Don't Hit the Coach is the perfect "Guide" for new tennis parents. It provides the quickest and cheapest ways to learn tennis. You don't need expensive racquets or have to belong to a country club! If you want your child to be active and safe - Have then play tennis? According to Don Sabo, PhD, author of More Than a Sport: Tennis, Education and Health, "tennis players get better grades (48% have a "A" average), are better behaved (73% have never been sent to the principal's office), are more community-minded and well-rounded (82% volunteer in their community), and are less prone to risky behaviors, such as binge drinking, cigarette smoking and marijuana use." The characteristics that make a good tennis player (focus, discipline, perseverance, critical thinking, self confidence, honesty, commitment, passion, flexibility, dedication, courage and accountability) are the same characteristics that make a good student. Most parents introduced their children to tennis because it looked like fun and fairly easy to learn. Some parents want their child to try many different sport opportunities. Then they get frustrated with their child and the sport because they didn't know what to do next or where to turn or what to expect in terms of costs, quality instruction, equipment to buy or even expectations for their child. Don't Hit the Coach attempts to answers all those questions. So, before you waste any money or time on an activity that will only end up frustrating you even more than you already are read this book. Are you confused by the amount of time and money you are spending or about to start spending or your child doesn't seem to be making any progress and is discouraged? "Don't Hit the Coach" is for you! In today's world we must consider that concussions are real, they are dangerous, and they are becoming more and more frequent in youth sports. CDC reports show that the amount of reported concussions has doubled in the last 10 years. The American Academy of Pediatrics has reported that emergency room visits for concussions in kids ages 8 to 13 years old has doubled, and concussions have risen 200% among teens ages 14-19 in the last decade. In fact according to Kurt Desautels, Editor of Colorado Tennis, Tennis has been called the "ideal sport for a healthy heart." But as we learn more and more about the dangers associated with physical contact in athletics, it is also time to recognize tennis as the "ideal sport for a healthy brain. Clinics if done correctly are essentially a group lesson made up of kids with similar age and skills. Beginning clinics should be used to determine if your child has basic hand-eye coordination, likes hitting a ball with a tennis racquet, likes running around a tennis court and can learn the basic steps a tennis player must have. Because the clinic instructor cannot take the time to correct a developing flaw in any one player, the clinic participants can develop improper strokes or bad habits. During a clinic, the instructor can only yell a quick instruction to the player who is in error, hoping that it will help. Consequently, the clinic student will probably just re-enforce any bad habits they have or are developing. Note: The primary responsibility of a tennis coach is to teach the correct strokes, strategies, conditioning and required knowledge as they relate to the physical and mental capabilities of each student.