The family that plays together .. how to make tennis a family affair

Byline: Sheri Whitley

The ranks of professional tennis are sprinkled with champions who honed their skills playing against their siblings while being coached by their parents. Venus and Serena Williams, MaliVai and Mashona Washington, Dontia and Angela Haynes, and Thomas and James Blake are just a few. But you don’t have to parent a phenom or have your own tennis trophies to make tennis a family activity.

Getting your kids and your partner to join you on the court might not be as hard as you think, particularly if they already have an interest in the sport. Lower everyone’s anxiety level by setting realistic expectations. Peggy Parks, a United States Tennis Association-certified instructor, says, “I teach some children 3 years old who are quite good, but not everyone is that good.” Keeping them in groups with kids their age is a good way to keep them comfortable, says the owner of Austin, Texas-based Tennis For Kids. “Success is the key to maintaining their interest,” she adds. “They need to feel that they’ve done a good job and feel good about themselves. Praise them always.”

Making the commitment to play together is also a healthy way to keep the pressure on to exercise regularly. Forty-five minutes of cardio burns anywhere from 500 to 650 calories. Playing three to five times a week for that long will increase your endurance and cardiovascular health quickly. With obesity and diabetes on the rise, particularly for African Americans, tennis is a great way to get in shape or improve your fitness level.

Racket Required

Once you’ve convinced your team that they’ll have fun playing together, you’ll need the right equipment to help ensure that everyone enjoys their court time injury-free. Junior rackets come in a few different sizes for children of all ages. Kids between 4 and 6 years old will most likely need a 21-inch racket; 5- to 8-year-olds, a 25- to 25-inch racket; and 8- to 11-year-olds, a 25- to 26-inch racquet. Teens can transition into using adult-sized rackets, which are 27- to 29-inches, and should be chosen based on skill level and head and grip sizes.

Grip sizes are made in 1/8-inch increments. Women usually need a grip in the 4-1/8- to 4-3/8-inch range; men typically measure 4-1/2 to 4-5/4 inches. If the grip you need falls between two sizes, select the smaller one. Add new balls and footwear with non-marking soles and you have everything you need to hit the courts.

John and Becky Edwards

John and Becky Edwards share a love of tennis that started long before they met each other. For the New Rochelle, New York, residents, incorporating tennis into their family routine came naturally, even during Becky’s pregnancy with their first child, Rita. “Tennis has been part of our relationship from the start,” says Becky. “We play together relatively little now that we have two kids,” adds John, “but I hope we’ll get more chances as they get older.”

Rita is well on her way to joining her parents courtside. “We enrolled Rita in lessons organized by the city last summer, but it was too soon to get her started,” says Becky. “She was 3 1/2 years old at the time.” Not wanting to spoil her enthusiasm for the game, they let her quit and waited a year until they thought she was ready to try again. Their 20-month-old son, Jake, is not quite ready for the court but is already serving up a few aces. “We try to keep him as far from a racquet as possible since, at this point, it would serve more as an implement of destruction,” says John.

John and Becky also hope to put tennis center court during family vacations. “There are two things we’ll travel for-tennis and jazz,” says Becky. “We picked our vacation house on the Vineyard in part because it comes with access to a private tennis court.” Adds John, “One of the great things about tennis is that pregnant women and people in all kinds of shape can play at some level, staying fit and getting fitter.”

Clifton, Techlia, Kassa, and Mariah Whitley

Techlia Whitley just can’t be persuaded to join her husband and children on the tennis courts in the hot Mississippi sun, but she enjoys watching them sweat. For her two youngest children, Kassa, 22, and Mariah, 13, weekly court time with their dad is a chance to raise their game level and maybe beat their old man. “It’s a great way to spend time with them,” says her husband, Clifton. “With Kassa, I play to win; but with Mariah, I play to teach her.”

It’s also a way to maintain intimacy with teens as they develop relationships with their peers and begin to view spending time with their parents as “not coot.” “Before Mariah turned 13, she’d ask me if we could go to the park and hit some balls. Now, I have to ask her,” says Clifton. “Kassa went through a similar phase, but eventually they come full circle and want to spend time with you again.” Kassa agrees, “We haven’t played in a couple of months. My dad travels a lot on business so we don’t play as much as we used to, but I would like to play more. I think I can beat him now.”

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Having public courts close to your home is a bonus that not everyone gets to enjoy, especially if they’re juggling parenting and work. Finding the time and space to play regularly can almost feel like more work. A number of resorts and tennis clubs have taken the hard work out of planning family tennis time. Here’s a sample of some of the most popular ones.

Casa de Campo

The food here is as fabulous as the professional tennis staff, so make sure you schedule enough court time to burn off the mouth-watering deserts. Nestled in La Romana, Dominican Republic, this resort boasts that its staff is available for lessons, tennis tips, or classes day or night. The bevy of activities for kids will keep your youngsters happily busy, even if you can’t interest them in joining you on the court. For the very youngest, babysitting services are available. And when you’re not running drills on the court, you can lounge by the pool, snorkel, scuba dive, or visit any of the nearby towns to explore Dominican culture; P.O. Box 140, La Romana, Dominican Republic; Tel: (809) 523-3333 or (809) 523-8698; Fax: (809) 523-8548 or (809) 523-8394; reserva@ccampo.com.do; www.casadecampo.com.do

The Colony Beach & Tennis Resort

This family-friendly resort in Longboat Key, Florida, has everything a tennis fan could want, and it gets rave reviews. From 1996 through 2004, The Colony was sited as the No. 1 tennis resort in the U.S. by Tennis magazine, and Child magazine recently named it one of the top five “Best Family-Friendly Resorts.” Private and group lessons are available for every skill level and for all ages, and take place on the 21 courts. And the resort’s Kinder Kamp and Kidding Around programs offer activities designed especially for children ages 3-6 and 7-12. Best of all, the kids programs–and all court time fees–are included in your package price, so there are no extra fees. Rent rackets or bring your own; 1620 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, FL 34228-3499; Tel: (941) 383-6464 or (800) 4-COLONY; Fax: (941) 383-7549; info@colonyfl.com; www.colonybeachresort.com

Wild Dunes Resort

At Wild Dunes in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, it’s clear that tennis is a passion. Rated by Tennis magazine as one of the top 10 resorts in the United States, Wild Dunes offers instruction for all skill levels and ages on 17 courts, including a stadium court and five courts lit for night play. According to its Website, “even the sounds of the game inspire us to provide guests of all ages with first-rate tennis facilities.” The resort’s full-service pro shop has everything you need in the way of equipment, including apparel. You can even create your own specialized tennis package. Choose from a large selection of clinics to suit your game and combine it with any of the resort’s amenities to create a personalized experience. Kids are welcome, and in addition to being able to participate courtside, they can snorkel, swim, paint, and build sand castles; 5757 Palm Boulevard, Isle of Palms, SC 29451; Tel: (888) 778-1876; reservations@wilddunes.com; www.wilddunes.com–S.W.