This summer, be your kid's tennis coach

Yahoo

2 days ago

As the final school bell rings and summer vacation begins, parents across America face a familiar challenge: how to keep children active, engaged, and away from the hypnotic glow of screens. Among the many summer activities available, there's a meaningful solution right in your neighborhood − one that offers lifelong benefits for both you and your child.
Become your child's tennis coach.
Parent coaching is common in sports like soccer and basketball, yet tennis is often overlooked. That's a missed opportunity. Tennis is one of the few sports where parents and children can genuinely learn and play side by side, not just for a season, but for decades.
Kids today are spending more time sitting behind screens than ever before, especially during the summer months when the structure of the school day disappears.
Studies show the average American teen spends around seven hours a day behind a screen. Meanwhile, only around one in four adolescents meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity.
That combination − more screens, less movement − sets the stage for long-term health risks.
Tennis offers a better path. Physically, it's one of the most beneficial sports a child or adult can play. It builds endurance, coordination, agility, and strength. A long-term study of more than 8,000 adults found that tennis players lived nearly 10 years longer than sedentary individuals − more than any other sport evaluated.
For young players, tennis supports cardiovascular health, healthy weight, and even increased bone density in critical areas like the hips and spine during key growth years.
Just as important are the mental and emotional benefits. Tennis has been linked to lower levels of stress and anxiety, better focus and executive function, and improved sleep. Kids who play tennis consistently report higher self-esteem and stronger social connections than their non-playing peers. And unlike screen time, which can erode teens' self-worth, tennis builds self-confidence through challenge, feedback, and progress.
For parents, coaching your child in tennis is more than just a way to keep them active. It's about being present. You're not watching from the bleachers or waiting in the car. You're on the court with them, sharing both setbacks and victories. Conversations unfold that might never happen at home. You laugh over missed hits, celebrate clean shots, and learn how to navigate frustration together. These moments aren't just recreational; they are relationship-building.
This connection can leave a lasting impression. Research shows that parental involvement in youth sports boosts kids' confidence, motivation, and enjoyment of the game. And unlike many team sports, where attention gets divided among a dozen kids, tennis is just the two of you, with every serve, rally, and word of encouragement strengthening your bond.
Tennis also creates a rhythm that continues long after summer ends. Families who start playing together often keep it up for years afterward. It's one of the rare multi-generational sports where a 12-year-old and a 70-year-old can truly compete, collaborate, and connect at all walks of life.
The best part? Tennis welcomes beginners – players and coaches alike. Few sports offer the same 'choose your own adventure' experience, where parents and kids can learn, play, and grow together.
For parents who want to begin their coaching journey, there's no shortage of support. For instance, USTA Coaching – which launches in August – will offer free, easy-to-use resources for new coaches, including a new modular learning curriculum launching this summer. It's designed with parents in mind and includes everything from day-to-day training plans to simple drills – like aiming a ball into a laundry basket – that make it easier to spend quality time on court while building your child's skills and confidence.
All you really need to get started is a racquet, a few balls, and a little bit of time. With over 270,000 public courts across the country, most of them free, there's a good chance one is already nearby. And if not, a back wall or driveway will do just fine.
So this summer, skip the screens. Grab a racquet and meet your child at the baseline. It doesn't matter if you're a beginner. What matters is that you're there.
Your child might not remember their tablet games a year from now. But they'll never forget the summer you coached them through their first serve − and the bond that came with it.
Megan Rose is the managing director of USTA Coaching and a mom of two.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: This summer, be your kid's tennis coach | Opinion