Club structure

[Matthew Bance]

Idk if this goes here but do u think the way brittish clubs are organised should be changed? I've found that as a teenager in the term time I can get a hit in basically whenever through coaching ( group sessions) but in the summer holidays I find I have to resort to hitting with adults, and very few clubs carry on junior club nights through the summer or coaching, although one is thinking of doing so. But I find I have to club sessions with very few under 30, it's ridiculous juniors should have their own time their organised by the main people in the club. Has anyone else found this? And I wouldn't hit with adults given the choice btw no offense but I think on my part it's a bit odd.

 

[Matthew Bance]

Anything u think I should do to find more people to hit with?

 

[Matthew Bance]

Basically I want to play as much as possible, but the lack of club nights for juniors is awful and I feel out of place at these things

 

[ProgressoR]

I am in England and everyone has their own views about clubs, in my club we have tons of junior sessions and squads and all that stuff, and most of them are pretty much a waste of time in my view, just a way to get kids (via parents) into a club and pay money. There are a few decent young players but not many that I see.

You should be more willing to play with adults, as you will see different styles. If the standard is way below you to be any use to you, that is a different issue, but otherwise what is your problem playing occasionally with adults?

If there are enough juniors at the club playing, sure the club should be offering chances to hit. If there are not enough juniors then again, a different issue...

 

[ProgressoR]

Tennis as a whole is an expensive and generally difficult-to-access sport in the UK without having (parents) pay a lot of money. Why are clubs that exist as profit making entities having to find ways to attract and keep juniors, as that will naturally also be a way to make money from them. Juniors should have other opportunities, I hear from our friends in the US about coaches employed by the council (borough) to teach groups of youngsters at public courts. Can you really imagine that happening here??

 

[sjoerdklarenbeek]

I'm not sure what the exact problem is, your post is not entirely clear to me. Are juniors restricted in their right to go out and play at certain times?

In the Netherlands, on working day evenings, clubs may give priority to adults if all courts are taken. The idea behind this is that juniors may have more time to play during daytime / late afternoon, but adults may be restricted to evening play because of their jobs.

Personally, I am not in favor of this, but that's up to the club, hopefully by democratic decision making (go to the yearly member's meetings!).

Regarding having juniors play with adults: I am very much in favor of this, I think it's good for the social connections within the club as well as making everybody a more complete player. But I would never want to enforce it.

 

[Matthew Bance]

It's that we re not given time in summer hols

 

[Matthew Bance]

There is enough juniors, it's just I don't see that players are being really informed if things it's quite confusing like one club they have squads but no teenage social play

 

[Matthew Bance]

And some play really odd

 

[Matthew Bance]

Well we are allowed to go the courts and knock but all organisation of junior tennis especially under 18 stops and many people would come imo

 

[ProgressoR]

Then get a few of you together and tell the club to arrange something and show them other clubs are doing it. Your club should do it if members want it and demand it and you show they should be doing it.

 

[Bendex]

And some play really odd

You will generally learn more from playing adults. You will learn how to play from "odd" places in the court, you'll learn how to generate your own pace, you'll learn patience. I get my juniors to play with adults at every opportunity.

If you are up to standard, and don't act like a child, the club will let you play with the better adults. Then you will have an advantage over the other kids in your area who aren't playing many matches.

 

[ProgressoR]

We have had good juniors playing in our senior doubles matches and most times they have a terrible time, their serve has always cracked under little pressure, their groundies are ok but they forget there is a guy at net ready to kill anything loose, and volleying..... a disaster.

My suggestion is to play up with adults when you can, and play some doubles, it will teach you some good skills you can transfer to singles and improve your game a lot.

 

[cjs]

Play some adults.

I'm almost 40 and I play regularly with one of our club's top juniors who is now almost 16. I've been playing with him since he was 13.

I used to beat him easily. Now he's getting the upper hand.

Its fun for both of us and we've developed a nice friendship.