Although the official term by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) is 10 And Under Tennis, the program also includes those 11 and up. The 10 And Under Tennis initiative is a great way to introduce children to game of tennis. They have an opportunity to succeed early on and most importantly they can have fun playing tennis!

As a Certified Net Generation Safe Play coach, I often hear questions about what are the benefits of 10 and Under Tennis and what are the differences in teaching methodology compared to 10-15 years ago before modified equipment and court dimensions were introduced in tennis. Most importantly is the equipment. Smaller courts, smaller sized racquets starting from 19’’ (compared to 27’’ full size racquets) and low pressure balls (Red, Orange, Green) allow kids to start playing tennis at a much younger age. This lets them enjoy the sport and have fun without frustrations of having trouble handling full size courts, racquets, and the faster, high and heavy bounce of regular balls.

Although the Red, Orange, Green, Yellow (ROGY) is a great progression to develop skills and abilities, it’s important to remember no one size fits all. Meaning if an 8 or 10 year old can manage an adult size racket and full court with regular (yellow) tennis balls, then go for it. 🙂

If you have any questions about tennis for your child, please contact me.