We chat with Tennis Australia Head of National Programs Rebecca McDonald about the new look Hot Shots Tennis
9 August 2023 | Tennis Australia
We chat with Tennis Australia Head of National Programs Rebecca McDonald to find out more about the new look Hot Shots Tennis
You have been working on this project for more than 12 months, tell us more about how it’s come about?
Hot Shots Tennis has been a highly successful introduction program to our sport for more than 15 years.
During that time though there has been a fundamental change in the way kids move, learn and participate in sport. The research shows that less than one third of all Aussie kids get the daily exercise they need to develop vital gross motor skills and the behaviours required to lead healthy adult lives.
We realised that we needed to adapt the Hot Shots Tennis program and the way we deliver it to better suit today’s kid, their parents and the general lack of skills we are seeing.
So, we set up workshops with more than 500 coaches from around Australia to really look at best practice. Everything that you will see from 1 October has been designed by coaches and experts in engaging kids.
What are some of the things that you learnt from the coaches you spoke with?
There were more than 3000 individual items of feedback that we sorted into the following themes:
- Adding flexibility to the way the program is delivered
- Amplifying the Blue stage for pre-school aged kids
- Redefining the Match Play experience and adapting court spaces, particularly in the orange stage to ensure kids have more success
- The way coaches want to learn from each other about implementing programs
- Re-examining coach education and development opportunities
- Marketing, Communications & Digital support.
What do you mean by adding flexibility?
The current program emphasises the age of the player rather than competency and where they should ultimately fit. However, in the redefinition of Hot Shots Tennis we acknowledge that children develop at different rates, and that a set age range without flexibility is no longer representative of a child’s skill level or when and how they develop.
The movement landscape has changed and evolved, as have children. We are responding to this contemporary perspective by updating the program to support and promote flexibility.
The recommended age ranges will now be:
- Blue: 3-5+
- Red: 5-8+
- Orange: 8-10+
- Green: 10+
The + sign indicates a new…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Tennis.com.au – Tennis Australia…