10 Commandments for Tennis Parents (By the ITF)

ONE.
You shall watch your child’s match from wherever they feel most comfortable having you – near the court, from the Clubhouse, or ten miles away.

TWO.
You shall not speak or signal to your child during the match. Quite simply, it is against the rules.

THREE.
You shall remain calm during play, whether `your child` is 5-0 up, or 0-5 down.

FOUR.
You shall not rush to your child at the end of a match to give them your in-depth analysis.
Win or lose, most players need time to themselves after competing.

FIVE.
You shall judge a match based on your child’s performance, effort and sportsmanship – not on whether they won or lost.

SIX.
You shall not make your child practice when they really do not want you to – unless your aim is to turn them off tennis…

SEVEN.
You shall encourage your child to be as independent as possible in organising their tennis schedule. Success at tennis requires independent thought and action.

EIGHT.
You shall not go to every practice session, lesson or match. They need to get used to playing without you around.

NINE.
You shall allow your child and their coach to decide what to do during lessons. Your influence in this specialist area should be minimal.

TEN:
You shall be a loved, respected and welcomed tennis parent, should you obey the first nine commandments