High School Tennis and Why it is a Great Time to Start Learning Tennis
Is high school the right time to get started in Tennis?
3 Reasons High School is a Great Time to Start Learning Tennis
Tennis is a lifelong sport, this means that anytime you want to pick up a racquet and hit the courts is a great time to begin to learn. Specifically in high school, playing tennis in high school, even as a beginner can be a great asset to those young athletes who want to meet new people, get active, and want to improve their hand eye coordination. The opportunities as a tennis player beginning in high school are unmatched, you can be a part of a team in which you are able to learn from both the highly trained coaches as well as the players around you. So do not miss your opportunity to be a part of something bigger than yourself.
High School Tennis Opportunities:
While tennis may seem like a daunting sport at first there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and improve as a beginner in high school tennis. Joining a team in any sense will improve a students adaptability and teach them team work. In the exact case of tennis at St. Francis, the team is currently growing in a way that I have never seen in my four years at the school. We as a team were able to take all of the girls who signed up and came out to try outs, this meant that more than ever we had tons of beginners on the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams. Both receive the opportunity to play in matches and participate at practices. So why not join, worst case scenario is you get to meet people who you might not have been friends with and you get to exercise Monday through Thursday.
In addition there are plenty of opportunities to learn before even going into the High School tennis atmosphere, there are group lessons or even private lessons with a coach at any of the tennis clubs in the area. I have personally gotten my friends, family, and even teammates to go out and practice with me when I want to get extra time on the court. Also, doubles is a great place to learn technique as well as how to be a team player. In addition the skills that you learn from being a tennis player commonly transfer over to other sports due the practice in hand eye coordination.
Can high school students succeed in tennis even if they start late?
Tennis like most sports is about the commitment that you have and the work that a person is willing to put in. We have had starting singles players who only picked up a racquet a few months prior, and we have had star doubles teams including students who are merely learning the rules of the game. Although I have been playing most of my life the process of tennis is continual learning. Not a practice goes by without me learning something new or having something else to focus on in order to improve my game. This goes for everyone on the team, there is always a serve to practice or a groundstroke you think you could do better no matter what your level is.
Benefits of playing tennis: Tennis is a lifelong sport
Any time is a perfect time to start learning to play tennis. In fact, The Copenhagen City Heart Study has found in an observational study that playing racquet sports can increase one’s life expectancy. But that tennis specifically was found to have the best longevity, on average increasing life expectancy by almost a decade, approximately 9.7 years of life.
A quote from the United States Tennis Association (USTA) of Southern California, “With its unique blend of physical activity, mental stimulation, and social interaction, tennis has rightfully earned its reputation as a lifetime sport.” Tennis has grown so much over the years and now more than ever it is a great time for anyone to get out on the courts and start learning. It is a great place to learn about your own mental toughness as well as create connections with your fellow teammates.
Is High School The Right Time to Start Playing Tennis?
Of course you should start playing tennis TODAY! Why not, right, even if you don’t start the whole season or if you are not that good. You are still part of something; a team, a group of girls who are there to support each other, or even just a place to meet new people. You will not regret playing tennis, but you could end up regretting not playing tennis because you were scared and in turn letting go of something that could have been truly good for you.
