"The New Tennis Parent" is the perfect guide for parents just getting started in tennis. It provides the quickest and cheapest ways to get involved with the game. First, you don't need an expensive racquet or have to join a country club! Most parents choose to introduced their children to tennis because it looked like fun and fairly easy to learn, which is mostly true. Most parents want their child to try many different athletic opportunities. Then they get frustrated with the sport and then their child simply because they didn't know what to do next or what to expect in terms of costs, quality instruction, equipment or even realistic expectations for their child or even where to turn for help. "The New Tennis Parent" will answer all those questions and more for you. If you are confused by the amount of time and money you are spending or you are about to start spending money and valuable time or your child doesn't seem to be making any progress and is discouraged, then before you waste any money or your valuable time on an activity that will only end up frustrating you read "The New Tennis Parent". 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. In today's world we must also consider that concussions are real and dangerous, and that 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. However, according to Kurt Desautels, Editor of Colorado Tennis, Tennis has not only been called the "ideal sport for a healthy heart," but tennis has also been recognized as the "ideal sport for a healthy brain. Tennis has almost "zero" concussions, see Chapter 4. From Chapter 7 (don't take that clinic): clinics if done correctly are essentially a group lesson made up of kids with similar age and skills. Beginning clinics should only be used to determine if your child has the basic hand-eye coordination needed for tennis, likes running around on 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. These characteristics can also be determined during an inexpensive evaluation lesson offered by some tennis instructors. Note: The primary responsibility of a tennis coach is to teach the correct strokes, strategies, conditioning and required tennis knowledge as they relate to the physical and mental capabilities of each student.To paraphrase the great artist, Michael Angelo, - every student has a player inside and it is the task of the coach to discover it.