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10U Mandate ‘The Right Thing to Do’

I thought your “Our Serve” editorial on 10 and Under Tennis (“Take a Second Look at 10U Tennis”) in the April issue was right on, well-stated and needed! Change is always difficult, and if this were not mandated, it would never have a chance — just like the old days of Pee Wee tennis. It does make it difficult on the “transition” kids, and I empathize with them, but somewhere it must be given a fair chance, and I doubt this transition will hurt anyone in terms of overall development in the long run.

Dick Gould
Director of Tennis, Stanford University

Thanks for the great editorial and testimonial regarding the new rules for 10 and Under Tennis and that “mandating” the rules was the right thing to do in the April issue of RSI. We can be proud in the Southern Section for “leading the way” with the rules change in 2010. Keep up the great work.

Rex Maynard
Past President, USTA Southern

Thank you for your excellent editorial on 10 and Under Tennis. The Southern Section was a year ahead of most of the country in mandating the new 10 and Under formats, and we are really beginning to see the results — both in improved junior competition and in greater enthusiasm among our youngest players. This is particularly gratifying because a great many of our best pros and most committed junior players and parents went through the stages you describe — from skepticism and suspicion to grudging acceptance and finally to enthusiastic support.

Throughout our Section, 10 and Under Tennis is spreading rapidly as pros discover the financial benefits of working with more kids on fewer courts and parents see their kids learning quickly and enjoying themselves. This approach may or may not give our future superstars a better sense of the basics, but I am convinced that it will produce more lifetime tennis enthusiasts. Not every new idea that comes along is good for tennis, but this one seems to be paying off for all concerned.

Paul M. Pittman
Director at Large, USTA Southern

Fathers and Tennis

I thoroughly enjoyed Denny Schackter’s article on the role that fathers play in tennis in a family (RSI, March 2013, Your Serve, “The Fathers of Tennis”). I have a son playing college tennis and a daughter playing high school. Some of our fondest memories are playing tennis together, including father/son/daughter doubles.

As a proud PTR and USPTA Master Professional, this article accentuates this important bond between teaching pros and our children. Kudos to RSI and Denny for highlighting a potent, relevant and, often, overlooked benefit of our favorite sport.

Ajay Pant
General Manager, Tennis Center at College Park
College Park, MD

From the May 2013 issue
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