Understand. Question. Observe. Decide. Act.

The child moves from initial exposure to a consistent tennis habit. The focus is fundamentals, quality of the coach and academy, gradual development and deciding whether tennis should remain recreational or become competitive.

• Is the coach or academy right?Choose a coach and academy that match your child’s age, ability, goals and learning style. Look for structured coaching, individual attention, a positive environment and a clear development pathway.
• Is my child progressing?Track improvement in skills, fitness, consistency, confidence and understanding—not just wins and rankings. Progress should be reviewed regularly against age- and level-appropriate benchmarks.
• How much should we train?Training should be age-appropriate and balanced with school, recovery and free play. Increase training gradually as your child’s ability, commitment and competitive goals develop.
• When should my child start competing?Start competing when your child has basic skills, understands the rules and is emotionally ready to handle both winning and losing. Begin with appropriate-level competitions and gradually increase the challenge.
• Should we change academy?Consider a change if your child has stopped progressing, needs a higher level of coaching, lacks individual attention or the environment is no longer suitable. Don't change solely because of a few losses or short-term results.
• What should parents do?Provide encouragement, consistency and the right resources while allowing the coach to coach. Focus on effort, learning and enjoyment rather than constantly discussing results or comparing your child with others.
• What is AITA?AITA stands for the All India Tennis Association. It is the national governing body for tennis in India and is responsible for regulating national-level competitive tennis, player registration, rankings, tournaments and India's international tennis pathway.
• • What is the minimum age to register with AITA?A child can enter the AITA competitive pathway from the Under-10 category. AITA's Under-10 competitive category starts at age 7/ AITA's tournament rules state that a U-10 player must have completed age 7 on the day of competition.

1. 01Technical and movement developmentLook for steady improvement in core skills, coordination, balance, movement and sport-specific technique. Progress should be visible over time, not necessarily every week.
2. 02Increasing confidence and consistencyDoes your child feel more comfortable on court and participate with greater confidence? Consistency in attendance, effort and basic skills is an encouraging sign.
3. 03Enjoyment and motivationYour child should continue to enjoy playing and show a willingness to attend training and learn. A temporary dip is normal, but persistent reluctance, anxiety or loss of interest needs attention.
4. 04Coach and academy qualityLook for qualified coaches, structured sessions, appropriate training groups, individual feedback and a safe, positive environment. A good academy should have a clear pathway for progression as the child improves.
5. 05Response to challenge and competitionHow does your child react when things don't go their way? Learning to handle mistakes, challenges, winning and losing positively is an important part of development.

• Is my child progressing?Look beyond rankings. Consider improvements in skills, movement, confidence, consistency, competitiveness and overall enjoyment.
• Should we start competing?Introduce competition when your child has the basic skills, interest and emotional readiness to enjoy the experience and learn from both winning and losing.
• Is the academy still right?Review whether the coach, training environment, level of challenge and development opportunities continue to match your child's needs.
• Should tennis remain recreational or become more serious?Base the decision on your child's interest, ability, motivation and progression — not parental expectations or comparison with other children.

1. ContinueReview progress periodically.
2. Progressing and interestedIntroduce age-appropriate competition.
3. PlateauedConduct a coach and academy review.
4. Strong interestDiscuss a structured development pathway.