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Sunday, June 24, 2001

It is an age-old question that continues to confound the experts: What is the right age to start a child playing tennis?

"There never has been a decisive decision when to start kids," said Frank Baritot, director of tennis at Winwood Racquet Club in Bradford Woods. "I like to see kids start before the age of 9. It depends on the maturity of the child." He laughed before adding: "Boys are all over the place. Girls can focus better at a younger age. Tennis is a skill sport, so I'd suggest the earlier the better."

Baritot, whose students range from 6 to 20, warns parents not to push their children into tennis or any other sport.

"Don't force them to play if they don't want to," he said. "At times, parents' expectations are too high."

Jan Irwin, co-owner of the Upper St. Clair Tennis Development program, teaches children as young as 5.

"You have to keep it really fun," she said. "We do a lot of mini-tennis, just using the service box so the kids can get a feel for the ball."

She tells the parents that children should feel their love and support no matter what.

Irwin prefers that her young students play a lot of different sports rather than specializing in just tennis.

"Soccer, softball and basketball develop all the fundamentals in sports," she said. "Throwing a softball is a lot like a serving motion in tennis."

The length and intensity of her lessons vary according to the child's skill level and passion for the game. Irwin said playing tennis an hour a day, three or four times a week is sufficient for a child under 10.

"Some can go for only 30 minutes," she said. "As they get older, the time spent playing tennis should increase. The first thing I try to do is get their technique as sound as you can get it. Then I go for consistency and power."

Irwin's star pupil is Allison Riske, of Peters, who turns 11 July 3. Riske, who was 4 when she first picked up a racket, was invited to compete in the Super Nationals in Georgia next month against an elite field of 120 of the top 12-under girls in the country.

"I started coaching her 3 1/2 years ago," Irwin said of Riske, whose older sister, Sarah, is a highly ranked player at Vanderbilt. "Allison was better than most 7-year olds. Now she's working with light weights, that's something most 11-year-olds don't do.

"Allison is two years ahead of Sarah at this age, as far as her skill level."

Obviously, Riske isn't a typical 11-year-old tennis player.

"You have to be careful with most kids her age because there definitely can be burnout," Irwin said. "You can't let it get boring. Kids all mature differently emotionally and physically, so it's important not to put too much emphasis on winning. You can be winning and winning at 12-under, then, boom, they stop winning.

"Some kids feel the pressure from parents, who take rankings too seriously at times."

For an 11- or 12-year-old, winning can become consuming and replace the joy of playing the game.

"Burnout always is a concern. It's my job to watch them and watch out for them," Baritot said. "Every kid at one time burns out. You can see it in their eyes. When that happens, I give them a week or two off and they're fine. They need to clear their head. At 11, you can start playing serious tennis and give the kid as much as he/she can take.

"I've seen kids who are animals at the age of 9 and really go after it. There are some kids who never are able to compete. I try to limit the number of tournaments they can play until they're 14."

Tournaments often bring out the worst in parents, who get too involved during a match.

"I've seen parents freaking out, calling kids cheaters out loud," Irwin said. "It's very upsetting and can be a bad scene. This is a concern. They get upset because maybe their kid won't be everything they want them to be. A lot of parents are going for the college scholarship."

Irwin has been known to walk off the court during a practice sessions when she believes a young player isn't concentrating or giving 100 percent effort.

"Once, that's enough to get the message across," she said. "You have to know the kid. You have to know why the kid is playing, and what the kid wants to get out of tennis."