this year the championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club based in Wimbledon, London, run from 23 June to 6 July and tennis addicts will be glued to their TV sets. Last year the winner of the men's singles was Lleyton Hewitt, with Serena Williams winning the women's singles. Other famous tennis names include Pete Sampras, Martina Navratilova, Boris Becker, and the British player Tim Henman. As one of the major sporting events of the summer - famous also for its strawberries and cream - half a million people pass through Wimbledon's gates during the fortnight and 500 players from 60 countries take part, with a top prize of 575,000.
Tickets are notoriously difficult to get, with those for the last four days on the centre court being pre-sold by ballot six months previously, and long queues on other days.
With all the widespread publicity, this is a good time to introduce the sport to your repertoire of activities. Although tennis can seem difficult at first, there are simplified versions you can play - and learning to whack a ball back and forth is a great way for children to be both mentally and physically absorbed.
Getting started
There are various forms of mini-tennis for children, which can be played from the age of four. These can be played with a scaled-down racket, balls that are easier to hit, and a smaller court. It can even be played inside if you have a suitable room. There is also a simpler scoring system. To find out more, contact the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) on 020 7381 7000, www.LTA.org.ukor www.minitennis.com (there is a leaflet on the different systems).
Hitting a ball against a wall is also a way that children can pick up co-ordination skills, as well as getting them used to handling the tennis racket and ball. If you want to use a simpler scoring system with regular tennis equipment - say the first one to 11 points - that also makes it easier for beginners, and so does taking down the net!
So where can you play? If you don't have access to a playground or the luxury of on-site school courts, why not check around your neighbourhood? Most communities have a tennis court for public use. Are you near a leisure centre or do you know of a private tennis club that may well want to encourage children? Another alternative is finding out if any nearby houses own a tennis court. The Lawn Tennis Association, which has county development officers, can also help you find your nearest court and give you information on coaching in your area.
What you will need
* Comfortable, well-fitting tennis shoes or trainers. Good cushioning is essential.
* Good quality and well-fitting towelling socks will also help cushion feet.
* Tracksuits, shorts and cotton T-shirts or polo shirts.
* A cap to protect skin in sunny weather.
* Tennis rackets - either graphite or fibreglass. Try borrowing before buying as they cost from 20-40. Rackets come in different sizes so make sure each child uses one that is suitable for them. Leisure centres will probably have rackets for hire.
* Good quality tennis balls - these will have much better bounce and a longer life.
Gaining confidence
Before playing encourage children to stretch and warm up. This is good practice and will help to eliminate any muscle strains, as well as loosen up joints and slowly increase the heart rate. Practise throwing and catching balls - use overarm and underarm throws and maintain eye contact with the ball to help co-ordination. Suggest the children try clapping or turning around while the ball is being thrown.
Now progress to the racket - encourage the children to bounce the ball on the racket strings. See how many times they can do this, either moving around or staying still, lifting one leg or turning the racket over in between bounces.
Once the children are more confident with the ball and the racket and you want to progress to the tennis courts, it is probably best to seek some expert advice from a tennis coach or someone else who plays tennis proficiently. S/he will be able to advise the children on how to hold the racket as well as demonstrate the different kinds of strokes, positions and shots. But remember, you don't have to know it all to have a good rally!
Tennis scoring
This may seem difficult to grasp at first and using short tennis scoring may be easier for younger children.
Game: The scoring starts with 0 (called rather quaintly 'love'), then 15, 30, 40, game. One player must win four points to win. If the score becomes 'deuce' (40-40), the game continues until one player wins by two clear points: the advantage point, then the game point (you say, 'advantage so-and-so'). If he/she loses the advantage point the score returns to deuce. This can go on for a while!
Set: The first player to win six games wins the set, however amateurs usually stop when they're tired! The player must win by two clear games (4-6). If the score reaches 5-5, they play seven games. If it is 6-6 a tiebreak is played.
Match: A match is usually the best of three sets (five sets in men's professional matches).
Top tips
* Don't take your eyes off the ball * Recover quickly between shots so you are ready for the next return * Maintain good balance and keep a low centre of gravity * Control the racket swing, don't just throw the racket around * Drink plenty of water during your game * Remember to be a good winner and a good loser!
* Tennis is a battle of minds, as much as a battle of ability...so keep your cool.
Encourage the children to gain skills at their own pace and ask them for ideas. Some will already have played tennis at school. If they want more help or input from a professional then go out and find it! But first and foremost enjoy yourselves.
Further information
Clubs can have a guided tour of the Wimbledon grounds, which include the tennis museum, when the Championships are not on; telephone 020 8944 1066 (museum number 020 8946 6131). The official Wimbledon website is at www.wimbledon.organd (for the ambitious!) it has details of the Junior Championships for under-18s.
A good book on tennis is DK Superguides - Tennis, published by Dorling Kindersley (7.99) ISBN 0-7513-2784-0.
OTHER IDEAS
Why not plan some quizzes or indoor games around tennis and Wimbledon? You could stick up pictures of famous tennis players and match the name to the face. Or find out who is playing at Wimbledon and allocate each child a player (picked from a hat) from the last 20-30 who are left in. A prize could be offered to the Championship winners. Some children might like to make a miniature tennis court with tiny players and rows of spectators out of card. And you could watch the finals of Wimbledon on TV - eating strawberries and cream, of course - or borrow a video on 'how to play tennis' to pick up advice and tips, and dream about being on centre court!
HOW WIMBLEDON STARTED
In the early 1870s there was great demand for a game that was more energetic than croquet but which could still be played out of doors without elaborate equipment and by both sexes. 'Royal' or 'Real Tennis' was already played - this stemmed from the medieval 'Jeu de Paume' or 'handball' - but it needed an indoor court. A new game called 'Lawn Rackets' fitted the bill. The mid-nineteenth century invention of the rubber ball that could actually bounce on a lawn also helped! 'Lawn Rackets' became the new craze, spreading to America and Europe.
In 1875, the All-England Croquet Club in Wimbledon (later to include tennis in its name) decided to set aside an area for a tennis court - and such was its popularity that two years later the first tennis championships were held. There were 22 contestants, and the umpires wore top hats and sat on chairs placed on tables. The rules that were adopted, are, more or less, still the rules of tennis today.
In 1884, the first Women's Championships were held. Women had played the sport from the beginning but men disliked sisters and wives playing in public when an ankle - or even more - might be revealed. It was women who were responsible for the tradition of wearing white for tennis. In the early days of women's play, players would wear the same clothes as they would for a party - cinch waists, bustles, steel corsets - but in white to hide any unladylike perspiration!
