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United States Tennis

Youth Division Training Manual
For use by coaches, administrators, and parents
 Dear Tennis Professional,
This training manual has been developed by the USTA in conjunction with Golden
Bagel Sports Consulting Group, and is intended for use by coaches, administrators and
parents as a tool for the training of youth tennis players at the grassroots level in the United
States. It was developed based on the ideals of Long-Term Athlete Development and is a
comprehensive overview of how we should train our youth athletes.

The goal of this manual is to develop a strong foundation of athletes for our newly
introduced Olympic Tennis Schooling Centers (OTSCs), a chain of schools all around
the country which aim to develop elite athletes along with provision of online schooling to
promote the importance of education along with sports.

The USTA Handbook of Tennis Rules and Regulations 2015 Edition will serve as the official
rules of tennis, many of which are outlined in the OTSCs tennis regulations. OTSCs will
provide the USTA Handbook as a courtesy to each member school.

As coaches, administrators and parents, we are counting on you to learn the contents of this
training manual in order to best prepare your athletes for the future, be it in elite level tennis
or in a long, healthy life.

Finally, thank you again for the contribution you all make to our sport. Not only do coaches
and parents introduce our game to tennis enthusiasts for the first time, but they also harness
the talent that becomes our future champions.

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 Table of C o n t e n t s
Program Overview - 3

Tennis Training - 5

Equipment - 9

Nutrition - 11

Safety Concerns - 12

Conclusion - 13

Acknowledgements - 14

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P r o g r a m O v
The primary goal of this training manual is to prepare coaches at the grassroots level of
tennis so that they are as qualified as possible to teach the sport of tennis to the youth of
America. The next wave of great American tennis players is out there somewhere, and it is
up to you to provide them with a sturdy foundation of tennis skills, as well as a love for the
game. Promising young players from your programs will be invited to join Olympic Tennis
Schooling Centers (OTSCs) and will be on the fast track to becoming elite tennis players.

How do OTSCs Work?

Youth players between the ages of 14 and 16 that show
particular promise will be invited by the USTA to join
Olympic Tennis Schooling Centers.
These programs will offer more tennis specific training
than the athletes received at the grassroots level, and will
provide them with every opportunity to become elite tennis
players.
OTSCs are affiliated with Universities all around the
country that provide online academic programs to provide
education to athletes enrolled.

The age range of 14-16 was chosen because

that is best time in an athletes development
to begin specialization according to Long-
Term Athlete Development.
It is also an age at which athletes are both
physically and emotionally mature enough to
handle tougher training sessions while being
away from home for a long period of time.
We hope to succeed in producing as many
elite level athletes as possible, but are also
hoping to create healthy, active humans, who
will play the sport of tennis for the rest of their
lives.

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P r o g r a m O v
As a registered USTA coach, you have a very important role in the success of the OTSCs,
and thus the future success elite-level tennis in the United States. As the coach and mentor
of youth athletes, not only are you tasked with building a foundation of fitness and tennis
specific skills, but you also serve as a role model and mentor.
The OTSCs have a three step path to success. First, we have to recruit athletes to enroll.
Second, we must provide a good enough environment so that athletes want to stay. And
third, we want to have protocols set up to transition them to a life after competitive sport.

Recruitment
Officials from the USTA will be in contact with
officially registered coaches annually to get
a sense of whether or not the coach has any
players that we could be interested in.
Retention
Students at OTSCs will be evaluated
annually on the basis of both academic and
athletic merit. We do this so that we only train
the best of the best.
We will make sure to provide the athletes with as close to a normal life as possible. We do
this not only because dont want to create sad elite tennis players, but also because it will
lead to as many athletes as possible wanting to stay.

Transition
All athletes who exit OTSCs or the elite
level of tennis are transitioned into the active
for life stage of the LTAD.
On top of that, we highly encourage our retiring
athletes to become certified coaches to either
coach at the grassroots level to spread the
game of tennis, or to coach at the elite level at
Olympic Tennis Schooling Centers.

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Tennis Tr a
Your main job as a registered USTA youth tennis coach will be to lead practices, clinics and
camps in a way that is fun for the kids while still building a solid foundation of tennis skills.
Since we at the USTA follow the guidelines of Long-Term Athlete Development, we split our
training programs up according to the developmental stage of the athlete. We believe that
LTAD is perfect for the USTA because it makes it easy to track progression and to make sure
that the most possible athletes have the potential to reach the elite level. These stages of
development and how you should specifically train each one will be further explained on the
following pages.
Active Start (ages 0-6)
When children develop the ABCs of movement: agility, balance, coordination, and speed
All about learning to exercise and forming the building blocks for all future stages
While we will not have a big part in this stage of development, it is essential for our future
tennis players to go through this stage in order to reach their full athletic potential later on.
FUNdamentals (boys 6-9, girls 6-8)
In the FUNdamentals stage the main emphasis you should make in practice is fun. Kids are
just starting to develop sports skill in addition to their foundation of the ABCs. These skills
can include running, jumping, catching, and especially in your case, swinging a racket.

Kids in the FUNdamentals stage should be

playing as many sports as they can in order
to develop a well rounded set of skills, so do
not pressure them into specializing in tennis if
they begin to show promise.
Practice for kids in this stage should
consist of fun tennis games and activities.
Examples of this are mini tennis, relay races,
and trying to see how many times in a row
they can bounce the ball on their racket.

At this age it is important to limit competition as much as you can. A little competition is
always good, but it is much more important for kids at this age to have fun and build up their
skills before they begin to compete against one another. Make sure to plan your practices
accordingly

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Tennis Tr a
Learn to Train (boys 9-12, girls 8-11)
Boys and girls in this stage should continue to build up their basic sports skills, while
being introduced to more tennis specific skills such as backhands, forehands, overheads
and serves. Much like in the FUNdamentals stage, you should avoid actual competition, and
instead focus on practicing skills.
Here are some types of activities you can do during practice
Have them aim at cones or stacks of balls while serving
Pair them up and see how many they can hit back and
forth in a row
See if they can hit one of each type of shot off of your
feed without missing
Kids at this age may want to play in matches, and their
parents may try to pressure you into a more competition
oriented format, but it is important that they focus on first
mastering the skills that will allow them to be successful
when the time comes for competitive matches.
This age group should also be strongly encouraged to
continue playing as many sports as possible, as they are
still at an age where they are developing physical literacy
(the foundation of sports based movements)

Train to Train (boys 12-16, girls 11-15)

This stage is significant because it is when your athletes will begin to go through puberty.
During this time you should begin to develop their strength and aerobic stamina. You can
do this by leading them through tennis specific weight training regimens and track workouts.
It is at this stage where you can begin to introduce games
and activities of a more competitive nature. Games like
king of the court are a great way to let your athletes gain
experience with competition while not exposing them to full
on tennis matches.
Promising players that show great potential should start
to separate themselves at this stage. It is here that we
would like to get an idea of who might be a candidate for
acceptance into OTSCs in the near future.

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Tennis Tr a
Train to Compete (boys 16-23, girls 15-21)
Athletes in this stage are on the path towards elite-level tennis. Although we will begin
looking for athletes for our OTSCs during the Train to Train stage, it is at this stage that they
will actually be in our schools. Young men and women who have are in the Train to Compete
stage will have decided to specialize in tennis, the first step in becoming elite tennis players.
At this stage, athletes should begin
competitive match play, learning in-
match strategy and developing an all
around style of play.
Training at this level is challenging and
should be reserved for those who are
serious about becoming elite tennis
players.
Those who choose not to enter this
stage will transition into the active
for life stage, which will be discussed
later.

Train to Win (boys 19+, girls 18+)

As a tennis coach at the grassroots level, you will not be coaching athletes in this particular
stage of development, but it is important to know what the pinnacle of the sport is like and
what it requires.
An athlete reaches this stage when
they are competing at the highest
level of the sport, which in our case
is the ATP and WTA World Tours.
Succeeding at this stage requires
hard work and dedication, as well as
incredible tennis ability.
Our hope is that the OTSCs that we
have developed create a pipeline of
American players into the pro circuit.

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Tennis Tr a
Active For Life
If an athlete chooses to not continue up the
ladder toward elite tennis once past the learn
to train stage, they enter into the active for life
stage.
We believe that tennis is a great sport for any
age group, and provides a great way to lead an
active lifestyle as one gets older. It is up to you
as the coach to instill this idea in your players.
Make sure to talk to your athletes and their
parents about the benefits of tennis in the long
term, and how their tennis careers dont need
to be over when they dont go pro.
A Few Extra Practice Tips
Here are 10 things that you can do to ensure that your athletes have fun, productive
practices. These guidelines apply to any of the developmental groups that you will be
working with, from FUNdamentals up to Train to Train. Feel free to adapt these as you see
fit, as every group of kids is different.

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 E q u i p m e n t
The sport of tennis requires the type of equipment noted below. It is important for athletes to
be able to recognize and understand how equipment impacts their performance. Have your
athletes name each piece of equipment as you demonstrate its use. Coaches and athletes
should work together to select the proper equipment for each athlete.

Tennis Rackets
Tennis rackets have changed dramatically in the past
few years. Space-age materials have made rackets
lightweight and very durable. Athletes should select a
racket that feels good and is not too heavy or too light.
Grip size is important for good technique. Have the
athlete grip the racket comfortably. There should not be
more than a finger width between the base of the thumb
and the fingertips.

If the fingers are touching the base of the hand, the grip is
too small. Younger athletes may benefit from junior-sized
rackets which are lighter and shorter.

Broken strings and unraveling grips should be

replaced as soon as possible. Leaving broken strings
on a racket for too long can cause the racket to warp.
Coaches should teach athletes proper care of their
rackets and all equipment.
Use this as a guideline:
23 inch racket for 8-10 year olds
25-26 inches for 10-12 year olds
27 inch racket for adults.
These are general guidelines as strength, size of
athlete and grip size are factors in determining
the ideal racket to use.

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 E q u i p m e n t
In addition to athletes and rackets, there is additional equipment that every coach should
have at practice. This includes tennis balls, cones, and any other drill-related equipment
that you find to be useful.

Tennis Balls
An abundance of tennis balls is important
for a successful practice.
Ideally, each court should have a separate
hopper full of tennis balls.
Practice balls can be obtained from
tennis clubs, high schools and colleges by
asking for old balls
If tennis balls are too flat, it is important
to change them out as they may cause
athletes to train differently

Other Useful Equipment

Notebook for recording attendance, telephone
numbers, student comments and progress
reports
Targets of any shape, size and color can help
athletes aim for a specific spot (examples are a
pyramid of tennis balls, cones, hula hoops, chalk
circles and rope)
SpeedBalls (foam balls)
Balloons to practice hand-eye coordination drills.
Ball machine for athletes to practice a variety of
skills.
Ball containers as targets in games.
Radio or music box to increase attention and
enjoyment.

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N u t r i t i o
Pre-Match
Gradually build up muscle glycogen
stores by consuming extra carbs
The majority of your energy supply
comes from the anaerobic system, for
which carbs are the main fuel source
The athlete should start hydrating
many days before competition

During the Match

Consume lots of water and carbohydrates
during the match, which will help delay
muscle fatigue and dehydration
Switching sides of the court every
two games provides a great opportunity to
hydrate
Sports drinks can help replace fluids, carbs
and electrolytes
Foods high in simple carbs are good for a
quick boost of energy

Post-Match
After a match, nutrition is crucial for A balanced diet is important,
recovering from energy depletion. especially for children
The first goal is to rehydrate and
replenish sodium.
Glycogen stores can take 24-48 hours It is important to eat healthy
to refill; therefore, it is important to
start replenishing carbs immediately all of the time, not just in
following exercise to accelerate the preparation for matches!
recovery process.

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 Safety C o n c e r n s
Though tennis is a non-contact sport and does not have as many inherent risks as other
popular sports, coaches have a responsibility to ensure that athletes understand and
appreciate the risks that do come with tennis. The safety and well-being of athletes are our
primary concern as coaches. Tennis is not a dangerous sport, but accidents do occur when
coaches forget to take safety precautions. It is the head coachs responsibility to minimize the
occurrence of injuries by knowing safety regulations and providing safe conditions.

Here are a few guidelines for providing a safe experience

Establish clear rules for behavior at your first

practice and enforce them.
Warm up and stretch properly at the beginning
of each practice to prevent injuries.
Ensure that the practice area is safe for play
by walking the court area and remove unsafe
objects.
Make sure athletes bring water to every
practice, especially in hotter climates. If you
have the means, provide water for them.

All coaches are required to be CPR/First-Aid

certified.
Train all athletes and coaches on emergency
procedures.
Always have a first-aid kit on site, and make sure
to keep it stocked at all times
In case of inclement weather, know where to go
and what to do for protection. Follow guidelines
set forth by the National Weather Service.

The safety of our children is most important

Do not take unnecessary risks!

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C o n c l u s
That concludes the 2016 USTA Youth Division Training Manual. Hopefully it has given you
valuable insight into our vision as an organization for the future of tennis in the United States.

Remember, the two most important

things are to have fun and to be safe,
tennis skill will come around as long as
you do.
Another important thing to remember is
that although putting as many kids as
possible into OTSCs, the majority of
kids that you coach are not destined for
elite-level tennis.
Treat all of your athletes equally, dont
play favorites, and those with potential
will reveal themselves.

We at the USTA want to thank you for

your commitment to being a youth
tennis coach

Without people like yourself, we could

not achieve our goal of putting the
United States back on the map
professional tennis

Thank You!

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t

We at the United States Tennis Association would like to thank the Golden Bagel Sports
Consulting Group for their contributions to this project. Without them, this training manual
would not have been possible.

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Contact Info

Anthony Rizzolo Tanvi Doddanavar

Chief Executive Officer Branding and Marketing Director
anthony@goldenbagel.com tanvi@goldenbagel.com

Sheena Wu Roger Zhang

Chief Financial Officer Managing Director
sheena@goldenbagel.com roger@goldenbagel.com

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