One of my top 10 favorite movies is “Field of Dreams” starring Kevin Costner. Remember the whispering quote, “If you build it, he will come?” I especially loved that epic scene at the end where the father and son play catch! Little did we all know that there was an underlying theme or message to all us parents that want to build a strong tennis player. 🙂We all want to see our kids improve and have fun playing tennis. That’s why we have them take tennis lessons. As a parent, you can play a huge part in helping them. It happens off the court. I have become more passionate about this because I am a parent with two boys.
I encourage you to play catch with your kids with any kind of ball. This is building their tennis skills and athletic development. This is a special way to connect with your child. If your kid doesn’t seem motivated, try a different ball or location. You can use a tennis ball, wall-ball, football (my fav), baseball, ping pong, balloon, keys, Nerf, etc). This will develop his/her hand eye & tracking skills. You can also spice it up buy using just one hand or going for a longer throw. The possibilities are endless!
I hope that you enjoy your catch. Now I want to watch my other favorite Kevin Costner movie, Bull Durham.
Jamie Dieveney
Tennis Director | Tennis Center Sand Point
