Most modern families are constantly scrambling to spend more time together. Between work and school, social lives and chores, it seems that there are hardly a few hours per week free for parents and kids to be with one another and bond. Unfortunately, many families choose to devote what little together time they have to mindless activities like television or movies — when what they should be doing is playing tennis.
Tennis might not be the most popular sport to watch or play, but it should be among families. Tennis is reputed as a lifelong sport; even if a young player doesn’t go pro, they tend to enjoy playing the sport for the rest of their lives. Plus, tennis teaches so much more than hitting a ball with a racket. For families who still aren’t convinced, here are the best reasons to spend family time playing tennis.
Family Bonding
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Watching a movie together might allow various members to unplug their brains and relax, but sitting silently in the same room isn’t exactly allowing parents and kids to form deep bonds with one another. Forming family connections doesn’t happen naturally; building a strong and lasting relationship takes time and effort from all parties, which means parents and kids need to engage with one another, not merely passively be nearby.
Tennis offers an excellent opportunity for true family bonding. Not only does it ensure that a family spends ample time together on a regular basis — as long as families are getting together to play about once per week — but playing tennis together also gives each member a chance to interact in an exceedingly personal way. Parents can teach their kids how to play, show them the right attitude to have about winning and losing and break down everyone’s great moves or mistakes.
Even as children grow up and their interests change, tennis can remain a touchstone between parents and kids. When lives get hectic — when teen boys and girls start investing more time in their social lives, go off to college and even start young families of their own — families can always schedule a couple hours on the court to catch up and renew their bonds.
Regular Exercise
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The modern family finds it harder than ever to find the time to exercise, but regular, vigorous exercise is essential for all stages of health. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, children ages 6 and up need at least an hour per day of physical activity to stimulate muscle and bone growth and strengthening. Toddlers between the ages of 3 and 5 should be active in small bursts throughout the day to encourage healthy development. At the very least, adults should have 150 minutes of activity per week, but 30 minutes per day is more advantageous.
Playing tennis once or twice per week as a family helps every family member get their heart pumping, their muscles working and their body stronger and more balanced. Tennis is notoriously one of the best full-body workouts one can get; the sport requires strength, speed, agility, and stamina for success. Younger and smaller children should be allowed to run wild around the court if they lack the attention span for the game. Older kids, teens, and adults would likely benefit from some conditioning, like taking a jog around the court, stretching and doing calisthenics like pushups and squats before or after a tennis match. Then, everyone can get in the workout that best benefits them, and on a regular basis with loved ones around.
Soft Skills
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Tennis is, first and foremost, a sport — but it can teach plenty of lessons applicable to the court, too, especially in granting valuable soft skills. Soft skills are those that aren’t always quantifiable or immediately demonstrable; unlike a hard skill, which might be proven through a certification, degree or test, a soft skill is one that is generally beneficial during projects or around other people. Hiring managers often list soft skills like “time management” and “communication skills” amongst the most desirable traits in new hires.
Playing tennis can reinforce a number of useful soft skills, like communication, teamwork, conflict management, self-discipline, and focus. Young players can apply these soft skills to their studies as well as future employment, and parents might benefit by identifying and strengthening soft skills they don’t often employ at their current job. Gaining soft skills while playing tennis is a matter of training mindfully, which means parents need to use their time on the court to exhibit the behaviors they want their children to copy. It might also be useful for players to have some aphorisms at the ready, like: “Love is nothing in tennis, but in life it’s everything,” or “Life is like tennis: The player who serves well seldom loses.”
Affordability
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Contrary to popular belief, tennis isn’t the sport of the wealthy. Decades ago, tennis courts were few and far between, typically only accessible to those with costly memberships to exclusive country clubs, but today, many public parks have tennis courts available to anyone and everyone. Families should look into reserving a court for their habitual tennis time or else finding a less popular time when they don’t need to fight for a court.
Additionally, the gear required for tennis is minimal. Families can use services like OfferUp and Craigslist as well as thrift stores like Goodwill — or even secondhand equipment stores like Play It Again — to find discount rackets. Tennis balls are outrageously cheap; they are 20 for $1 online. Also, you can visit IPTL World for the latest reviews of tennis equipment that you and your family would need. From there, parents have the choice to pay for tennis coaches or camps for their kids, like this popular choice for young girls here, but this is only necessary if their kids have the high-level talent and professional aspirations.
Anyone can play tennis, and everyone should play tennis. Families especially have much to gain by spending time together, playing a challenging sport and encouraging one another to succeed. It doesn’t take much to have fun on the court, and getting in the habit of playing tennis as a family will benefit everyone for a lifetime.
