Coach Newman's Corner

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May 25, 2007

Using the summer to improve

Today is the last day of our regular school year tennis program.  Next Tuesday we begin the summer phase of our program.  Summer can be a time of great improvement for junior tennis players, there is more time to train and more time to compete.  Here are some suggestions for various levels of students in our program:

All Stars/Pee Wees:  These players under 10 years old need to get on the court before it gets too hot.  We are providing an 8am-9:30 mini camp and an 8am-11:30am half day camp for players in this level.  Players sign up for camp a week at a time.  Tennis skills, competition and athletic skills are all stressed in the All Star Camp.  Some of the more advanced All Stars may wish to consider the CATA tour 10 & under tournament competition.

Junior Development:  These players can improve the most this summer.  They are usually old enough to tolerate a good volumne of training and are ready to make a move in their tennis.  If a child is between 11-15 years old and really wants to improve their tennis, our all day camp: 8am-11:30am on court, 11:30-12 lunch, 12-3:30 on court will provide a tremendous level of improvement in a short amount of time.  For those younger JD players, just the morning camp would be appropriate.  Junior development players should definitely be trying to compete in CATA tour events and should begin playing in the lowest level of statewide competition.  Zone Advancement Tournaments or ZATS are the first level of statewide competition, divided into 12 & under, 14 & under, 16 & under and 18 & under age groups.  In addition, JD players should be preparing to be on a competitive team tennis team in the Fall.

Junior Academy:  These players are already seasoned competitors.  They should be using the CATA tour events to build game point, set point and match point experience.  They should be actively competing in ZATS or Champs tournaments as well as local open events like the ATA SPENCO open in June.  They should be training a minimum of 15-20 hours per week during the summer, depending on their age.  Either a full day or half day camp for a good portion of the summer is appropriate for this level.

Academy players:  These players are competing at a high level.  The summer is a time to make a jump in level by training hard and continuing to compete.  Most Academy players will train at least 20 hours per week, depending on their age.  Many will be traveling across Texas and the United States to seek out the best competition and to test themselves against the best players Texas and the United States has to offer.  Players can make significant progress in technical, tactical, physical and mental areas during the summer.

Primary coaches should be consulted about the right training and competition plans for your junior tennis player to help them reach their goals.

Posted by Jack Newman at May 25, 2007 6:56 AM