Components of a World-Class 10 & Under Program

When I meet great junior players, I often ask: Who were your first coaches? Who taught you to play? These early coaches play a key role in inspiring young athletes and laying the foundation for their success. 

Are you that coach? Does your program serve that foundational role? While many clubs offer strong and successful junior programs, here are several components you can use to evaluate and enhance your own program:

• Select your 10U coaches carefully, prioritizing their ability to communicate, manage the court, and—most importantly—connect with and engage their students in a fun, supportive way.

• Clearly communicate your teaching philosophy and progressions to your staff, especially within your Foam Ball to Yellow Ball junior programs. This can be done through in-house coaching education. Consider using the USTA High Performance Stroke Parameters and 10U Guidelines as a starting point.

• Conduct weekly continuing education sessions where current staff review trends and contribute presentations on assigned topics.

• Develop weekly themes and/or a “Shot of the Week” for each week of your lesson program.

• Create detailed lesson plans for each level (Red, Orange, Green, etc.) with built-in flexibility to account for different group levels and coaching styles. These should include “coaching notes” to help newer coaches focus on key areas for each drill or lesson. Comprehensive progressions that incorporate technique, strategy, athletic development, and mental toughness are often missing at many clubs.

• Hold weekly planning meetings with your coaches to review upcoming lesson plans, drills, and key teaching points. These are separate from continuing education meetings.

• Mentor your coaches and provide them with time and opportunities for continuing education outside the club.

• Establish coaching teams and team leaders for each level (Foam, Red, Orange, Green). Team leaders should be responsible for lesson quality, sign-ups, retention, and parent communication, and report to the Junior or 10U Director.

• Empower your Junior/10U Director to float between programs, courts, and levels—interacting with coaches, players, and parents as needed. Their role is to manage and build the program by developing players, mentoring staff, and nurturing family relationships.

• Host a parent orientation at the beginning of each session (defined as a multi-week program).

• Create a formal parent communication plan via email, handouts, and regular coach interaction. Biweekly progress updates should include a recap of lesson topics covered and what’s coming up. This supports both player retention and future session registration.

• Teach parents basic hand-feeding drills so they can practice with their children outside of lessons.

• Use your team leaders to form an internal committee to evaluate player progress and advancement. Ensure players master each level’s required skills before progressing. Make these decisions two weeks before a session ends to allow time for marketing the next session.

• Set up Red Ball private lessons—up to six Red Ball players can take private lessons simultaneously on one court. Use both half- and full-hour formats.

• Incorporate video technology into your group lessons at least once per week. This can be as simple as watching a 1-minute video of a professional stroke and discussing it.

• Establish a “High Performance” pathway for Orange and Green Ball players. This should run parallel to the regular program and include minimum participation requirements (e.g., three sessions and one private lesson per week).

• Expose younger players to older, more advanced players. Create opportunities for mentorship, role modeling, and mixed-level interaction—particularly in doubles. Let younger players see where the pathway leads.

• Create formal leagues or ladders for every level of competition. The key is to ensure all players have fun, compete, and apply what they’re learning on a weekly basis.

• Educate families about USTA Orange and Green Ball play opportunities and the tournament pathway in your region.

• Encourage unstructured play. Young players need open court time to enjoy the game freely with friends, without coaches or formal programming. Support parents in organizing these sessions.

Implementing these elements will take time and effort, but the impact is worth it. By building a thoughtful, well-organized 10 & Under program, you’ll not only strengthen your business—you’ll help shape the next generation of players and make a lasting difference in their lives.

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About the Author

Above: John W. Sherwood, Director of Saviano High Performance Tennis.

John W. Sherwood is a USPTA Elite Professional and USTA High Performance Coaching Graduate, and one of the most recognized high-performance coaches in the United States.

A former Division I tennis player at the University of Toledo, John began his professional journey in business—running national sales organizations and managing small business turnarounds. He later became Chief Club Operating Officer of Five Seasons Sports Clubs in Cleveland, Ohio and Burr Ridge, Illinois.

John has coached at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, NY, served as Director of High Performance Tennis at Centercourt Athletic Club in Chatham, NJ, and coached three USTA Spring National Team Championship squads.

He spent over four years on staff with the Boston College Women’s Tennis Team, helping coach five nationally ranked players at the ITA All-Americans and leading the Eagles to the highest national ranking in school history.

Currently, John is the Director of Saviano High Performance Tennis. He has published articles in national and international outlets including Tennis Recruiting, TennisPlayer.net, NY Tennis Magazine, and USPTA publications.

He has guided hundreds of junior players through the developmental pathway to top Division I college teams and the professional tour. While grounded in strong fundamentals, John's coaching excels in sharpening the mental, strategic, and problem-solving skills that distinguish elite competitors.

Top photo credit: “Little Kids At Their Tennis Lesson” by Joe Shlabotnik, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0