Junior Tennis

Junior Tennis is the main development programme for players who have moved beyond their first years of tennis and are ready to take their game further.

At this stage, players need to understand how their shots work together, how to move around the court, how to create opportunities, and what to do when a point doesn't develop as expected.

This is where I start connecting the different parts of tennis much more closely. A technical change should help the player produce a better ball. A better ball should give them more options. A tactical decision should have a reason behind it. Physical work should help them move and recover better in a match. Gradually, the player moves from learning individual skills towards understanding how those skills work together.

Develop → Understand → Build → Adapt → Compete

• Develop: build reliable technical, physical and movement skills.

• Understand: learn how the strokes, movement and tactics work together.

• Build: construct points and develop patterns around the player's strengths.

• Adapt: recognise what is happening and change when the situation or opponent demands it.

• Compete: take those skills into matches and learn to perform independently.

Building the Game

The early part of Junior Tennis is about establishing reliable foundations. We work on the forehand, backhand, serve, return and net play, with the emphasis increasingly on using these shots in real tennis situations.

Players learn to prepare earlier, find a good contact point, control the direction and depth of the ball, and recover after the shot. They come to understand that a stroke which looks good in a basket drill needs to hold up when they're moving or under pressure to actually be useful.

I pay particular attention to movement at this stage. Players need to learn how to get to the ball efficiently, and just as importantly, what to do after they hit it. The recovery position, the next movement and the opponent's position all become part of the same process.

As players develop, I also start looking more closely at the individual game. One player may have a strong forehand but struggle to create opportunities with it. Another may move well but play too safely. Someone else may have good technique but become rushed when the score gets tight. Each of these calls for a different solution.

Understanding the Point

Tennis becomes much more interesting once players start to understand why a point develops the way it does. They learn to read their own position, their opponent's position, the quality of the incoming ball, the space available, time, the score, and the stage of the point.

From there, they learn to make better choices. Should I defend? Should I neutralise? Can I create an opportunity? Is this the right ball to attack? What will my shot leave for the next one?

I want players to become increasingly comfortable answering these questions themselves. Most of the learning happens through points, games and situations where the player has to solve the problem in the moment; I can explain afterwards, but the player needs to experience it first.

Developing Technique Through Tennis

Technical development continues throughout the programme. Players work on preparation, contact, balance, racket speed, spin, height, direction, depth and pace, alongside serving, returning, transition shots, volleys and overheads as their game develops.

I want technique to stay connected to playing throughout, so it never turns into something separate from the game itself. If a player needs more depth on the forehand, we work out why: perhaps they're trying to push an opponent back, perhaps they need more time to recover, perhaps they're trying to stop the opponent attacking. Once the technical adjustment has a purpose behind it, players start to build a game, and every stroke earns its place within it.

Movement and Physical Development

Players at this age are changing quickly. Some grow several centimetres in a short period, coordination can shift temporarily, and physical abilities develop at different rates. I keep a close eye on movement and adapt the work to the individual player accordingly.

We develop speed, agility, balance, coordination, acceleration, deceleration and the ability to repeat movements throughout a session. As players become older and more experienced, physical preparation becomes more structured, always aimed at giving them the physical foundations they need for the tennis they're actually playing.

Learning to Compete

Competition becomes a more important part of Junior Tennis. Players learn to play points independently, keep score, manage different situations and make decisions without waiting for the coach.

They discover what happens when an opponent plays differently from what they expected, and that a good game plan sometimes needs to change mid-match. They also learn how to respond to mistakes: a double fault, a missed easy ball or a poor decision becomes something to shake off, so it doesn't spill into the next point. I help players build routines that let them do exactly that.

The result of a match matters, but it isn't the only thing I look at. I want to know what the player tried to do, whether they understood the situation, whether they could adjust, and what the match showed us that we should work on. That information goes straight back into training.

Becoming More Independent

One of the biggest changes during Junior Tennis is the amount of responsibility the player takes on. When a player is younger, I naturally do more of the organising and explaining; as they develop, that shifts.

Players gradually become able to prepare for training, understand the purpose of an exercise, make decisions during points, recognise when something isn't working, ask useful questions, reflect on matches, take care of their equipment and communicate properly with me. I'm there to help them, but I can't play the match for them. Eventually, they have to stand on the court and make the decisions themselves.

Across all three stages, my approach is guided by a clear philosophy that balances ambition with wellbeing.

Excellence Without Obsession

High standards matter, and so does perspective. I want to develop committed players who strive for excellence while keeping a healthy balance with school, family life and health.

Process Over Outcome

We focus on the elements a player can actually control: effort, attitude and preparation. Results are treated as information rather than judgement, which protects confidence and keeps learning continuous.

Respect and Responsibility

Juniors are expected to behave with integrity on and off the court. Punctuality, preparation, respect for coaches and opponents, and honest effort in every session sit at the centre of what I expect from every player.

Outcome of Junior Tennis

By the end of this stage, a player should have a more complete understanding of their game. They should produce their main strokes reliably, move effectively, build points, recognise opportunities and make sensible decisions in different situations. They should also be growing more comfortable competing without constant direction from me.

Some players will want to compete more seriously; others will simply want to become very good club players and enjoy their tennis. Both are valid outcomes. For those ready for a greater level of commitment and competition, the next step is Junior Performance.