Welcome to the Satellite level in our Junior Competition program at Five Star Tennis! Tailored for intermediate juniors aged 12-18, this level is perfect for those seeking to elevate their game. We focus on refining strokes, enhancing footwork, and honing shot selection through a combination of drills and supervised match play. Encouraging active participation, we invite players to continue competing in USTA Jr. Team Tennis and In-house tournaments. Get ready for an exciting journey of skill refinement and competitive growth on the court!
Competencies – What we teach our players
Agility
- Maintain dynamic balance during lateral during multi-directional movement
- Decelerate under control
Balance
- Maintain body control during static balance exercises
- Jump on one leg with the ball of the foot springing off the ground
Coordination
- Two ball juggling with movement patterns
- Ladder drills with speed and accuracy
Speed
- Run with arms coordinated, posture, and land on the balls of the feet
- High skips while maintaining running form
- Use of a drop and drive step to accelerate from a ready position
Ready Position/Recovery
- Athletic stance with wide base, knees bent, shoulders back, eyes forward, and on balls of feet
- Racquet above wrist with elbows away from body
- Use a split step when the opponent makes contact with the ball
- Recovery after shot behind the baseline near center
Serve
- Serve with a coordinated, balanced, and rhythmical action
- Use a continental grip
- Begin to control the serve to the T and wide positions with accuracy
Net Game
- Volley with the racquet above the wrist while stepping across the body
- Use a continental grip and open face with minimal movement of the racquet
- Volley with correct footwork (from a stationary ready position) to various locations of the court
- Approach the net off of a coach’s feed and time the split step to the next feed
Groundstrokes
- use topspin on both forehand and backhand during cooperative and competitive rallies
- transition grip between forehand and backhand
- be able to contact the ball in the strike zone off of varying depths and heights
- begin to use different stances (neutral, open, and semi-open)
- be able to control the ball down the line and cross court
- begin to hit the ball with depth
Game play
- Initiate a rally with a drop hit to a designated area of the court
- Rally 5-8 shots consistently with a player of similar level
Score
- Understand the main rules of the game (e.g. scoring, calling lines, regular/no-ad)
- Call lines and score clearly
Engagement
- Listening to the coach
- Trying to execute the drill the correct way
Energy and Effort
- Run for every ball
- Maintain effort throughout the entire duration of the practice
Attitude
- Use of positive emotions
- Being positive in challenging situations