We all love a bit of a rainbow, splashes of colors in the sky like a painter’s masterpiece creating a once-off portrait every time. I love colors, all of them.
When I was growing up and still in lower school I remember my mom used to work as an accountant for a stationery company, and on the weekends I was surrounded by every shade of color imaginable. I was constantly in heaven, I was allowed to wander the shop and chat with the staff and design team on the floor using new products and drawing anything I could think of.
Kids love all things bright, and if you can integrate this into their everyday lives then all the better. We see luminous footballs, sparkly gymnastics leotards and equipment, and now multi-colored tennis balls. Some of which you can personalize to your club colors.
What are color tennis balls?
Well, when it comes to the sport of tennis, they are usually fluorescent in color. Covered in a felt material that helps it aerodynamics, and has a white line through the middle of it.
When it comes to the different colors that are now available on the market it’s been based on promoting tennis to be played worldwide, kids of all ages and stages can play and progress through the colors.
Red balls are used for the young enthusiasts who are just starting, 5-8 year olds, they are either molded foam or standard construction. The red balls are also the slowest of the categories. Orange balls are one level up, the 8-10 year olds and their weight and rebound height also decrease in this stage making the balls slightly faster.
Last, before the standard luminous yellow balls are the green, these are the 9-10 years olds range. Once the 3 stages have been completed you move to the standardized yellow ones and begin playing tennis in the real world. Exciting. What do the numbers mean on the tennis balls?
Word on the street and amongst players is that the number printed on the ball relates to its bounciness, this is not true. All brands and their tennis balls are the same.
The main reason for these numbers is for easier identification. There may be more than 3 or 4 courts lined up next to each other, and for sure a few balls from each will end up in the neighbor’s court.
So to distinguish whose balls are whose, they have numbers related to the court they’re playing on. This is easier for clean-up and volume counts. Besides you don’t want to end the session with a bag full of old dirty tennis balls when you started with new bright ones do you?
Always check the number of the courts being played next to you and make sure you have a different number.
5 Benefits of kids playing tennis.
- Hand-eye. This is a great sport for kids to focus on their co-ordination. Being able to hit a ball every time increase their balance and special awareness.
- Exercise. Of course, we want our kids to do at least one physical activity. A chance when they can get out of the house, get some fresh air and leave their electronics alone that seem to be glued to their palms.
- Speed & flexibility. This is a non-stop moving sport, side to side, forwards and backward, it trains them without them even realizing. And if they’re especially competitive their speeds will keep increasing as they challenge themselves to reach and hit every served ball.
- Gross motor coordination. The larger muscle groups will quickly get conditioned through ball-striking skills and movement on the court. Watch this quick video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsMu7RsrNFw to see how tennis is beneficial in yours and your kids’ lives.
- Health and well–being. Being in great physical shape and fitness ensures that your young one has a strong immune system and won’t be prone to illness anytime soon.
When Should Kids Start Tennis?
Like with most sports the earlier the kid starts the better, the more time they will have to learn everything there is to learn about the sport and hone their talent. The ideal age research has shown is around 5 years old, children can concentrate and focus for longer and have an increased attention span.
Make sure that when the child is training and practicing that they are using the junior rackets, these are less heavy and create less strain on the wrist till they build up the muscles to hold a full-sized racket.
When beginning at a very young age the aim is not to train their techniques or practice their serve but more about getting familiar with the game, rules, and equipment. Once they have the foundations in place and the love for the sport grows they will move onto the correct holding of the ball and serving tricks.
Their physical ability also needs to develop and will so with time, this will help them to be a better all-round player, mental and physical development are important to be the best in your chosen discipline.
When sending your little girl onto the court for her first lesson she is going to want to be prepared, not by having the best shoes or top of the range racket, no, by having the prettiest tennis balls of course.
If the child is in his or her element because they love their equipment, they will play with all their heart, so give them the best colored tennis balls, be sure to give that little girl her smile. Worst that can happen if she isn’t that into it after a year is you have a stack of colored balls for the dog. It’s a win-win.
Tennis is enjoyed all around the world, professionally and recreationally. It brings people together, lets kids socialize and get out of the house and no matter the age, brings some form of physical fitness. What’s not to love? Add to that a rainbow of balls, I’m in.
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