Sport in general is great for children. It helps them to stay active and aids their mental wellbeing through the release of endorphins which is the reason why it has such a big focus in schools and should do beyond the school gates. Tennis is one that a lot of children enjoy. It’s a well-respected and commonly played sport that’s not short of its benefits either. We spoke to a few summer camps in Northwood that shared these benefits with us below.
Builds Flexibility
The strike of a tennis racket can pack a punch. To guard yourself against your opponent and keep the game going, you need to be flexible and agile. This requires fast reactions which can help children with their thinking skills.
Balance
As they will be running after tennis balls and twisting themselves in all different directions to make their moves, balance is needed. This is something that practicing the sport can help them to improve.
Physical Strength
Batting isn’t as easy as it looks. It requires strength and power to hit a ball as far as possible. Gross motor skills are needed here and can be improved through play.
Lowered Risk of Obesity
Tennis is what you can call a high intensity sport. There is a lot of aerobic activity involved which can help to burn around 220–295 calories each 30-minute game. Regular involvement can help to reduce the risk of obesity and improve health conditions such as heart health as cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart’s muscles.
Teaches Teamwork
Tennis is both an individual and team sport. Working alongside others in doubles matches can teach them about team dynamics and how to get along with others to achieve a common goal.
Resilience
Sports like tennis teach children that it’s okay to lose and about good sportsmanship. They will more than likely experience failure which is good as it gives them the opportunity to learn from it and bounce back, helping to make them more resilient.