Spending a fair, sunny day on the neighborhood tennis court is a delightful pastime — one that people are flocking to at a much younger age, thanks to the determination of the United States Tennis Association (USTA), International Tennis Federation (ITF) and other supporting partners. Efforts made during the past three years to change the sizing and speed of the rackets, balls and courts used by younger players has had a tremendous impact on participation and retention in the sport, and by all accounts, those trends are going nowhere but up.
Right-Sizing Tennis
These days, it’s difficult enough to coax children away from the computer or television in favor of active, outdoor pursuits like organized sports. Add to that the frustration a child experiences as she attempts to wrestle with an adult-sized tennis racket, navigate official-sized courts and manage erratic, fast-bouncing balls meant for seasoned players, and you’ll see why tennis has not always been the most attractive sport to children.
Reacting to that reality as well as dwindling enrollment numbers, USTA developers decided something had to be done to entice more young players into the game. “By changing the ITF rules of tennis [in 2012] to ensure that kids 10 and under are always playing on smaller courts with slower balls, we have made tennis easier to play and more accessible for kids this age,” says Dave Miley, executive director for tennis development at ITF. “We have adapted the product of tennis to make it more attractive to the customer, and there is no question that [tennis sized right] has been a driving force for increased participation in the United States.”
The adaptations Miley mentions — bigger, slower balls and rackets, and modified court sizes — are perhaps obvious, but these changes are having an incredible impact. Balls have been designed for three distinct age groups: red felt, which moves slower and bounces lower than any of the other balls, is for children ages 8 and younger; orange felt, intended for children ages 9–10, moves and bounces slightly faster and higher than red balls; green felt has a slightly reduced bounce from the standard yellow ball and is aimed at children ages 11 and older. The ubiquitous yellow ball is used in the normal course of play. Net heights have been adjusted for the youngest set — at 2 feet 9 inches at the center — and remain at the standard 3 feet center, 3 feet 6 inches at net posts for all other ages. At https://netgeneration.usta.com/, the USTA has included diagrams of how a standard-size tennis court can be reapportioned for younger players. Children ages 8 and younger should play in an area 36 feet by 18 feet; players age 9–10 are situated in courts 60 feet by 21 feet for single play or 60 feet by 27 feet for doubles play; and youths ages 11 and older play on a full-sized court. The USTA also supports the construction of hundreds of youth-sized tennis courts across the country. In 2012, USTA helped construct and renovate more than 4,500 youth-sized tennis courts in 44 states. In all, some 10,000 kid-sized courts have benefited from the USTA’s attention since 2005. Finally, the sizes of the racket face have been modified: up to 23 inches for children ages 8 and younger; 23–25 inches for ages 9–10; and 25–27 inches for ages 11 and older.
“The USTA’s Youth Tennis initiative was designed to make it easier and more fun to get involved in the game, and our commitment to creating and refurbishing youth-sized tennis courts across the country has been another step toward making the sport more accessible to more kids,” says Dave Haggerty, USTA chairman, CEO and president. Data concerning the results of the commitments Haggerty and Miley mention are promising. A 2012 study on tennis participation in the United States, commissioned by the USTA and the Tennis Industry Association and conducted by the independent Taylor Research Group, found that tennis participation was at its highest levels in three years and that the biggest increase, at 13 percent, was among children ages 6 to 11.
Cross-Court Benefits
It’s clear youth who participate in some sort of active pursuit on a regular basis enjoy better physical health, but there are several mental and social benefits associated specifically with tennis that demand attention. According to the USTA’s 2013 study titled USTA Serves Special Report: More than a Sport — Tennis, Education and Health, those who take up tennis in their formative years show better outcomes in school, are less prone to engage in risky behaviors and are more physically healthy throughout their lives. Almost 50 percent of kids who play tennis report achieving an “A” average in school, and more than 80 percent express aspirations to attend college. As kids increase their time on the court, they’re significantly less inclined to drink, smoke cigarettes or try other illicit drugs. And the long-term health benefits of getting involved in tennis at an early age cannot be ignored — tennis incorporates aerobic and anaerobic exercise, balance, agility and hand-eye coordination, engaging kids to use a wide range of physical movements. Tennis also enhances coordination and flexibility and increases bone strength and density, helping to prevent osteoporosis.
Grab a Partner and Get Involved
As we progress through the year, the USTA is planning a host of activities designed to spark community interest and participation in youth tennis. During the month of September, the USTA and the tennis industry are hosting USTA Free Tennis Play events throughout the country, designed to showcase how easy and enjoyable it can be for families to get involved in tennis. “These efforts are part of USTA’s longstanding commitment to increase access to the sport,” Haggerty says. “If we reach children when they are young enough, they can learn to love physical activity and tennis for life.” Tennis Play events also are great opportunities for park and recreation agencies to capitalize on USTA-produced resources, plus gauge interest in their communities for planning new youth tennis programs. September is also Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, which gives activity planners and public relations employees a fantastic hook to get families interested in active sports like tennis. At USTA's youth tennis website, parents, coaches and planners can find out about existing USTA Tennis Play events in their communities, or register to host their own at a nearby park or recreation agency. There, visitors will also find information about tournaments, special events and skill games that can be played alone, with a partner or in groups.
Getting kids hooked on tennis early in their lives not only means they’ll likely enjoy all the benefits discussed here, but also that the sport will continue to grow and develop. And when you consider that some of the world’s most well-known and successful players began their careers when they were barely able to toddle around the court — both world number-one women’s player Serena Williams and former world number-one men’s player Novak Djokovic began playing tennis at age 4, while current number-one men’s player Rafael Nadal began playing at age 3 — it’s not difficult to imagine a tennis phenom hiding among your community, just waiting for someone to hand them a right-sized racket.
Samantha Bartram is the Associate Editor of Parks & Recreation Magazine.