Jaidip with legendary Australian coach Tony Roche at a tennis camp in India.

Tennis is a great journey which you parents have decided to undertake or are on the fringe of undertaking. The reasons for undertaking this journey will differ from person to person. But ultimately it must be for your child to learn the art of tennis and develop as a player and individual. 

The child, his coaches & his family play a very important role in the growth and development of the player. Parents will play a vital role as to the outcome of the child's coaching process. 

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Proper parenting is very essential if the child is to reach his/her optimum potential. Parents form the core emotional support group for the child; they can guide and assist the child through the different stages of his development.

I have, unfortunately seen many overzealous parents, ruining the careers of many a talented player. Here are a few advices I would like to give to parents of a tennis playing child.

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Encourage the Child:
Parents must encourage the child to take to as many sports as he can in the early part of his/her childhood. Participating in different sports will allow the child to learn different motor skills and develop his/her all-round physical condition. This will be very helpful for him/her in the later part of his life. The child must enjoy experiences rather than feel obliged to participate in them.

Discipline and Hard Work
The first place where the child learns discipline and the virtues of hard work is at home. It is very essential for the parents to instill this attitude and discipline in the child. He should be ready to work hard and respect his coaches. Too much leniency in parenting can be detrimental to the child's growth.

The 'right' age to start playing:
There is a general feeling that, the earlier the child starts playing the better he/she will be. This is not true in all cases as the child needs to develop the essential physical and mental abilities to cope with the game. In fact many toddlers who are introduced to the game too early tend to lose interest in the game very quickly. The best age to start playing is 5 -  6 years.

The Coaches are in-charge in the court:
I see many parents having this habit of interfering with the actual on court coaching process. They love to dictate terms to the coaches as to the development of the child's coaching process. 

It is to be remembered that the coaches are well qualified and experienced to handle the child effectively and to produce optimum results. So my to advice to the parents would be to stay away from the actual coaching process as far as possible. They must give adequate breathing space to the child & coach relationship to mature and flourish.

Emotional Support:
The Child needs his parents emotional support during his learning phases. The parents can provide the necessary emotional inputs by encouraging him in a positive way to excel. They can accompany him to the coaching academy, take them to tennis tournaments, watch tennis matches and sports programs on TV, and other such things.
Tournament Play:
The parents must encourage the child to participate in tennis tournaments as soon as he learns to hit strokes and can keep balls in play. He should participate in age group tournaments and upto a maximum of 6 tournaments a year in this early stage.

Get ready for the expenses of Professional Tennis:
The parents are very important to the child as well as the game of tennis. First of all the parents are responsible for introducing the child to the game. They provide the necessary financial support to the child's growth till a certain stage. I would like to forewarn parents who have dreams of their child taking up tennis professionally, that it is an expensive proposition. 

The annual expenses of a junior professional tennis player would range between Rs. 60,000 - 1,20,000. Although sponsorships and scholarships are available to the top talents today, parents should still be ready to bear higher financial costs in the initial stages.

Avoid Burnout:
One of the biggest problems with parents is that they tend to push their child too hard. This leads to burnouts. The parents should not be overzealous with the child. Although every parent would like their child to be a champion, unfortunately that is not possible. The parent should accept this and let the child enjoy the game. Tennis is a wonderful game and has benefits beyond the limits of professionalism. It is gift that the individual will carry till a very ripe age.

Nutrition:
Proper nutrition and rest is very essential for the child's physical growth and recovery. It is very important the parents instill in the child the right eating habits. This also includes setting out the meal plans and timings for him/her to follow, and providing the child with a comfortable sleeping environment.

Academics vs. Professional Tennis:
Professional Tennis involves painstaking preparation and also involves a lot of traveling. This does come in the way of academic excellence. The parents have this very important decision to take about the child's priority. It is however possible to complete his education and further his playing career at the same time. In fact players from India have been admitted into US Universities on tennis scholarships and have flourished thereon.

I feel a decision can be reached and the course of the child's career be ascertained after taking into account his/her aptitude for studies and sports.