Over 200 children are involved in the Castlebar Tennis Club Junior Programme. We offer a diverse programme of activities with the aim of satisfying the needs of all junior members. We understand that Children get involve in tennis for different reasons:
- To meet new people and make friends
- To play for fun
- To learn the game or improve their skill level
- To get fit and to remain healthy
- To participate in competition
- To play a regular game of tennis with the same partner

An overview of the junior programme is described below. Please contact Garrett Barry (0872935322) or Maria Kilkelly (0872903181) for more information or specific dates in relation to the programme schedule.

Coaching is available from age 5 upwards. Players are placed in a group of 8 or less and groups are formed based on age and ability. This maximizes the child’s opportunity to progress at a pace best suited to them and allows the coach to help each player to reach their potential. Groups meet once a week for a 1 hr lesson, there is also an option to attend twice weekly.

There are three 10-week terms which run alongside the school terms, Sept-Nov, Jan-March, and April- June. Players must register in advance of each term, this allows us to identify spaces for new members ahead of each new term.

Players are identified from within these groups by their coaches and recommended for more intensive training to the performance programme.

Club Squads meet twice weekly for 2/3 hrs depending on age.

The volume of training increases right through the age groups with the opportunity to progress to Regional Squads and the National Academy.

Contact Maria Kilkelly, junior coaching administrator for assistance.

Since the 1 January 2012 the International Tennis Federation (ITF) officially eliminated the use of regular balls from ten-and-under competition. The new rule states that ten-and-under competitions can only be played using the mandatory slower ‘red’, ‘orange’ or ‘green’ balls on the appropriate size court.

The rule change is a key part of the ITF’s Tennis10s programme, which promotes the use of slower and lower bouncing balls, shorter and lighter rackets, and smaller courts to make it easier for children to take up the game. Tennis10s is a supporting programme of the Tennis Play and Stay campaign, the ITF’s global initiative launched in 2007 aimed at increasing tennis participation worldwide.

Tennis Play and Stay centres around the slogan of ‘Serve, Rally and Score’ and seeks to promote tennis as an easy, fun and healthy sport. Fundamental to the campaign is the use of slower balls by coaches working with starter players, ensuring that their first experience of tennis is a positive one by serving, rallying and scoring from the first lesson.

The three types of slower balls are intended to be used at different stages of a player’s development. Using slower balls helps junior players to develop the most efficient technique and to implement advanced tactics that in most cases could not be performed using the yellow ball on the full court. The ‘red’ ball, made of foam or felt, is 75 per cent slower than a regular yellow ball, and aimed at children aged five to eight on a court sized 12 x 6m. The ‘orange’ ball is 50 per cent slower and aimed at eight-to-ten-year-olds on a court sized 18 x 6.5m. The ‘green’ ball is 25 per cent slower and aimed at more advanced nine-to-ten-year-olds on a full sized court.
The Tennis10s programme has already been very successful in our club for the last few years. You can find more information about the tennis 10s programme here

Blitz events are held twice a term for Tennis 10s players. They take place on a Sunday morning usually mid-term and end of term. This is a team fun event providing opportunity for social and competitive interaction for out youngest members. Everybody plays and everybody wins.

Juniors can attend extra practice sessions which are supervised by experienced coaching assistants or junior committee members. These take place every Saturday at 2-3pm, there’s a €1 cover charge.

Skill Awards are a series of certificates used in our junior coaching programme to measure progress and motivate individuals to practice their skills. There are 6 certificates in all, focusing on a set of individual ball and racket skills with difficulty levels increasing through ages 6-8 yrs. The skill award system is a Tennis Ireland coaching initiative.

We run a Multi- Activity camp at Easter. This is a 1-week camp, Mon- Fri, 11-1pm for 5-10 yr olds. Non-members are welcome as well as members. Application forms and up to date information are available on the club website.

During the summer the club hosts a community tennis programme available to non-members also. Parks Tennis is a nationwide junior tennis scheme subsidised and supported by Tennis Ireland. Using club facilities, coaching is offered at a very low cost. Participants avail of an hourly daily lesson for the month of July. It is suitable for children aged 6-16 yrs.Details of parks tennis registration dates are listed at the following site. Maria Kilkelly is the local liaison for Parks Tennis.

Shreddies Park Tennis

Players committed to training twice weekly can compete in the matchplay series. Regional matchplay competition is held and gives club players a chance to advance to provincial matchplay where they can compete for Connacht rankings. Ultimately the top ranked Connacht players will advance to compete for national rankings in a National matchplay event. This competition happens twice a year in Winter and Spring.

The highlight on the club’s junior calendar is the hosting of the club’s annual junior open. It takes place June 24-26th in 2011. Players travel from all over the country to compete in the junior Open. Recent years have included entries from highly ranked national juniors ensuring quality tennis and excellent standard throughout the age groups.

Castlebar Junior Open Tournament 2011:
Tournament draws, match overview and results

It is important to us that parents are kept informed about club activities and programmes that are available to their children. As well as our regular junior newsletter, a series of meetings and workshops are held throughout the year.

Further interesting informational documents are available below: