Perhaps unlike many sports learned in school, tennis is a sport for life. The statistics of the age range for playing the game is from 3 and 4 years to at least 95 years of age. The oldest player in this year’s senior world championships is a gentleman of 95!
Tennis is so different from any sports: the vast majority of players around the world are not tournament players seeking to realise their potential in international events, but those who play for social, fun and enjoyment and exercise. However, these players can now also play almost anywhere in the world against players of the same standard because, like golf, tennis has an international rating system so that a player with an ITN (International Tennis number) can find another player anywhere. The game is universal.
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From the teaching perspective tennis gives many opportunities to develop and build different skills for students through the primary and secondary stages of education
Tennis has a number of characteristics that are important in the context of students learning the sport at school – learning the sport means that many other skills can be acquired at the same time. For the majority of players, tennis is played without umpires or referees: thus the game is entirely player regulated and players have to agree on both the interpretation of the rules and the score. While scoring systems can be adjusted for the school environment, the game has no time frames – a single game can last for 3 minutes or as long as 20 minutes, a set can last 15 minutes or 45 minutes and if the tie break is not used, can go on for as long as it takes to finish! A match therefore has no time limits: it isn’t over until one player or team has won the last point. Further the scoring system means the winner and loser is unknown until the last point. It is played on the best of 3 principle, meaning that players can be losing and then win – or be winning and then lose. The structure of the scoring system means that there are many periods of ‘downtime’ between points so concentration and focusing has to be learned and applied. In the singles format the player has to be self reliant because there is no coaching during play. From the teaching perspective, therefore, tennis gives many opportunities to develop and build different skills for students through the primary and secondary stages of education. We often think of tennis as a technical and tactical game but the following are some of the other skills that the game develops in players:
- Social skills of respect and recognition of others as well as codes of behaviour, fairness and honesty. In doubles, teamwork is essential: communication and planning with another player is essential, as well as learning to support a team member.
- Psychological skills of concentration, focus, coping with success and disappointment, commitment and self reliance are part of the game itself. With the nature of an open skill sport, decision making, coupled with learning the consequences of certain actions is increasingly important
- Physical skills – the basic skills of agility, balance and coordination are required and the game gives primary school teachers a good opportunity to develop these in context of using equipment. The game has an aerobic base with anaerobic capacities developing as the standard of play improves. While it can be played by younger students, as students mature, increasing strength and power mean that it can be played to a high level.
- Nutrition and hydration is part of tennis. The indeterminate length of the game, coupled with the aerobic and anaerobic nature of the sport, gives a great opportunity for students to learn about hydration and nutrition for sports performance.
Although the possibilities for learning life skills are endless in a sport that is itself a sport for life, tennis is seen as a difficult game to learn and play. In addition, it suffers from an elite image and coaching is deemed to be necessary to learn and improve.
However, many of these concerns are easy to address. Modified equipment, court areas and competition formats mean that the game can be learned and success guaranteed for almost anyone and especially young people. Clearly, teachers will be aware of modified equipment in many sports. Tennis has the full spectrum of equipment that makes the sport easier to learn and get success by students of any age. The real value though of this equipment is that is can be used with different age groups to differentiate ability levels even on the same task.
For example, in the primary school the shorter, lighter rackets with smaller handles are right for young children and are combined with low compression balls on a shorter court with a lower net. However, with older, taller and stronger students in the secondary school, these same low compression balls can still be used on a bigger court with a longer racket. By using the ‘right’ ball for the ability of the student, rather than for the age of student, almost all students will be able to rally and play with each other, achieve success and therefore enjoy learning the game. In addition, by using different balls the same task can be given to different students and all can achieve. In tennis the ball is probably the single most important factor affecting the learning and progress of students. It is the speed of the incoming ball that can give perceptual difficulties to some students so the slower flight of the low compression ball is essential. Tennis as an open skill sport also requires the development of anticipation. Quality anticipation develops from experience of playing so the slower ball is essential for students in order that they can hit and rally more balls in a lesson.
The court size can be differentiated to achieve learning and success. Clearly for competition purposes the courts should be a standard size for the age of the student, but there is no reason why in lessons and practice the court sizes cannot be modified to achieve the task set by the teacher. For example, if the students are learning to serve and return, a wider and shorter court could be of benefit and achieve success, while if the task is learning to keep the ball deep in the court, then a longer and thinner court would be of use.
Teaching through the game can be highly successful in tennis and the use of appropriate equipment and court areas, increases understanding of the sport by the students.
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Modified equipment, court areas and competition formats mean that the game can be learned and success guaranteed for almost anyone and especially young people
Adjustments can also be made, depending on the age and understanding of the students, to the scoring system. The nature of tennis as a game is that the winner and loser are often not known until the point is over. A second feature is that of the ‘best of 3’ principle. This principle also develops a different attitude in the student who can lose the first set, but by winning the next two can still be the winner – or vice versa! Whatever the age of the student therefore, in every competitive situation in tennis the principle should be to play best of 3. For example, instead of playing points to 15 or to 21, students could play 3 games to 5 points or 3 games to 7 points. Even in primary schools, competition and practice should be on the best of 3 principle – perhaps 3 games to 7 points (this then keeps matches to 20 minutes maximum). For older secondary school students a match could be 2 sets to 4 games and, if needed, a final deciding set of first to 7 points.
Tennis coaching can now be learned and accessed on line – there is no need for expensive coaching for students to become proficient. Teachers can also direct students to high quality websites such as this one. Resources like this can easily support the work of teachers and increase student understanding of the requirements of the game.
In being a sport that really can be played for life, tennis can help meet national and government targets for the health of the nation. Taught in schools, and using appropriate and up to date methods, the sport can also serve as a tool to teach many other transferable skills to students