Tennis For Schools

 

Tennis in schools (grades 7 and above on court-Click here)

 

Tennis in schools Grades 1 to 8 in gymnasium - See Below 

Program Overview

Tennis for Schools is a national program that supports the development of fundamental movement skills related to the sport of tennis, while increasing student knowledge and appreciation for the sport.
 
Developed through a cooperative partnership between Tennis Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada), Tennis for Schools is designed for both generalist and specialist physical education teachers in Canadian elementary, middle, and junior high schools. It provides these teachers with the knowledge and tools so that they can introduce their students to the exciting potential that tennis offers in promoting lifelong physical activity and participation in sport.
 
Regardless of a teacher’s tennis background, Tennis for Schools provides a step-by-step, easy to follow lesson plan that meets many of the required learning outcomes for provincial physical education curricula. Using modified progressive tennis equipment such as  slow-bounce balls, smaller playing surfaces, and smaller racquets, all students in a quality physical education program can be successful in tennis.
               

Program Benefits

For Teachers

  • Supports the delivery of a Quality Physical Education program
  • Meets provincial Physical Education learning outcomes
  • Supports the development of physical literacy through fundamental movement skills related to the sport of tennis
  • Provides a developmental approach to teaching tennis related skills with developmentally appropriate equipment
  • Offers variation and adaptations to allow for unique teaching and learning contexts while meeting all students’ needs and abilities
  • Includes sample assessment possibilities (formative and summative) aligned with unit outcomes and specific tennis skills
  • Allows for flexibility in order to accommodate large or small groups
  

For Schools

  • Provides access to an activity that can be played throughout a student’s educational progression and lifetime
  • Allows for easy set-up and instruction in all school environments and facilities
  • Promotes developmentally appropriate learning activities for all students in an inclusive setting
  • Supports the delivery of a Quality Physical Education program
  • Offers an inexpensive tool for teaching curricular learning objectives
  • Creates stronger links and an avenue to community recreation associations and provincial tennis associations in order to increase student participation in tennis beyond the school setting
  • Offers equipment that can be used across a wide range of grade levels (grades 1 to 8)
  

For Students

  • Facilitates participation in physical activity through meaningful opportunities to develop fundamental movement skills (e.g. overarm throw, catch, run, sidearm strike)
  • Provides a means where students can maintain and improve health-related and performance-related fitness components (e.g. agility, speed, coordination)
  • Introduces an avenue to life-long participation in the sport of tennis that will extend beyond the school environment
  • Helps foster student cooperation and team building skills
  • Supports a gender inclusive and culturally diverse environment
  • Provides fun and exciting activities that encourage a physically active lifestyle
  

 

Kidz Court

For kids to have fun and improve their hand eye coordination Tennis Canada has created this fun interactive online tennis game.

Click here to play the tennis game

                                   

Parent’s Court

Tennis is a fantastic sport to get the family engaged in a healthy active lifestyle. Using the modified progressive tennis equipment, tennis can now be played by everyone everywhere.

 

Where can I purchase the equipment that is used in Tennis for Schools?

Most Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart stores carry Progressive Tennis equipment that is developmentally appropriate for a child’s size and skill level. You can also order the equipment online from Merchant of Tennis

 

Resources for Teachers

Lesson Plans for Teachers (click here to view a sample)

Tennis for Schools includes progressive unit and lesson plans for students in grades 1-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Each lesson plan includes three major components (Getting Ready, Ready to Learn, and Ready to Play) in addition to a lesson outcome and game goal.

 

                    

Video / DVD

Tennis Canada has produced a series of video clips to accompany each lesson that includes the main activity and more or less challenging exercises. All videos are available online and in DVD format.

 

Indoors or Outdoors

  • This program is designed to be delivered in an average size school gym.
  • This program can also be run on any flat area, for example, a basketball court, parking lot, or a school court yard and of course on outdoor tennis courts.

Equipment

All the lessons will require the same modified progressive tennis equipment used by all leading National Tennis Associations around the world. The equipment includes mini nets, age-appropriate racquets, foam balls, and line markers. Contact your provincial tennis association to find out about purchasing a school teaching kit. Tennis for Schools can also be taught with other available gym equipment. For example, benches used as nets, soft or deflated balls, and paddle bats, and cones. Typical school kit consists of 3 nets, 30 racquets and 30 balls.

Curriculum Connection

Tennis for Schools lessons are directly aligned to the Physical and Health Education curriculum for each province and territory across Canada. The documents below assist teachers in identifying and delivering programming that supports their specific curriculum outcomes for student learning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To view videos demonstrating the Tennis for Schools curriculum, click here