106TH COLOMBO CHAMPIONSHIP TENNIS
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Dinara de Silva of St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo beat Gehansa Methnadi with marked ease to clinch the girls’ U-14 singles title at the 106th Colombo Championship tennis yesterday (3) at Green Path, Colombo. Photos Ishan Wanniarachchi[/caption]
The above Grade-1 tournament is now being held at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) Playing Section clay courts at Green Path, Colombo.
U-12 singles final
Girls - Githmi Fernando (Seed 2, Ave Maria Convent, Negombo) beat Gehansa Methnadi (1, Musaeus College, Colombo) 4-1, 1-4, 10-8
Boys: Aahil Kaleel (2) beat Methika Wickramasinghe (1) 1-4, 4-2, 10-7
U-14 singles final
Girls: Dinara de Silva (1, St. Bridget’s Convent, Colombo) beat Gehansa Methnadi (11) 4-2, 4-1
Boys: Methwan Wijemanne (2, Royal College, Colombo) beat Danushka Dias (4) 5-3, 5-2
U-16 singles final
Girls: Saajida Razick (1) vs. Vishmi Serasinghe (6)
Boys: Vichinthya Nilaweera (3, Stafford Int’l School, Colombo) beat Venuka Kithnula 0-4, 5-3, 10-8
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Methwan Wijemanne, the boys’ U-14 singles champion of this year's Colombo Championship tennis at the SLTA[/caption]
Following on from the article last week, this week we will further examine the necessary attributes in coaching and training young kids in the game of tennis.
Since these are kids from the ages of three to eight who are participating in these lessons, it is important that the coaches keep the lessons filled with fun, but also with variety.
Understanding the fact that these are KIDS and they are more interested in learning new things instead of repetitions is important.
Whilst it is important that the coaches let the kids have fun, it should always be done within certain boundaries. Therefore, it is the duty of the coaches to make sure that they keep discipline in their lessons at all times.
The coaches should certainly be very even-handed as the kids normally pick on any favouritism extremely quickly. That should not be a consideration at all at any time.
At this level the coaches should also make sure that they keep their instructions simple and concise. And the coaches should, as much as possible, encourage the kids to find the answers themselves. This will make the future player a more confident one.
Allow the kids to make mistakes at this level. But they should be “good” mistakes. Or the mistake should be made whilst the player is trying to put an instruction of the coach into action.
These mistakes should be lauded and never criticised. No two kids are the same. As such, the coach should never compare the kids. But the coach should praise the player who should be praised so that the other players are also encouraged to achieve the maximum.