Tennis is a great social game and our job as coaches is to make sure the children enjoy themselves and learn about good sportsmanship as well as obviously learning how to play tennis.

So here's some of the most common chats we have with our junior players when on court:

Mistakes
It's really ok to make mistakes when learning to play. That's how you get better!

Staying safe
When the coach is talking to a group, it's really great if you can hug your racquet. It keeps you and everyone around you safe. No-one wants to be hit by a swinging racquet, and it also helps us listen better!

Learning to play
Anyone can learn to play tennis, so we never want to hear the words "I can't". Its's more about how much you are willing to try hard, have fun and learn new skills.

Helping your friends
It's great when you cheer for your friends as they improve. That makes yu a real sportsperson.

Winning and losing
Everyone has to learn to both win and lose when they play tennis. Good players become great players by being able to deal with both winning and losing. Andy Murray has played thousands of tennis matches, yet won just (!) 45 tournaments and yet he has been No 1 in the world depsite losing matches.

Having a great attitude
Your best friend on the court is never your racquet or yur forehand; it's your great attitude!

Author: Doug Robinson