LTA Youth Tennis
We run courses for children aged 4 – 18, packed full of fun games and dynamic training. We want kids to bring all their energy to tennis; no ‘quiet please’ needed here.
Never held a racket? No problem, our specially trained LTA Youth coaches will adapt to each individual, to help bring out their best in a safe, secure environment. All kids need to bring is their creative energy, because the programme is designed to grow as they do. Smaller courts and softer balls develop into the real deal as they pick up all the skills and know-how they need.
It will take your youngster to the next level; you’ll see it in their confidence, their skills and even their concentration at school. Not to mention keeping them fit and active. Add some healthy competition to teach them about good sportsmanship (because we all have bad days) and you’ve got a set of skills for life.
LTA Youth has 6 stages:
- Tennis for Kids: 4-11 years – Introductory offer
- Blue: 4-6 years – Learn the basics
- Red: 6-8 years – Serve, rally and score
- Orange: 8-9 years – Develop a rounded game
- Green: 9-10 years – Test your skills
- Yellow: 10+ years – Take your skills further
N.B. Although we’ve assigned ages to each stage these are just a guide. We’ll always put kids in the relevant group based on their ability.
Start
(Age 4-11)
This is a fun starter course for children who have never played the sport before, or may have played very little. Packed full of fun games and training drills, it also gives parents the chance to join in too.
Blue Stage
Learn the basics (Age 4-6)
This is an introduction to tennis. Here, we’ll help kids improve their balance, agility and co-ordination while teaching them about the sport we love. At this stage it’s not about winning or losing, it’s just getting to grips with the basics.
Red Stage
Serve, rally and score (Age 6-8)
This will look a bit more like the tennis you know. You’ll see overarm serves, rallies and volleys. Coaches will help children to further develop their co-ordination, balance and speed. We’ll introduce relaxed competition here too.
Orange Stage
Develop a rounded game (Age 8-9)
Time to throw in some tactics, problem-solving, and guides to sportsmanship and leadership. At this stage children will know all of the rules and will be serving and returning in matches.
Green Stage
Test your skills (Age 9-10)
This is the big one. It’s time for kids to play on full size courts. Now it’s all about growing their game by fine tuning and refining the techniques they’ve learned so far.
Yellow Stage
Take your skills further (Age 10+)
Time to find your game. Playing on a full-size court with the same size balls the pros use, kids will continue to explore different styles on the court, and start to choose their own.