Did you know Andy Murray started tennis when he was aged just three? While most children might not become tennis super-stars when they grow up, there are so many other reasons why learning tennis at a young age and encouraging children to play is a great thing to do. Tennis is not only fun, but it builds confidence, keeps children active, healthy and entertained too.
That’s why musician and tennis coach Richard Bean and his brother Stephen created Teddy Tennis over ten years ago. It’s a course that’s been designed specifically with young children (aged 2 ½ – 6 years) in mind and classes take place daily throughout the year, both indoors and outdoors. Today Teddy Tennis lessons are taught worldwide but the very first lessons started in Holland Park West London and classes here still have a very a strong following today.
Teddy Tennis lessons combine teddy bear stories, pictures and songs to get children interested and to make the right actions, in time to the beat. Capturing the children’s imagination, the characters including Boris Bear, Amanda Panda and Tim Bear, learn different activities each week. And the games such as Grizzly Wizzly teach the basic co-ordination, catching and movement skills needed to play tennis.
Sport is a great way for children to learn how to play fairly, build communication skills and work as a team and Teddy Tennis aims to teach these valuable life lessons as much as it teaches how to catch a ball or swing a tennis racquet.
Not only do Teddy Tennis lessons make children happy but they can produce great players too. In fact, the current number one under 12 tennis player in the London area (Middlesex) started her tennis career aged 4 with Teddy Tennis!