Lynmore Tennis Club  -  Junior Coaching Programme Guidelines

Red Stage (age 5-8)

The Red stage introduces children to tennis through fun games and activities. Children learn the basics of tennis through movement fundamentals such as side skipping, jumping, balance, running, ball flight recognition and agility.
The kids will also learn how to hold the racquet correctly for each grip, forehand and backhand play, what the lines on the court mean and how to rally.
The Coach may split the kids into different groups based on abilities and numbers. It is important that all skills at this level are mastered before moving to the Orange stage.

A smaller court area is used with a smaller net. The ball size is bigger with 25% compression (softer).

Recommended racquet size is 21 – 23 inches.

Learning the different skills at this level helps to:
•    Improve co-ordination when hitting the ball.
•    Master swing patterns and tracking the ball.
•    Strike the ball correctly.
•    Return the ball over the net.
•    Encourage fair play.
•    Improve fitness with fun activities in a fun atmosphere.

Orange Stage (age 8 - 10)

After mastering the Red stage the children move up to the Orange Stage where the ball bounces a little higher and they go onto the full court.
Again from within a games based framework more technical aspects of the game are introduced as well as building on what they already know. Skills like, learning to serve, hitting the ball into open space, getting opponent to move and hitting with depth.

This stage introduces the player to the demands of a full court area. 
The coach may move players between the Red and Orange Stage at his own discretion.

To pass this Stage you must have:
•    Correctly mastered the different strokes and grips.
•    Learnt to serve with some consistency.
•    Have played Match Play games at Junior club level (Weds Play)
•    Shown fair play throughout the term.
•    An understanding of the rules of the game.

The ball is regular size with 50% - 75% compression.  Recommended racquet size is 23 – 25 inches.

Green Stage (age 9 - 12)

Children will now be playing on the full court with a regular size tennis ball.
This is a great stage to put all you have learnt into practice. The skills you have learnt will be with you forever (just like riding a bike!). By now you will be a confident player and will have the ability to the use the courts outside of practice times. Your coaching will build on the skills you have through fun games and activities as well as match play.

The bigger court allows the player to fully utilise their skills and develop a set of strategies for competition play.

By the end of the Green stage each player will have:
•    Mastered the different strokes, match play and rules of tennis. 
•    Played games at a competition level. (Junior Club Champs)
•    The confidence to play in tournaments at junior level. (TBA of upcoming tournaments – optional)
•    Experience at reffing their own games as required in all junior tournaments. 

Kids are encouraged to learn the rules of tennis and at all times display fair play. Each player will be given a book on the rules. Junior members are expected to keep the club room tidy and pick up the balls and put away all the equipment after coaching.

Seniors (age 13+)

This stage will be split into two groups.
First group will be those that are new to Tennis and keen to learn the game or players that haven’t played for a while but have a basic understanding of the game. You may be coached with the Green stage players.
Second group will be those that have moved up from the Green Stage. The Coach will allocate players to the different groups depending on skill level. Seniors will be required to have a good understanding of all aspects of the game and be playing regularly.