time playing the sport they love.

Kid feels less pressured, but still feel supported. 

Every kid loves their parents to watch, but don’t need to hear/see/feel their parents comments or reactions. Remember your kid sees, hears, feels and senses everything. Yes, even that ‘quiet’ sigh. 

When your kid is Looking at you, the parent, during a game, you know their mind is not fully in the game. They’re distracted. 

When a kid feels free, they play 'free'er' and enjoy the experience of playing sports. It's their time, not ours. 

It also helps the kid focus on what their teammates and coach wants. 

Be That Parent who endorses the 40 yard rule. Let your kid be focused on the game and not you. 

If there is anthing you'd like covered, please email me and I'm sure I can help ben@tennissmiths.com