April 2006 -- As teaching professionals we are faced with new challenges every day. For example, a student said, “I have been hitting an underspin forehand for 30 years, but now I want to learn topspin.” By the way, this person started playing at the age of 40.
Another constant challenge is when we hear, “Make me a 4.5 by the next USTA league season” – from a 3.5 to 4.5 in eight months. Good luck!
We also hear: “I want my 12-year-old daughter to be ranked in the top.” ... “My husband and I want to start a fitness program together on the tennis court, but he is much better than I am.” ... “My best friend and I want to play tennis together, but I have played for years and she has only played for a year.” ... “My son is a top junior player and I am only a 3.0 USTA player, but it would be great to spend time together doing something we both love.”
Having answers to these challenges not only helps us reach our financial goals, but also enables us to get more people on the courts and into the game of tennis.
How many of you have put a group together that fell apart because the levels (2.5 to 5.5) were too far apart? Nobody wins – the players are not getting what they need to improve, they get frustrated and upset and usually quit taking lessons, leaving the teaching professional with an empty time spot.
But with Cardio Tennis this doesn’t happen. Dino (Bondallian, USPTA) and I have successfully had 2.5s on the court with 5.5s at the same time with everyone having fun!
By using a “drill-based approach” as your primary program, you can be more creative with your classes. For more than 20 years, we have tested, tried, proved, and continue to improve our drill-based program. With this type of program you will be able to control the timing, pace, speed and direction of each feed, and monitor player movement and the intensity level of each participant. This formula will allow players of different levels – 2.5 to 5.0 and above – whether men, women, juniors or seniors, to participate in the same class.
One of the first things I do when someone new starts out in Cardio Tennis is to ask a lot of questions.
I inquire about their tennis skill and fitness level, how often they play, if they work out at a gym, if they play other sports, and the nature of their goals. Do they want to lose weight? Improve their aerobic and anaerobic capacity? Improve their tennis skills? Or are they just there for the fun, company and the music? Answers to these types of questions give me a pretty good picture of what I am working with and help me to determine what to expect from each player.
The Cardio Tennis teaching professional is the key to presenting a great Cardio Tennis program. You must be personable, enthusiastic, upbeat, hardworking, high-energy, fun-loving, and proficient in feeding lots of balls. As the drill sergeant – oops, as the tennis professional – you should be able to feed the ball so that everyone is able to make contact. Obviously for the 2.5 player, you would feed slower and place the ball so they will be able to hit it while moving, whereas your 5.5 player needs to be challenged more. You can accomplish this by changing the speed, timing and direction of the ball. By creating a situation for your players to be successful you are able to build their confidence. Even your top players can be having a bad day; read their body language, their facial expressions and work with that. You want to push every player just a little past their comfort level so they continue to improve not only their fitness level, but also their tennis level.
Use tools that make this a great program for anyone! Great music is a must. Music with 125 to 150 beats per minute works perfect for your class. The fast, upbeat music keeps everyone moving and a lot of players will even sing along. It seems to ease the pain, drowns out the whining, and keeps your class and you pumped up.
Heart monitors are also great tools to use in your Cardio Tennis program. This way your players can monitor their heart rates. For those who want to lose weight, the monitor also shows them how many calories they are burning, which is one reason some of your players are even on the court. This also brings up another situation you will be faced with. Not only do we want to accommodate several different levels (2.5 to 5.5 and above) in our classes, but we also want to serve students with different goals. Some of your students are there to improve their tennis game; some to improve their health and fitness; and some to lose weight. Some just want to have a great time, be with friends, run around and listen to great music. Again, this all goes back to the professional. Be in tune to your group – give them what they want and need plus a little extra. Be aware of the targeted heart range and have them check their heart rate every 10 minutes.
Over the years, our players have found Cardio Tennis to be very addicting. Players will do Cardio Tennis many times during the week. We have also found that by being able to mix your levels into one workout, your 2.5s improve their tennis skills at a faster rate and because you are controlling the feeds you can successfully move, challenge and increase the intensity level of 5.5 players as well. Both will get a great cardio workout, have fun and be raring to go again.
The most important part of any program is that your students are getting what they want.Whether it’s a great cardio workout, improving their game or being with friends, you have the tools and ability to offer this type of program to all levels in one hour. Take advantage of this great opportunity, get your feeding skills perfected, pump up the music, put a smile on your face, and
get it started. Don’t worry if you are not the greatest feeder, you can learn to do it with more practice while you grow with your classes. Stay upbeat, motivated, and enthused, and you will succeed.
