Being Clear About Family Time When Your Junior Is Playing Tennis

My blog is about Junior Tennis Rackets, however, let me be blunt, this article will apply to ANY sport or activity your child(ren) may be involved in.

Let me give you just a little bit of background about myself. I'm a mom of three sons (all grown up now) and I ran a Family Daycare Business from my home for six years when they were younger. I have lots of experience with kids and having 3 sons going through their teens all at the same time, you find yourself getting tough real quick when you need to!

I remember a few years that were pretty easy when only one of my sons would join a sport or activity for a season and having all three in the same sport at the same time wasn't bad either. You know, same fields, approximately the same times for practices or games, same equipment hanging around the house, that kind of stuff.



However, I also remember seasons where all three of my boys would be in a different sport or activity where NONE of the practices were in the same area, times were all over the place for conditioning and games, you were asked to help coach with carting other kids around, you got snacks for the team when it was your turn, and the uniforms kept getting more and more expensive.

All of a sudden, there was no such thing as "family time".

You know, that "time" the family sets aside to share what's going on at school or at work, you talk about friends, goals, plans for the next day, homework, grades or teachers, what's good and bad in everyones lives . . . and the list goes on.

What happens when you are so busy getting everyone to their practice/game, bringing the kids to this field, this court, this "place" they have to go to because they play a sport or are a part of a team, and family time just fades away?

How about when one or two of the kids are involved for a season and there's one child that didn't join anything, but they have no family time because Mom and Dad are so busy carting the other kids around to where they need to go at all hours after working all day that there is no time left over for them?

That child is left out. The family starts suffering. Mom and Dad are so frazzled that all of a sudden they start getting edgy and tired because there is no time to relax and just enjoy each other again.

Tough love needs to come out and some rules need to be set.

Now this may not apply to you; there may be only one child, one sport/activity, maybe one parent doesn't work and is able to handle a hectic sports schedule with no problem. Maybe going to sports games and activities is what the whole family wants and lives for the go-go-go life.

But what if that isn't you, isn't your family situation, do you need a break?

I'll share what my family had to do once the boys were all old enough to want to join this sport and that activity and Mom and Dad were frazzled trying to keep up. Because as parents, we want our kids to be happy and active, sports are great for kids. It builds their confidence and self-esteem, it motivates them to do better in other aspects of their lives, they love being active.

But you gotta set limits to preserve the family time.

We finally had to put our feet down at the beginning of each season, whichever one it happened to be, and we set a schedule down on paper. Each child had to give us what the practice times/days were, coach had to give us a schedule of games or matches, and we had to work it out so we could count on at least 2 afternoons or evenings where we had a blank space for family time. Yes, there were times that weather kicked in or something happened that infringed on that time, but, overall, as long as we had one or two evenings a week set aside, we were good.

Even when they got older and they started driving a car (oh, boy, oh, boy, that's an article all by itself!) they knew they had to be home on certain nights so we could all be together. They were allowed to bring friends with them (I have almost a dozen "adopted" kids who call me "Mom"), but they had to come home, and they had to be home on time to eat dinner with the whole family.

That was just the way it was because we took the time to make sure it happened.

There were a few seasons when one child wasn't able to join a sport or activity that season because it conflicted in too many blank (meaning family time) spots. They had a choice, join something else (preferably something one of the other boys was doing) or take a break and skip a season.

Once they got the concept that we did things together when we kept that time aside for the whole family; i.e. fishing, camping, playing card or board games, dining out, going to the movies, playing pool, whatever . . . the sulks didn't last long.

A large draw for playing sports is being with friends, doing something, staying active, feeling good about yourself, right? So if the family time you spend with each other can bring those components into the mix, many of the same feelings they get by playing sports or joining activities will still be there.

They may sulk for a short time, but it doesn't take them long to get the big picture. Just because they are kids or young adults, don't underestimate them when it comes to figuring things out.

They may complain to their friends that "Mom is making me come home to eat dinner with the family and then we're going to shoot some pool in the game room" and try to put the blame on Mom (or Dad) for having to go home and not be with their friends, but down deep, most of these kids are going to appreciate the rules being clear and concise. Kids LIKE knowing what the parameters are and they have to learn to make decisions based on those rules.

By being clear about the time you expect them to spend with the whole family, you are giving them a very solid foundation on what family is all about. You are teaching them that family is important and that concept should stay with them for life.

On a side note, it didn't take me long to know that my boys (after all, they are BOYS) would gripe to their friends about the strict dinner meals and try to make Mom and Dad sound unreasonable to their buds. MOST of their friends were NOT sympathetic as many of them had parents that worked as hard as we did and they didn't have set family or meal times. MOST of the times, their friends would come to our house to eat a meal and stay on joining us in whatever we happened to be doing that night.

By doing that, their friends were also showing my sons that others wished they had what we were "forcing" them to do and reinforced the feelings that family is important.

I'll close by saying that my "baby" is 20 and my oldest is 24. We STILL have family time, we still have lots of their friends join us for meals and activities, and my boys still talk to me about what is happening in their lives, who they spend time with, and what their goals are. I also have about 6 boys, all in the same age group, who drop in periodically to say "hi" and ask "what's for dinner tonight?"

Tennis Rackets Junior - Tips To Choose The Best Racquet

I'd like to share another great Junior Tennis Racket article I found at EzineArticles.com. Tennis Racket Junior would like to give as much information and good content as possible on tennis racquets for juniors so they have the best chance of excelling at their sport. I hope you find the following article informational.
Michelle



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In order to play the best game you can, you must have the right equipment. Of course, your racquet is the most important piece of tennis equipment you will ever buy.

Tennis racquets are divided into three main categories:


Power racquets - which are most suitable for beginners and middle intermediates.

Tweener racquets - which are best suited for intermediate to advanced players.

Control racquets - made especially for more advanced players.

For those who are either new at the game of tennis, or only play periodically, a power racquet is best. Designed to accommodate those with weaker, shorter strokes, the power racket features a larger head, which creates a larger hitting spot, which gives the racquet more power. A heavier head, or balance, also gives these racquets more maneuverability, making it easier for those with little training to play a decent game right form the start.

Tweener racquets are lighter, and may feature a larger or smaller head, depending on the type of racquet chosen. These racquets are usually longer than the power racquet, which offers more control and power, especially for handling groundstrokes.

Those with more training and experience on the court may find a control racquet to offer the most control and added precision. Although they do not feature the same amount of power as their counterparts, Control racquets usually feature smaller head sizes and heavier weights.

When choosing a tennis racquet it's important to also check out their weight, balance, frame size, and length in order to choose the correct one for your body size, and playing ability. Check with your instructor a qualified salesperson to see which size is best for your size, weight and playing ability.

As is the case when choosing an adult racquet, children must be fitted with the correct style and size in order to play properly.

When choosing a tennis racquet for you budding tennis pro, follow these important buying tips:


-Children five years or younger and/or 3 feet 11 inches or shorter, need a junior sized racquet featuring a frame between 19 and 21 inches.

-Children ages five and six and/or 3 feet 11 inches need a light weight racquet of 7 ounces and a head size of 91 sq. in. Grip size should run about 3 and ¾ inches.

-Children 6-8 and/or 3 foot 11 inches to 4 foot 6 inches should use a 23-inch frame.

-Those over 4 foot 2 inches, should be using a 25 inch frame with about a 100 square inch head (or more). This size is especially good for junior players who may be getting close to needing an adult size racquet, but still needs the lighter weight, balance, and maneuverability of a junior tennis racquet.

-26" frame with a weight of 8 ounces is good for children 8 to 12 years of age and around 4 foot 6 to 5 feet tall.

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Hick

Tennis Racket Junior - Being Sensible When Buying Racquets

Let's be sensible sort of says it all when it comes to our kids wanting to join a sport and Mom and Dad have to start shelling out some serious money for sports equipment.

With the Holidays coming right around the corner, I figured this would be a good time for this article.

Having had three sons (all grown up now) that went through a myriad of sports each season during their growing up years, I feel like I have plenty of experience on this one.

Example Scenario: "Hey, Mom, Joey's parents are giving him tennis lessons and he's already got a Junior Wilson Racket that costs $90! I want lessons, too, and Joey's Mom says she'll bring us both to lessons so you don't have to travel!"

Ok, parents, can be feel me on this one? Oh, boy, oh, boy, kids really do know how to tighten the screws.

As a parent, you want to give your kids every opportunity to succeed and be happy in life; be it learning, sports, music, you name it. You really do want your kids to be happy. And learning is never a waste, right?

Well, the learning is never a waste, but purchasing expensive sports equipment before your child has gotten past the excitement of a new sport and being thought "cool" CAN be a waste of money. Some of these sports can be very expensive to start up and some of them are even more expensive to maintain.

The sensible option might be to "borrow" a racquet from a family member, maybe a friend or a neighbor. There is nothing wrong with going on an auction site and purchasing a good secondhand racquet to start your junior off in the sport. Now I am not saying to get any old racquet just to start them off, if they are juniors, they really do need to have junior racquets, not an adult racquet that won't fit them well and will not give them a good chance to see if they can do well because it doesn't fit them.

I'm just saying that unless they have gotten past that first critical month without any waning of excitement or commitment to the sport, it may not be in your best interest to "buy the best", shall we say. If your junior is still psyched about their lessons and are practicing every minute they have free after being in the sport for at least a month, then you have a good chance that your junior is going to stick to the sport.

That's when you reward them by upgrading to a better tennis racquet, maybe better tennis shoes, and the list goes on and on.



I'll share a little bit about myself and tell you that my third son got involved with some sports and music growing up; the normal soccer, baseball, football, trombone, drums, and then guitar.

Well, none of them lasted long, but because he was the youngest of three and had friends who were in sports and music, he wanted to join stuff. And joining stuff always meant Mom and Dad had to fork out money.

By the time he got to the guitar stage, we were REALLY smart on this buying stuff. He got a very inexpensive acoustic guitar borrowed from a friend's child who had outgrown it. He practiced and he practiced and he practiced. It wasn't long before we could actually tell what song he was playing, and that was something new. He'd never lasted at anything long enough for that to happen!

He started writing his own music and saving up his own money to buy equipment, so we upgraded the guitar, still not the best, but a better one, after a few months. By the end of that year, we had upgraded his guitar to something that he was very proud to play and he started his own band.

To this day, and he is 20 now, he is the lead guitarist of his own local band, writes all their music, and lives for practicing songs on his guitar. He found what he really loves, but only AFTER going through approximately 8 sports and music phases where he really, really, really wanted equipment or instruments until the passion wore off and he got bored with the sport.

Don't let that happen to you. Because when your child "does" find his or her passion, when they find what's right for them, that's when you want to be able to help them upgrade and purchase what they need to excel at what they love.

If you keep buying equipment, keep buying instruments every time your junior gets a "bug" to try something new, it's like the boy who cried "wolf" and you won't want to listen anymore.

Make sure you limit the budget to what is manageable so when you see your junior finally feel passion for that one thing they are good at, YOU feel good about helping them learn and grow.

Click Here for Tennis Racquet Depot where you get sensible prices.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle Lacroix Toro

Basic Tips On Picking Out a Good Tennis Racket For Juniors

Well, Good Afternoon!

I happened to be looking through some YouTube videos this afternoon and viewed one on junior tennis rackets. It's pretty basic, but . . .

Sometimes basic is better than fluffy and you still don't know what you're looking for. :)`

Here's the video from Lincoln @ the Austin Tennis Center:

Top 10 Coaching Tips To Look For - Tennis Racket Junior

I'm on a roll, here is another great article I found while I was surfing for Tennis Racket Junior information.

While the information is targeted towards the coaches, I thought it might be a good idea for parents to have a better idea of what to look for in a tennis coach for your kids.

Let me know what you think . . .

Here is the the article:

Mini Tennis, Pee Wee Tennis, Tiny Tots Tennis, Little Mozzies! Coaching Junior Beginners has been called everything. The bottom line for tennis coaches is that having a strong beginner tennis coaching program is the key to a long term sustainable business operation.

Putting together an exciting and challenging tennis coaching program for the young player should be a priority for any serious coach. These young beginners also need some special coaching methods to teach them to love tennis and stay in the game.

Tip 1 - Success equals Confidence equals Fun! Tennis is in the recreation business and coaches are fighting to attract young athletes to the sport so that grass roots programs flourish and we produce players at the elite level. Be constantly positive; play fun games which all players can succeed; create an atmosphere at your club that parents and children can enjoy. Do your best to keep children in tennis for life.

Tip 2 - Use modified tennis equipment. This relates to tip number one because by using lower nets, softer tennis balls, lighter tennis racquets and fun equipment we can help our students succeed and therefore enjoy tennis.

Tip 3 - Use cones to position players. Use cones or spots to position students for games and activities. This will give them a reference point and prevent them from wondering off.

Tip 4 - Refer to the names of lines and areas of the court. Use the names of lines and parts of the court when giving directions. This will provide a "full" tennis education and help when playing matches later on.

Tip 5 - Demonstrate before you explain the drill. Young children are fantastic learners. They learn best from observing and copying; as well as experimenting and feeling how something works. In your tennis lessons give the players lots of visual coaching and have them shadow swing so they can feel the correct stroke. This will be far more effective than explaining to a child with a very short attention span who may not fully understand the meaning of your words.

Tip 6 - Don't get too technical! This relates to tip number five. Technical instruction is wasted on young children but they do understand simple distinctions. For instance using higher or lower; softer or harder; to the left or right are effective words to guide a young player. This is one reason why the use of targets and cones can be a very valuable coaching tool.

Tip 7 - Use targets for students to aim at. The reason for using targets is to compel the players to use control over power. Many young players will associate success with how fast and far they can hit the ball. Studies have shown that in sports that require both speed and precision (like tennis) it is far better to learn slow, controlled moves and then make them faster; than learn fast uncontrolled moves and them slow them down. By hitting accurate controlled shots our players will become better at rallying (which should be foremost goal of any program.)

Tip 8 - Don't take private lessons too early. While some parents will expect us to dress up in a clown suit and entertain a 4 or 5 year old in a private lesson it is inappropriate at this age. The children at this age enjoy the excitement of playing with their friends and social interaction - the coach will soon become weary and lose passion for their job.

Tip 9 - Progress the program. Keep giving the students a reason to come back to the game. Progress from a mini court to full court; a mini racquet to a graduate racquet; low compression balls to championship balls; a 30 minute lesson to a 45 minute lesson. Keep challenging the students or they will feel they are not improving and find another sports which offers a pathway.

Tip 10 - Let them play the game. As coaches we are trying to teach players the game of tennis. Once the fundamentals have been taught modified game play should become an emphasis. While at a young age hitting the ball over the net seems miraculous, and returning an impossible dream; let the students experiment with a modified rally. The coach can help or make special rules so it remains enjoyable and the students can experience some success.

Follow these tennis tips to success in your own junior tennis program!

By Rufus Keown
Club Professional Coach
Co-founder http://www.globalsportscoaching.com
The global website for tennis coaches and players with 1000's of tennis drills, tennis articles, tennis tips and tennis lesson plans.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rufus_Keown

Babolat Tennis Racket Junior

Welcome to Tennis Racket Junior, another MicSan blog.

I'm not selling you anything on this post, just wanting to share an article I found while I was surfing about junior tennis rackets that was well written and made sense. The only point of view that I see differently (as a parent) is that it just doesn't make cents (sense) :) to spend lots of money on a good tennis racquet until you know your child isn't going to quit the sport after a few weeks. As a mother of three sons, I've spent way too much money on sports and band equipment to not have learnt this lesson the hard way!

Common sense is the key here. If your child is still enthusiastic and willing to put the hours in to learn the sport well after a month or so (2 to 3 weeks is usually the quitting spot), then that would be a GREAT TIME to invest in some equipment that would suit them to a T and give them the best advantage to excel. But before then, a hand me down junior tennis racket that is borrowed, handed down, or purchased elsewhere at a reduced price, just makes good sense.

Michelle

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Whether your junior tennis star is just starting tennis lessons or plays competition matches the right tennis racquet, specifically designed for junior players, will give them the right start.

There is nothing worse than trying to learn a new sport with sub-standard equipment. Hand-me-down tennis racquets or poor quality tennis racquets makes learning or playing tennis for children way too hard. Children need to be able to achieve things quickly or they will not only lose confidence but they will lose interest in what they are learning.

When I was learning tennis at around 11 years of age I was given my big brother's tennis racquet to use that was too heavy, too long and the grip was too thick for my hand size. How I ever swung this big clunker of a racquet, much less hit the tennis ball, remains a mystery to me.

A tennis court is approximately 78 feet (23.77m) long and 27 feet (8.23m) wide for singles matches and 36 feet (10.97m) wide for doubles matches. Standing on the tennis court for the first time can be quite daunting for a child. It's a long way to hit that ball over the net!

Children need a tennis racquet that is easy to hold and swing. The Babolat junior tennis racquets are specially designed for children of all ages, heights and tennis standards.

The Nadal series of junior tennis racquets can accommodate children from 2 to over 10 years of age and are a junior size replica of Rafael Nadal's AeroPro Drive racquet.

This junior sized version of Andy Roddick's racquet, the Babolat Pure Drive Roddick Junior and the Babolat Pure Drive Junior are some of the most popular tennis racquets for junior competitors. They feature all the technology and performance of the adult Pure Drive racquets but in a lighter, more manoeuvrable racquet, adapted to young competition players.

All the Babolat junior tennis racquets are very affordable and will have your budding tennis star hitting winners in no time.

Tennis is a great sport for children to learn. It helps their hand, eye co-ordination skills, teaches sportsmanship, improves fitness levels and builds self-confidence.

Don't settle for second-best - have your children experience the fun and satisfaction of using a Babolat junior tennis racquet. View the entire range today

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Worthington

Tennis Racket Junior

Welcome to a new MicSan blog about Tennis Racket Junior!

When you are looking at tennis racquets, you look for a quality racquet at a GREAT PRICE! I'm happy to say that I'm quite sure you'll be able to find what you are looking for right here at Tennis Racket Junior.

Don't forget to keep checking in as merchandise will automatically update. We will be also showcasing sale prices periodically.

Thanks for visiting,
Michelle Lacroix Toro

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