I'm going to start playing tennis this year on my school's freshman team, is there anything important to know?

Question

Preseason starts August 18th, and I'm getting pretty anxious about it. I'm 14. The only experience with tennis that I've ever had was during the spring this year where I played intramural tennis with a few friends who couldn't play at all.

To keep a long story short, I've barely had any experience--but I love it.

Did anyone else on here start playing tennis their freshman year? How did everything work out? Was it tough? Please share your experience. =/ I always get super nervous about things for no reason. =]

Thanks!

Answer 1

you should make friends with your coach and teammates and don't show off that you have talents... let them discover...

Answer 2

Yea i somehow got onto the school team with hardly any experience... i failed miserably because i was stressing and trying to win for my school so hard, but if you put all that away and just play for your own joy of the game i noticed it does wonders! you becopme unbeatable! haha

Answer 3

Stretch before you go into the court, buy the best tennis shoes you can afford.

Answer 4

I'm a freshman and I'm going for the tennis team this year too, but I've had some experience playing and I've been training pretty hard. Here's some things I find important for tryouts...

First, make sure to have a good racket. Find a light, but durable racket so that it's easier to run with and it will last longer. I'm a big fan of Wilson rackets (some are kind of pricey, but most are in a reasonable price range). It's also especially important to have comfortable tennis shoes as well. Also, my assistant coach said that it's good to have some shorts with pockets to hold balls in for when you serve, and he said that our head coach appreciates people who wear them (but that could just be my coach =/). If you can't find any of those, he said that wearing lollies (they're like spandex shorts) underneath your shorts are acceptable as well to hold tennis balls on your hip.

Also, try to build up your stamina. You could be playing one game for 2-3 hours depending on your sets. Running and strength exercises are good. You should also start training on the tennis court, like doing some serve, forehand, and backhand drills.

If you ever get nervous while ON the court, make sure to try and stay calm, because stress can make your movements stiff or freak you out. Tennis is a mental game just as much as it is physical, and your opponent will try to get into your head throughout the whole game. Bouncing the ball a few times or twirling your racket relieves some stress.

I hope this helps, and best of luck! :)

Answer 5

me and my friend also had little experience before we tried out our freshmen year but the older girls on the team were very helpful also even if you make jv its a learning experience that will prepare you for next year. Good luck! :]

Answer 6

I started playing on my sophomore year, and there was no stress even though I had never played before. Just one thing you need to make sure; don't buy a cheap $20 racket. Your coach and teammates will take note, and will think you really don't care about tennis.

What we do at my school is do easy hitting drills with my team lead by the coach (forehands, backhands and overheads). After school, some people stay and hit around with each other. It's a very laid back experience, you can move at your own pace.