Tennis lessons- am I being terribly cheap or is this a good idea?

[Minnie M6]

DD 9 decided she did not want to dance this year. She has taken ballet since Kindergarten and was in the dance company, so it was a big time investment. Also, we limit our kids to one sport at a time, and she wants to try tennis. I was surprised to find out that tennis lessons are more expensive than dance, even at the YMCA. Here's what I'm thinking, but I'm not sure if it will work or how to go about it. I was thinking that a high school student who is a tennis player may be willing to give her lessons for an hourly rate. There are public courts they could use so there wouldn't be extra cost there.

So, has anyone done something like this? And what would be a resonable hourly rate, or per lesson rate?

 

[javaj]

I'd think it'd depend on your location. In Colorado, we had a college student do tennis lessons for DS (age 7 at the time) -- it was $20 per hour, we used the local tennis courts. This was cheaper than the group classes he was doing - $25 a session, but with at least 6 to 8 other kids.

I tried to find a similar situation when we moved to TX but was unable to find anything.

DD 9 decided she did not want to dance this year. She has taken ballet since Kindergarten and was in the dance company, so it was a big time investment. Also, we limit our kids to one sport at a time, and she wants to try tennis. I was surprised to find out that tennis lessons are more expensive than dance, even at the YMCA. Here's what I'm thinking, but I'm not sure if it will work or how to go about it. I was thinking that a high school student who is a tennis player may be willing to give her lessons for an hourly rate. There are public courts they could use so there wouldn't be extra cost there.

So, has anyone done something like this? And what would be a resonable hourly rate, or per lesson rate?

 

[BuzzandAriel'smom]

Sure! Can't hurt to try. My kids love tennis.

 

[Swimalie]

I think it's a great idea. My son takes lessons in the Quick Start program (he's 5) and we pay $12 for a half an hour for 12 kids and 2 coaches. The older kids pay about $250 per 6 weeks per hour. So about $41 per hour lesson with 1 coach and about 5 kids. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what to pay for a private lesson.

I considered doing private lessons for our son when I couldn't find lessons for anyone his age. I have a swim team mate who is also a tennis phenom. I was going to pay him about $25 per half hour lesson and pay for the court rental.

 

[Purseval]

Take the kid to some place that has a big wall like a school or the back of a shopping center when nobody is around. Draw or tape a line the height of the net. Make some more lines about the width and depth of half a court. Let the kid smack the ball off the wall for a few sessions to get the hang of it and see if they even enjoy it. When they can do that then try some lessons if they are still interested. Won't cost you anything but some time with your kid.

 

[kawing123]

My high school child taught tennis lessons to younger children through an after school program. Tennis is out of this world expensive but group clinics or drop ins are far cheaper than private lessons. A good high school student might have the patience with a nine year old, but I would supervise. Tennis is a great sport that can be played for life so be patient hit with your child yourself and watch tennis on tv for pointers.

 

[dis-happy]

My 16 year old is a ranked juniors tournament player and I really would advise you: do the regular lessons from a teaching pro.

Hitting with a high schooler for extra practice would be okay, but you want your child to learn the proper stroke technique and footwork. The tennis teaching pro knows all the tricks to make it fun and also teach the proper skills (the same way the dance instructor was able to teach dance). Also, Quick Start is moving in across the board with the USTA, mainly because it works well with young kids (exemplified by its use in Europe and the result is better players overall there).

My feeling about learning tennis is you want it to be a lifelong sport they can enjoy and you really want to set the basics into stone to be able to acheive that.

 

[scrapquitler]

Have you got an active park and rec department in your area? Ours does beginner tennis lessons (small groups of 4-6 kids, I think). They do something like 6 or 8 weeks for about $100. The lessons are something like 45 min-one hour.

 

[pigletto]

It looks like I am very lucky. We live in a small area with a small tennis club. Our tennis instructor is a University student and charges 120 dollars for 3 one hour lessons a week.. for the entire summer! It's the first time in my life I have told someone they absolutely don't charge enough and that I would pay more in a heartbeat. My son LOVES it, and is learning quickly. It will be more expensive as he gets older and moves to a larger club, but for now it's perfect.
My only concern with a high school student would be patience and skill. Right now (ds is 6) he is learning the proper techniques that will be the foundation for his game, so it is important. But I don't think its impossible to find someone who is good with kids and skilled.

 

[Justsyd2]

My 16 year old is a ranked juniors tournament player and I really would advise you: do the regular lessons from a teaching pro.

Hitting with a high schooler for extra practice would be okay, but you want your child to learn the proper stroke technique and footwork. The tennis teaching pro knows all the tricks to make it fun and also teach the proper skills (the same way the dance instructor was able to teach dance). Also, Quick Start is moving in across the board with the USTA, mainly because it works well with young kids (exemplified by its use in Europe and the result is better players overall there).

My feeling about learning tennis is you want it to be a lifelong sport they can enjoy and you really want to set the basics into stone to be able to acheive that.

I second this - I took lessons in junior high, and it was much better for me than simply "playing" with another person.

 

[Minnie M6]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and input. Right after I posted this, DD gave me some paperwork she brought home from school about a quick start program at the YMCA, which is $48 for 6 weeks. I think we'll start there and see how she likes it. I will also definitely check with the Parks & Rec dept to see whether they offer lessons.

 

[Swimalie]

Thanks everyone for the ideas and input. Right after I posted this, DD gave me some paperwork she brought home from school about a quick start program at the YMCA, which is $48 for 6 weeks. I think we'll start there and see how she likes it. I will also definitely check with the Parks & Rec dept to see whether they offer lessons.

My 5 year old does Quick Start. It is a USTA program. We like it for the most part, although once my son gets better, we will be going with private lessons. But it's a great place to start (and cheaper than what we are paying )

 

[ericwoo]

that sounds like a great idea. Your not being too cheap. Just make sure that your getting a decent tennis lesson for your kids. If you can pay a little more to get better, then I would stick with that though.