Why Tennis? 32 Reasons to Play Tennis
Regular tennis play has been demonstrated to improve...
AEROBIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS while maintaining higher energy levels
ANAEROBIC FITNESS through short, intense bursts of activity during a point, followed by rest, which helps muscles use oxygen efficiently
ACCELERATION by practicing sprinting, jumping and lunging in order to move quickly
POWERFUL FIRST STEPS, by requiring anticipation, quick reaction time and explosion into action
SPEED through a series of side-to-side and up and back sprints to chase the ball
LEG STRENGTH, through hundreds of starts and stops which build stronger leg muscles
GENERAL BODY COORDINATION since you have to move into position and then adjust your upper body to hit the ball successfully
GROSS MOTOR CONTROL, through court movement and ball-striking skills, which require control of your large muscle groups
FINE MOTOR CONTROL, by the use of touch shots like angled volleys, drop shots and lobs
AGILITY by forcing you to change direction as many as 5 times in 10 seconds during a typical tennis point
DYNAMIC BALANCE through hundreds of starts, stops, changes of direction and hitting on the run
CROSS-TRAINING by offering a physically demanding sport that’s fun to play for athletes who also participate in other sports
BONE STRENGTH AND DENSITY by strengthening bones of young players and helping prevent osteoporosis in older ones
IMMUNE SYSTEM through its conditioning effects that promote overall health, fitness, and resistance to disease
NUTRITIONAL HABITS, by eating appropriately before competition to enhance energy production, and after competition to practice proper recovery methods
EYE-HAND COORDINATION, because you constantly judge the timing between the on-coming ball and the proper contact point
FLEXIBILITY, due to the constant stretching and maneuvering to return the ball toward your opponent
WORK ETHIC because improvement through lessons or practice reinforces the value of hard work
DISCIPLINE since you learn to work on your skills in practice and control the pace of play in competition
MISTAKE MANAGEMENT by learning to play within your abilities and realizing that managing and minimizing mistakes in tennis or life is critical
ONE-ON-ONE COMPETITION because the ability to compete and fight trains you in the ups and downs of a competitive world
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY because only you can prepare to compete by practicing skills, checking your equipment and, during match play, by making line calls
MANAGEMENT OF ADVERSITY, by learning to adjust to the elements (e.g. the wind, the sun) and still be able to compete
EFFECTIVE ACCOMMODATION OF STRESS because the physical, mental and emotional stress of tennis will force you to increase your capacity for dealing with stress
LEARNING HOW TO RECOVER by adapting to the stress of a point and the recovery period between points, which is similar to the stress and recovery cycles in life
PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIES since you naturally learn how to anticipate an opponent’s moves and plan your countermoves
LEARNING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS since tennis is a sport based on angles, geometry, and physics
PERFORMANCE RITUALS BEFORE SERVING OR RETURNING which help control your rhythm of play and dealing with pressure. These skills can transfer to taking exams, conducting a meeting or making an important sales presentation
LEARNING SPORTSMANSHIP since tennis teaches you to compete fairly with opponents
LEARNING TO WIN GRACIOUSLY WHILE LOSING WITH HONOR, Gloating after a win or making excuses after a loss doesn’t work in tennis or in life
LEARNING TEAMWORK since successful doubles play depends on you and your partner’s ability to communicate and play as a cohesive unit
DEVELOPING SOCIAL SKILLS through interaction and communication before a match, while changing sides of the court and after play and of course having fun, because the healthy feelings of enjoyment, competitiveness and physical challenge are inherent in the sport
