6 Things You Should Know Before Signing Your Kid Up for Hockey
If your little guy or gal is determined to lace up some skates and hit the rink, you’re going to need to know a few important things. Youth hockey isn’t like a classic baseball team or soccer tribe, there are major differences in this sport and a lot of us aren’t attuned to what it …
The Anatomy of the Modern Baseball Bat
The body of the baseball bat has changed slightly over the years since its inception in the mid-19th century. Once whittled by hand only, they’ve transformed throughout the decades into a more defined shape, fitting into the necessary guidelines and regulations dependant on one’s league. There was once a time that there were as many …
The Players Guide to Tennis Pre-Game Warmups
Improve your skills and resist injury by learning how to warm up right. No matter the sport, it’s imperative that athletes go through the right exercises and activities to get their muscles ready for action. Today, we’re focusing on tennis and the kind of routine one needs to make habit before they hit the court …
10 Youth Sports YouTube Channels You Should Be Watching
There are tons of sports-centric YouTube channels to sift through, but are there any for the kiddos to watch – and parents not worry about what they’re viewing? Yes, there are several and we’re divulging the best ones today. Instead of your children perusing the tube on their own, have these saved and subscribed to. …
Replacing vs. Restringing a Tennis Racket
Every once in awhile, you’ll need to give your racket a makeover. How often, you ask? Well, the general rule of thumb requires you to replace your strings as many times as you play per week. For example, if you play four times a week, you should look at restringing the racket at least four …
Tennis Racket 101: What to Consider When Buying Your Child’s First Racket
Is your kiddo ready to hit the court? Is he or she starting some lessons and in need of their own gear? We’re here to give you a quick 411 on everything a burgeoning tennis start needs to know about the racket. When you begin your search for the perfect child racket, there are several …
The Benefits of Physical Therapy in Injury Recovery
We may relate physical therapy as an adult-only option but that’s absolutely not the case. Our children get injured and benefit from these remedies as well, especially when they’re athletes and their bodies are growing at such a fast rate. It’s important to realize, as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta stated, “whether the cause is playing …
Heat vs. Ice: When to Apply Heat, and When to Apply Ice (Situations & Examples)
When you’re an athlete, you’re bound to be in a place where you’re told to either grab a heating pad or a bag of ice to soothe an injury. Whether it’s minor or major, everyone eventually gets to a place where one of these remedies will help to ease some of the pain. But the …
The Importance of Warm-Ups: Why Warm-Up Discipline Matters
Being a competitive, travel softball player for the vast majority of my life, I grew up with the importance of warm-ups drilled into my head. Injuries, better play, and also, mental readiness, were all a part of the disciplined drills that my team would run before practice or game time begun. And that’s for every …
Soccer Quick Finish Training Drill
Quick Finish Print/Download This Drill Basic Information Age Group: (5-7yrs) (8-11yrs) (12-15yrs) Number of Players: 8+ Difficulty: Easy Time: 10-15 min. Emphasis: Finishing, Passing, Dribbling Field Preparation: each player with a ball 2 mini goals cones Description: players dribble around cone and attempt to shoot the ball into their goal first 2 points to score …
Soccer Possession Game # 4 Training Drill
Possession Game # 4 Print/Download This Drill Basic Information Age Group: (5-7yrs) (8-11yrs) (12-15yrs) (16-Adult) Number of Players: 10+ Difficulty: Medium Time: 15-20 min. Emphasis: Passing, Possession, Defending Field Preparation: grid (20yds x 30yds) cones to mark off area pinnies Description: red team plays keep-away (5v2) red team has to complete three passes before passing …
Soccer 4v4 Shooting Game Training Drill
4v4 Shooting Game Print/Download This Drill Basic Information Age Group: (8-11yrs) (12-15yrs) (16-Adult) Number of Players: 8+ Difficulty: Medium-Hard Time: 15-25 min. Emphasis: finishing, attacking, defending Field Preparation: 2 teams grid (30yds x 40yds) 2 goals with goalies good supply of cones to mark off area good supply of balls for continuous play pinnies Description: …
Soccer Dynamic Passing # 3 Training Drill
Dynamic Passing # 3 Print/Download This Drill Basic Information Age Group: (8-11yrs) (12-15yrs) (16-Adult) Number of Players: 4+ Difficulty: Easy Time: 5-10 min. Emphasis: Passing Field Preparation: groups of 4 1xball per group Description: players make a square players start off passing to each other while standing next step: players pass to each other while …
Soccer Dynamic Passing # 2 Training Drill
Dynamic Passing # 2 Print/Download This Drill Basic Information Age Group: (5-7yrs) (8-11yrs) (12-15yrs) (16-Adult) Number of Players: 8+ Difficulty: Easy-Medium Time: 10-15 min. Emphasis: Passing Field Preparation: 1x ball per group grid (10 x 10yds) cones to mark off area repeat setup to accommodate the entire team Description: players pass to each other in …
Tennis Serve Practice
As one of the most important strokes in tennis, practicing these service games on a regular basis your serve will improve gradually and consistently.
Tennis Groundstroke Drill
You will find that the ability to do groundstroke drills can produce great results for your tennis game.
Attack Tennis Drills
Attack! This tennis drill looks at hitting three aggressive shots, which sees the player move into the court, hitting the ball early and moving up to the net.
Advanced Tennis Drills
Fun, challenging drills can accelerate a player’s improvement. We pick the best tennis drills for beginners, intermediates, and advanced players.
Tennis Practice Drills
Practice these tennis groundstroke drills to develop a deadly combination deep and powerful shots that will keep your opponent’s on the defense.
Tennis Follow Through
Tennis Follow Through The development of new racket technology and the evolution technique (grip changes, more spin and the quest for maximum power) have increased racket-head speed on all shots, which has profoundly affected the follow-through and how it is taught. The most important thing to remember about the follow-through is that, if you have a …
What You Need To Know About Hydration !!
Hydration is a standout amongst the most critical segments of athletic execution. It is particularly vital for tennis players since the game is generally played in sweltering, sticky climate, and without a period restrain. Sadly, a ‘one-estimate fits-all’ approach doesn’t work for hydration. Why? Sweat rate and sweat sodium focus fluctuate drastically between people. It’s …
Don’t Just Focus On Stroke Production
Here’s a statement that should be obvious by now. Knowing how to hit strokes and knowing how to win under stress are different animals. The #1 statement I hear daily from concerned tennis parents is “My child’s the better player, yet they can’t win!” The solution lies in the school methodology of teaching. Here’s what I …
Tennis Coaching During Skills Practice
If the skill you selected was within your players’ capabilities and you have done an effective job of introducing, demonstrating, and explaining it, your players should be ready to attempt the skill. Some players, especially those in younger age groups, may need to be physically guided through the movements during their first few attempts. Walking …
How To See And Fix Errors As A Coach
Good tennis coaches recognize that athletes make two types of errors: learning errors and performance errors. Learning errors are ones that occur because athletes don t know how to perform a skill; that is, they have not yet developed the correct motor pattern in the brain to perform the skill. Performance errors are made not because …
Tennis Talent Coaching For Kids
What is Talent? Talent is considered by most to be a genetic predisposition, a sense of natural ability handed down through the family gene pool. Expert educators in various fields agree that every’ decade one truly gifted individual walks through their door. Does this mean that most truly successful people aren’t genuinely talented or does it …