The Top 11 Benefits of Tennis For Youth

Sports often have a tremendous impact on kids around the world.

No matter what sport is played, they provide significant benefits for kids of all ages—from teaching them the importance of sportsmanship to helping them stay in shape with exercise.

Today, we’re talking about tennis—a global sport with many benefits.

Benefits of Tennis For Youth

Tennis is well-known for being a challenging-yet-rewarding sport for people of all ages. Here are 11 of our favorite tennis benefits for kids.

It’s a Fantastic Way to Exercise

Have you ever watched a full tennis match? If so, you’ve probably noticed how much movement and athleticism it requires!

Tennis provides one of the best full-body workouts. It works out your entire body, including your arms, core, legs, and more. With how much on-court movement is required, it’s also a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness.

This makes it a great sport for children—after all, exercise plays a vital role in ensuring kids remain healthy.

Movement Promotes Stronger Bones

Did you know most of our bone strength is built during childhood and adolescence? 

As we age, bone structure begins to decline and deteriorate, with some older people becoming susceptible to osteoporosis.

However, with the right amount of exercise starting early, kids can begin strengthening their bones.

Tennis is an excellent way to promote healthier bones with quick stops, turns, and lateral movement. It’s one of the best bone-strengthening activities out there—and it's a lot of fun, too!

The Game Offers Chances Make New Friends

Tennis is often played one-on-one—although there are doubles matches!

Regardless, it’s still a great opportunity to make new friends. Even when they’re opponents, there’s mutual respect required between tennis players. Every new match is a chance to make a lifelong friend.

There are also tennis environments where people learn to play the game or hone their skills together. For example, at a tennis camp, kids get the chance to meet new friends who all share a love of the game. Consider a summer camp if you’re looking to get your child into tennis! 

Activity Improves Mental Health

The same could be said for many different sports or physical activities, but for children with a vested interest in tennis, you’ll be pleased to know that it has a positive impact on mental health.

Exercise releases endorphins in the brain—something commonly known as “runner’s high,” and there aren’t many sports that provide a better way to exercise than tennis! 

It Improves Cognitive Skills

Tennis requires a lot of thinking on your feet. Quick movements and split-second decisions define the game for those that want to be great. 

Think of it this way: Exercising those cognitive skills can help children translate the same skills into their everyday lives. The ability to make quick decisions on the court can help relieve the pressure of making other decisions—especially when they have more time!

The game of tennis also involves physics and geometry, with the angle of backhand and forehand strokes guiding the ball. Playing tennis may help children understand some of these mathematical concepts. 

Racquet Sports Boost Hand-Eye Coordination

Tennis challenges young athletes to improve their hand-eye coordination—after all, it’s one of the defining skills of the game!

This results in significant improvements in hand-eye coordination skills that can be translated to other skills, such as cooking and throwing a ball. For some kids, improving their hand-eye coordination can even help with certain career choices. Surgeons, for example, rely heavily on hand-eye coordination. Others may find that hand-eye coordination helps them with certain hobbies, such as painting or picking up an instrument. 

Teaches Sportsmanship

Whether you’re playing singles or a doubles game, tennis puts you in competition with others. It’s an intimate match with either one or two people, and while it’s competitive, it also teaches children the importance of sportsmanship.

For example, learning to enjoy a win without gloating and losing with grace are skills that translate into other sports and future career environments. 

It’s a Non-Contact Sport

We have nothing against contact sports—they certainly have their place. However, for parents who prefer to put their children into non-contact sports, we understand. The good news is that tennis is completely non-contact since there’s a net that separates the competitors. 

While tennis still has injuries, many potential injuries are negated because there isn’t any contact between competitors. This helps avoid common injuries in other sports, such as knee-on-knee contact in basketball or soccer. 

All You Need is a Racket, a Ball, and a Court!

You do have options when it comes to tennis—there are clubs, camps, tournaments, and more.

However, in many cities across the country, tennis courts are located in public parks. All you’ll need is your gear to spend an incredible afternoon playing tennis with friends or family. Even without a net, it’s easy enough to play out a rally back and forth for fun in the backyard.

We couldn’t think of a better reason to introduce the game to kids, knowing they’ll be able to play whenever they want easily! 

Provides a Lifetime of Enjoyment

Health permitting, tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed late into life—as long as there’s a court, you can play tennis! 

Because it provides such a great workout, playing tennis regularly may help people stay in good enough shape to play into their 60s and beyond. It's easy to scale just how intense you want to play the game. Thanks to the technical aspect of tennis, a sufficiently-skilled player can outclass the more athletic ones and still reap the health benefits that make it a fantastic activity for people of any age—especially children. 

Summer Camp is a Great Way to Introduce Tennis to Kids

Now that you know how beneficial tennis is for kids, are you ready to introduce them to the sport?

If so, tennis camp is a fantastic way to get them involved.

If you’re looking for a tennis camp in the Manhattan area, our brand new Camp Comparison Checklist lets you easily compare and contrast summer tennis camp costs, activities, dates, and locations. That way, you can be sure you’ve chosen the right camp for your child. 

Access the Camp Comparison Checklist today and find a tennis camp your child will love!