Tennis 10s
“Tennis 10s”: The best competition program for children under 10 – at “Match’n play” school
“Tennis 10s” is the official competition program of the World Tennis Federation (ITF) intended for young tennis players, up to 10 years of age, which is played on smaller courts, adapted to their age, with slower red, orange and green balls. It is a fun way to enter the world of tennis that makes it easier for children to play the game, develop good technique and tactics and love the sport. That is why we apply this program at “Match’n play” tennis school.
The “Tennis 10s” program is a way in which tennis training and competition can be best presented to all players under the age of 10. The principles are very simple: the best environment for young tennis players is created by using slower balls, shorter rackets and courts of appropriate sizes, while adequate competition is achieved with shorter and multiple formats of matches and events, team and individual matches and simple scoring systems. In addition, all players are encouraged to serve successfully, outplay their opponents and score points from the very start.
With all that in mind, the “Tennis 10s” program is divided into three levels: red, orange and green.
The red level of the game, intended for children aged five to eight, allows the youngest tennis players to compete and develop good technique from the very beginning. Thanks to red balls, which are up to 75% slower than standard, yellow balls, smaller courts and rackets, tennis becomes a pleasure and fun, enabling healthy sports development of future champions.
The orange level of play is for children aged eight to 10. The players move on a slightly larger court than the one in the red level, but it is still proportional to age. The balls are slightly faster than those in the previous level, they are 50 percent slower than the yellow ones, but they still allow for optimal play and striking technique. Matches are slightly longer than those at the red level and can be combined into individual and team competition.
The green level is intended for children aged nine to 10. The balls are even faster than those for the orange level, but they are 25 percent slower and bounce less than the regular ones, which contributes to better implementation of the technique and control of the impact. The matches are also slightly longer than those at the previous level and can be combined into individual and team competition.
After successfully passing through the red, orange and green phases, the children are ready to play on the standard court with the use of regular, yellow balls.
Using the right balls in beginner training is extremely important. Using slower balls helps young tennis players to develop the most efficient technique and be able to apply advanced tactics that in most cases could not be performed using a yellow ball on a standard tennis court. By using the mentioned balls, a beginner can control the blows much easier, which makes tennis more interesting and less stressful.
Tournaments that are organized and adapted to certain ages and levels of the game are also significantly less stressful and allow players to give their best in a friendly atmosphere, where everyone plays with everyone and there is no classic relegation. These changes in the organization allow coaches and clubs to adjust tournaments to the age and level of play, so that each child gets more than one opportunity.
Since 2012, the World Tennis Federation has included “Tennis 10s” as a mandatory program for organizing competitions by levels: red, orange and green for children under the age of 10. Those who start playing tennis a little later, for example at the age of 9, are also recommended to start with red, orange and green balls.
For more information you can contact us via phone numbers: +381 60 40 65 553 or +381 60 40 65 554 or via our e-mail address: matchnplaybg@gmail.com
