Can I ‘socially’ play with my child?
Absolutely! You don’t need to ‘know’ how to play tennis to come have a hit with your child. Just the fact that young ones see it’s a family sport will motivate them to keep practicing, while at the same time they’ll keep improving their hand-eye and swinging/contact skills. SHTC has a membership option for adults to get a key and access the courts all year around!

How many hours should my child play, practice or have coaching?
There aren’t a set number of hours; it mainly depends on your child’s motivation and their particular goals (short & long term). The fact that tennis is an outdoor and safe sport is a good enough reason to come down and use the courts or have some more coaching.

Why private coaching is as good as (or even better) than group coaching
One-on-one time with the coach will give the player focus and practice in those areas where they need improvement as repetition can make a big impact. Extra time on the court will also give the player more confidence so that if/when they decide to compete, they are more prepared for the pressure of a match.  If the same (private) coach also runs the group that the junior player is in, the coach will be able to remind the player to practice the skills they have been working on during their individual coaching sessions.

Is it compulsory to take coaching all year around? What if my child only likes tennis on a ‘social’ level?
No, it is not. However, as tennis requires technical ability, if a player chooses to stop attending coaching, then their improvement and development may stagnate until they pick up a racquet again.  A player can choose to attend group coaching only, making it still quite social.

What competition is out there, apart from the usual summer Interclub?
There’s plenty! The pathway for juniors would be to start playing Beginner Interclub then eventually move to Open Interclub (longer match format, stronger opposition, etc). Then there are one-day and week-long tournaments available year-round.  Leagues, winter match-play series at SHTC (where they compete against other local players) are also available.

How do I know that I have the right equipment (racquet, shoes, etc.) for my child?
Just ask one of our coaches what is appropriate for your child’s ability at the time. Most tennis shoes are good enough, so it really comes down to design and/or preference. There are so many racquets available therefore it’s best to get some professional advice from the coach on what is most suitable.

Is all tennis coaching feedback the same?
No, a good coach will know what to say, how to say it and when to say it to each player, even within the same group. We would prefer a player receive real feedback from the coach rather than rely on tennis tutorial videos.

Is it good to take coaching at different venues or with different coaches?
The strong team of coaches at SHTC are always sharing information between the head coach and the rest of the coaching team in terms of what skills or techniques they feel are necessary for each player to work on. Different coaches may emphasize different aspects, and this may be confusing to the player.

My child is not competitive but is good enough to train with Interclub-level groups/players.
That is alright! A player doesn’t need to compete to be able to join one of the Tuesday coaching groups. However, playing competitively can directly influence a child’s motivation to keep practicing and improving. 

What kind of pathway is there at Sunnyhills TC, while my child keeps improving?
Take a look here on our website or on the noticeboard as we have designed a complete pathway that SHTC juniors can follow as they progress and improve. With a bigger commitment from the players and parents, the club & coaches can do more to keep them motivated and help them financially including subsidized coaching, heavily discounted private coaching, discounts for tournament travelling, etc.

We believe that our coaches need to fully understand the competitive side of the game too, therefore all our coaches currently compete (in one way or another) and are fully aware of some of the pressures that come with it, on and off the court. We can also give feedback about which tournaments/competitions to focus on, depending on the particular stage each player is at. We are happy to give advice and spend time with those committed players (and parents) who are self-motivated to keep improving.

If you would like to know right now where your child is in terms of development or what options are available for them, just ask!

If you have any further questions or would like to pass along feedback, feel free to drop an email to our head coach Gabriel directly at gabrielhernandeztennis@gmail.com.