USTA Rule Change for BG 10 Tournaments in 2011. USTA sanctioned tournament in New England is played with the green ball on full court. The rest of the country will follow in 2012.

Young players should play with age appropriate equipment and court size. A slow ball gives the young players more time to prepare their strokes, and they will repeatedly execute more technically correct strokes compared to playing with a faster yellow ball. Find out more on this USTA 10 and Under Tennis website.

 Nadal and Federer support the low compression ball for players 10 and under.

Stay hydrated! Always stay hydrated when practicing and playing matches. Especially when playing outside on a hot summer day, players need to drink plenty to stay hydrated. When you sweat, you lose a lot of sodium and potassium which need to be replaced, otherwise your body will fade and you will loose energy and maybe even cramp up. Find a sports drink that you like, which contains sodium chloride, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Try Gatorade, Pedialite (grape flavor is quite good, drink it cold) and Elixir from Camelbak. Below is a link to the USTA Hydration Poster. Print it and learn more about what to drink before, during, and after play.

Below some links to suggested reading about parents' role in junior tennis:

USTA Parent Education                            ITF Information for Tennis Parents                             Michigan State University Study 

USTA NE Jr. Tournament FAQ

USTA NE Jr. Regulations

USTA Hydration Poster

ATP Helpful Hydration Hints

Tennis Magazine has a lot of information about fitness and sport psychology that you might find interesting.  The ATP website has a fitness section which is quite good.

Some parents like the book written by the Bryan brothers' father Wayne.

Raising Your Child to Be a Champion in Athletics, Arts, and Academics (Paperback)

by Wayne Bryan