Over the past two years, I’ve come to know Tom Edsall, USPTA, Director of Tennis, Midwood Tennis Academy. Today, Tom gives me the inside story on Midwood Tennis Academy and why tennis is a great sport for children. A must read!!
Tell us about Midwood Tennis Academy? Midwood Tennis Academy has been providing high quality tennis instruction in Charlotte since 2008. We are a local business that has direct involvement with the community and those who live here with us. Midwood Tennis Academy provides high quality, enjoyable instruction. Our goal at Midwood Tennis Academy is to teach our players to compete with honesty, integrity and confidence; to show our players that the goal isn’t to win, but to play to the best of our abilities and to be the best people we can be. We strive to create a fun environment where children can learn and develop from beginners into experienced tennis players. 
Why should kids play tennis? Tennis is a great sport for a number of reasons, including fitness and socialization, but there are many more reasons kids should play this great sport. Tennis builds some very important traits
1. Character. Through the responsibility each player has to call their own lines, to keep score accurately and to give their opponent the benefit of the doubt, tennis offers a great opportunity for players to build character.
2.Courage: Tennis gives players the opportunity to play through tough times. The one on one style of competition certainly requires that players have the guts to put it on the line. Few other sports require as much courage, especially from its youngest athletes, as tennis does in this arena.
3.Honesty: Tennis is one of the only sports where the players make calls on each other’s shots. Imagine little league or an adult softball league where the players called their own balls and strikes. Although this huge responsibility in the hands of the competitors, again, especially for the youngest players, has caused problems, no other sport allows for the development of honesty like tennis does.
4. Sportsmanship: Like in other sports, tennis players will play opponents who are not that nice, and who will try to cheat. Although in the short run this is uncomfortable for players, and also for the parents of young players, it does give players a way to develop and hone their ability to cope with this type of person both on and off the court. If you look at junior players, you will find that many of them are mature beyond their peers in this area simply because they have had more chances to practice this skill than non-tennis players. Parents should view these episodes as the opportunities they are and resist the urge to get involved and “save” the child.
5. Integrity: Because tennis allows for your opponent to make calls that directly affect you, there are always times when people get cheated, whether on purpose or through an honest mistake. How a player reacts in these situations offers them a chance to test and prove their integrity.
What is different about tennis than other sports? Tennis is an individual sport unlike most other sports for children. In tennis, you are all alone on the court (or with a single partner in doubles). No one shares in the glory or the blame. There is no one to pass off to if you are playing poorly and you cannot be taken out of the game to recuperate from your poor play.
What are some other things parents should know about tennis? Tennis is primarily a fine motor skill sport, meaning that it is comprised of many precise movements requiring “feel.” As such, these movements can be influenced significantly by subtle changes in emotion. Anger, fear, frustration, embarrassment and other such emotions can be very disruptive to the delicate motor control needed in tennis skills such as serving and volleying. Learning these skills in tennis can help players in other sports and life endeavors.
Despite all these difficulties, tennis is still a great sport to play, especially for young children. It is the only sport that challenges players on the physical, strategic and psychological levels. It is no wonder that junior tennis players are often the best students in their classes. The goal setting and work ethic needed to be successful in tennis are life-skills that will help all players as they get older and enter society.
Tell us about the Programs Midwood Tennis Academy has for children?
We have different lessons groups that we divide into base on ability.
–Little Stars – Ages 5 to 7
This class is an introduction to the game of tennis and overall athleticism. Balance, movement and hand-eye coordination are taught and developed through the use of drills and games. Players are introduced to modified scoring and match play. This class uses the 36 foot junior court.
–Super Stars – Ages 6 to 10
Players have developed basic balance and coordination as well as fundamental tennis strokes including forehands and backhands. Rallying, scoring and match play are emphasized through a combination of drills and games. This class uses both the 36 and 60 foot junior courts.
–Big Stars/Tournament Prep – Ages 8 to 13
Players have graduated from Super Stars or have equivalent tennis experience including the ability to rally, serve, volley and keep score. Serves, returns, rally skills, court positioning and basic tactics and strategy are taught through the use of drills and games. Sessions will include light conditioning and supervised match play. This class uses both the 60 foot junior court and the 78 foot adult court.
Sign ups are currently open for Midwood Tennis Academy’s 2015 Spring Junior Clinics. Here are the details.
Session #1 – meets at courts by Dilworth Elementary School, 1501 Euclid Avenue
February 23 through April 3 – 6 weeks
Monday
– Little Stars, 3:00 to 4:00 – $81
– Super Stars, 5:00 to 6:30 – $120
Tuesday
– Super Stars, 3:00 to 4:30 – $120
Wednesday
– Little Stars, 3:00 to 4:00 – $81
– Big Stars/Tournament Prep, 5:00 to 6:30 – $120
Thursday
– Big Stars/Tournament Prep, 3:00 to 4:30 – $100
– No class on March 12
Friday
– Super Stars, 3:00 to 4:30 – $80
– No class on March 13
– No class on April 3
Session # 1 – meets at Tennis Courts in Veterans Park, 2136 Central Avenue
February 23 through March 28 – 5 weeks
Saturday
– Little Stars, 9:00 to 10:00 – $67.50
– Super Stars, 10:00 to 11:30 – $100
– Big Stars, 11:30 to 1:00 – $100
Session #1 – Meets at Waddell Language Academy, 7030 Nations Ford Road
February 23 through April 3 – 6 weeks
Monday
– Little Stars, 3:30 to 4:30 – $81
Tuesday
– Little Stars, 3:30 to 4:30 – $81
Wednesday
– Super Stars, 3:30 to 5:00 – $120
Thursday
– Big Stars/Tournament Prep, 3:30 to 5:00 – $100
* No class on March 12
If you’re not ready to start right now our Spring Session #2 starts after Session #2 starts after Session #1 ends and goes until the first week of June. See our website for details. Give Midwood Tennis Academy a try today!!!
Midwood Tennis Academy
tom@midwoodtennisacademy.com
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