Team Tennis in your Community
TPA Interview: The scoop on team tennis
With the winter tennis season well under way, there is always time to reflect on how programs can be improved to enhance the experience of those playing tennis. The TPA sat down with Rachel Gould and Alan Ma, experts in team tennis programs, to learn more about what team tennis is, and how it could benefit your community or tennis club.
What is team tennis?
Team tennis is a new way to learn and grow within the sport of tennis. It looks to introduce people to the sport of tennis through continuous match play in a team environment. Rachel and Alan made it clear that the key goal for all participants is to learn through play, as a team tennis program encourages not only more match play, but an excellent social setting to allow yourself, and your friends to fall in love with the sport.
Who is team tennis for?
Alan and Rachel make it clear that this program was developed to help create a pathway to the “play for life” for all ages. This is aligned with Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development model. Team tennis provides meaningful matches within a recreational-competitive structure. Within this format, all ages and skill levels can experience the joy of friendly competition while making lifelong friends.
Throughout the years many participants have stayed with us through the pathway from Red to Orange to Green balls and then coming back as a volunteer. Alan gave the great example of Justin Abrokwah, a member of the Jane/Finch leagues, who started in the orange ball league, and has played his way through each level. Justin is a now a coach for the Jane/Finch program, and has loved every minute of it.
"I was a part-time coach for the Summer League and I enjoyed every moment of it. Coming out three days a week to coach children was fun and a good way to give back to the program which I learned a lot from. It was interesting to be on the other side of the program, planning & leading sessions alongside with the other coaches. Going from the Tykes on Monday, to the Pee-Wee’s on Wednesday, then the Bantams on Friday wasn’t easy, but it was well worth it. The energy that the kids brought to the courts invigorated me, and helped to make the league one of the best moments of my summer." - Justin Abrokwah, 2015
Why is team tennis important to learning the game?
Rachel and Alan both agree that while learning the sport through match play is an important difference with team tennis, the hidden benefit to team tennis is the social aspect. By competing as a team, new players are exposed to competition in a friendly environment. This social support is critical in retaining players and provides them with the necessary support to play again, which ultimately leads them to increase their opportunities to learn the game.
Another important factor in learning through team tennis is that you are playing matches. A focus on match play forces the participants to learn critical aspects of the game that are difficult to replicate through practice. Areas such as anticipation, match movement, shot selection and decision-making can become focus points with team tennis.
What are the benefits to running a team tennis program?
Rachel and Alan both agreed that to properly answer this question, you have to look at it from two separate angles, the first being the tennis industry, the second being the general public.
To those already coaching tennis, Alan and Rachel stressed that team tennis can lead to higher retention rates, and is a great way to get kids hooked on tennis early. This is a great complement to lesson-based programs as it is an introductory way to learn and play tennis. And once the participants see how much fun tennis can be, they are more willing to sign up for lessons, which drives additional revenue. As well, the ability to facilitate a wide range of skills within this group approach allows for your organization to cut costs by running one program for people, regardless of ability.
For the general public, Alan and Rachel stress that this positive and safe environment is great for all ages and abilities. This program encourages you to make new friends, develop your skills, and stay active on a regular basis, something that is very important as our lives become more sedentary and technology becomes more prevalent.
Where can team tennis take place?
These types of programs can take place anywhere, especially if your organization already owns progressive tennis equipment. School gyms, community centres, and tennis facilities are all excellent venues for progressive tennis programs. The end goal is to eventually have the participants playing on full sized courts and competing against peers of the same skill level.
If you can give one piece of advice to those starting a team tennis program, what would it be?
Alan says that organization is key to running any program, but with a team tennis league it is important to remember there are new logistics to be considered when running the program.
Rachel expanded on this by saying the training of your staff is also important. Volunteers are the core to any program and vital to its success. Ensuring they are properly trained is imperative to running a successful program.
While Rachel and Alan agreed the above points are important, the overriding key to team tennis is creating a team tennis program that is based on fun, team, and play. Team tennis is a great way to involve a large number of people in tennis, regardless of abilities. While practice is still important, team tennis is about creating opportunities for match play and encouraging people to have a social experience while playing tennis; a sticking point for families, and especially children.
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Should you have any questions about team tennis, or setting up a league in your community, do not hesitate to reach out and contact Alan Ma at ama@tenniscanada.com.
Look for us next month, as we will sit down with Martin Laurendeau and Sylvain Bruneau to discuss expectations for this year’s Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams, respectively.