Table tennis is a sport with many advantages for people of all ages. Accuracy, concentration, dexterity, perseverance – such qualities are very important for any child.
That is why many parents are interested in teachig their kid table tennis lessons. .
To teach a child to play table tennis is a great idea, because this sport develops not only the body, but also the character – it trains willpower, teaches you to see the goal well and gradually achieve the result.
In Chinese schools, this sport is a compulsory educational process.
Achieve success together
Parental involvement is an important part of the learning process. Not only a trainer, but also a loved one should tell the basic rules, help to master the technique, support the child in the first successes.
It is necessary not only to play table tennis but to improve your child’s skills in order to achieve even greater results in the future.
The participation of parents, their support and approval play an important role in the development of table tennis.
Firstly, you have to explain the detail to your child how to perform the exercises.
Secondly, the belief in the success that the parents “broadcast” to the novice athlete is the most important reason not to lower the racket at a time when the ball cannot be beaten for a long time and sent to the right direction!
Table Tennis training for Kids
There are two kinds of training involved:
- Psychological
- Physical
The psychological preparation of young tennis players is aimed at an interest in training, a desire to grow up healthy, strong, vigorous.
Each athlete must play with both strong and weak rivals.
If the educational Institution hall is equipped with mirrors, the young athlete has the opportunity to observe the correct positioning of the legs, the movements of the body and arms.
After two to three months of learning the technique of the game, training tournaments are held when they are training in an institution.
Children engaged in the practice for several years, and having a basic level of training, can play one on one or two on two.
What exercises will help your kid start playing table tennis?
As a parent, learning this game can turn into a truly fascinating process. Take part in classes with your kid, together.
You will learn how to hold the racket correctly, throw and catch the ball, calculate the force of impact, and soon the table will become your favorite common hobby!
Below are the techniques you can use to teach your child to play table tennis
Hold the ball.
Invite the child to squat in front of you. Push the ball so that it rolls across the floor towards the baby, who must first hold the ball and then send it back to you. Make sure that the child rolls the ball, rather than tossing it.
Roll the ball.
Lay out small “gates” on the floor using the cubes and crossbars and ask the child to roll as many balls into the gate as possible from a distance of two to three meters.
When all the balls are “played”, count the number of “goals”, take a break and repeat the game to achieve the best results.
Throw it – catch it.
Offer the child this game: first he throws the ball up in front of him, catches it with both hands, and then immediately rolls it on the table to you.
You return the ball to him, rolling him back to the side of the baby. Now that the ball is in the hands of the child again, he must repeat his actions.
Do not let the ball fall.
Give your child a racket and ball and ask them to hold the ball on the surface of the racket for as long as possible.
The task can be complicated by asking the baby to put the ball on the racket and walk with it at a distance of two to three meters.
From racket to racket.
In this exercise, the child holds a racket in each hand, on one of them lies a ball. Bringing together the rackets, he tilts the one on which the ball is located and allows the ball to roll onto the second racket.
Roll the ball from racket to racket several times in a row.
Beat off the wall.
In this exercise, the child facing the wall in one and a half – two meters away from it. He holds a racket in his right hand and a ball in his left.
Gently bending his legs, throws the ball into the wall with his hand, and catches it with a racket, trying not to let it roll.
Another option for this exercise is to hit the wall a little harder with the ball, let the ball bounce off the wall, hit the floor, and only then catch it with a racket.
Advanced tips and techniques for kids
Below are some advanced tips and techniques that professionals suggests to train a kid table tennis. We described the tips from start to end as easily as we can.
These techniques can be used by both coach and parents equally.
- Involve children in the game of table tennis from 7-8 years. And in 2-3 years of study you will have a gold fund.
- All students must undergo a medical examination, only after that they can be allowed to attend classes. Lack of medical control can lead to serious consequences, for which you, as a coach, you are responsible.
- The coach is obliged to monitor the progress of his pupil in the secondary school: check the diary, keep in touch with the class teacher and parents.
- Consider the features of children 7-8 years of age! Conduct a lesson as stresslessly as a game, restrain children less, do not make excessive demands on them, but at the same time do not allow loosening and disobedience.
- Include in the lesson all kinds of outdoor games: relay races, gymnastic exercises, elements of acrobatics, etc. and the children will not leave you.
- Table tennis captivates children and they often lose their sense of proportion. Do not imagine the children yourself.
- Remember: the first half of the year of primary education is the most responsible.
- From the first lessons you must accustom your child to the strict implementation of the regime.
- The lesson should begin and end at a strictly specified time on a schedule
- Children are very inquisitive. Do not leave a single children’s question unanswered, even if the question does not relate to the lesson. Satisfy children’s curiosity. By encouraging curiosity, you teach them independence.
- Children are very susceptible. They absorb everything you present like a sponge. Use this wonderful quality. Educate children responsibility towards the team, friendship, respect for elders, accuracy of the task etc.
- Children like to imitate their coach in everything, so a personal example of a coach is the most important thing that you should always remember.
- Discipline begins with the appearance of the coach.
- Remember: your authority depends on your discipline, your exactingness, your ability to conduct an interesting lesson. Gain your authority from the first acquaintance, and the results will be amazing.
- You should never be indignant, raise your tone, be nervous, this infringes on children’s vanity and may lose the respect of the child.
- It is recommended to complete the group mixed: boys and girls. This is especially important for girls who slowly master the technique of playing table tennis.
- Choose the head of the group, not you, but let the guys themselves trust their comrade.
- Fill out a group attendance and attendance journal with the headman. Accustom children to social assignments.
- The headman appoints a duty officer for each lesson. The duty officer meets the whole group, checks the preparedness of the visit and reports to you about the shortcomings. The duty officer is your assistant in maintaining discipline.
- Do not conduct a lesson if the lighting does not comply with the rules. Take care of the sight of your pupils.
- From the first lesson, the student must keep a sports diary.
- The diary is an important means of educating the student. He will develop his game thinking, teach himself to analyze the course of training sessions, to determine the reasons for success and unsuccessful performances.
- Briefly tell about the inventory: table, net, ball.
- Children have especially developed visual memory. Skillfully use this quality, show only impeccably correct techniques.
- Spend 2-3 demonstration meetings
- Demonstration meetings must be held according to all the rules of the competition, it is very important from an educational point of view.
- In the first 3-5 lessons you should teach simple elements of drill exercises
- The next 5-8 lessons are allocated for an exercise with a table tennis ball without rackets. Exercises should be in the nature of juggling, all kinds of ball throws on the floor, on the wall, throwing the ball from one hand to another in place and in motion.
- Complicate and do various exercises. Be creative
- Ask home exercises and control homework
- Give a brief information about the racket
- Tell them about two types of racket grip.
- Play with the vertical side is recommended for children with good mobility.
- Explore your students’ abilities during the first months of study.
- In subsequent lessons, do special exercises with the ball and racket. Follow the correct position of the fingers on the racket.
- Paying special attention to this in the future is the first step towards mastery.
- Constantly pay attention that the hand is relaxed, but at the same time the racket at the time of hitting the ball is firmly held in the hand.
- Ensure that the student does not bend the wrist while performing a racket exercise
- Start the exercise with the ball from a stationary state, paying attention to the position of the legs
- Use this when playing from different angles (left to right)
- Check each student for muscle tension before starting movement, or for wrist
- Pay special attention to exercises near the wall, training wall, be sure to check the position of the body and legs.
How are the workouts
- Training begins with warming up muscles, ligaments and joints.
- proper racket grip;
- Practice strikes on the right and left;
- movement with added steps;
- filing from two sides;
- bilateral strikes and counterattacks;
- defense.
- Then an intermediate sparring is conducted.
- Gradually, the exercises become more complicated.
Advantage of teaching table tennis to kids!
Table tennis is a game with many advantages: it develops attention and concentration, perseverance and consistency, accuracy and ability to evaluate the trajectory and impact power.
All these qualities and skills will come in handy for your child more than once!
From an early age, you need to instill a love of sports. Physical training and the ability to properly coordinate their thoughts will be the beginning of the formation of personality.
You need to teach table tennis children correctly so as not to discourage desire at the first setbacks.
With the help of training, you can develop not only the body, but also the main qualities of character – willpower, goal achievement, self-realization.
This is not just a game, but an exciting process in which parents themselves can take part. Together with children, adults learn to hold a racket, correctly take and throw the ball, get the excitement of sparring.
Assessing the various advantages of the game, it should be noted that this sport improves the eyesight, dexterity, and physical health of children. Studies have shown that table tennis is even able to improve handwriting.
Table tennis, in addition to the health benefits, has a lot of positive aspects. Everyone can learn to play. And it is not necessary to win Olympic gold. This is a great way to have fun with your friends.
Table tennis also helps…
- Improve vision by fixing the eye on a moving object;
- to develop a reaction rate;
- improve health by improving the functioning of the respiratory apparatus;
- develop intelligence by solving tactical and strategic tasks;
- to educate the child in industriousness, perseverance, determination, the ability to take risks and accept defeats.
Difficulties
It happens that boys and girls experience boredom and monotony in the classroom. They may lose interest in training. This is, to a greater extent, the mentor’s fault. Teaching methods and tools should be fun.
The kid can feel fear of defeat, self-doubt.
Over time, skill is refined, confidence appears, the desire to win comes back. The coach and parents need to support the little one, help to believe in themselves.
How to choose a section
When choosing a ping-pong institution for your child, you should be guided by the following recommendations.
- The level of professionalism. Amateur club or section at a sports school. The choice depends on what goals are set for the child.
- Mastery of a trainer. You need to attend several trainings as a spectator and get acquainted with the teaching methodology and pedagogical techniques of the teacher.
- The success of the pupils, the relationship in the team.
- The cost of classes. There are paid and budget schools.
- Participation in away competitions, training camps, championships.
- The location. Very often, such sections open in schools. This creates additional amenities for both children and parents.
- Reviews of senior pupils, their moms and dads.
What is needed
- Table tennis for children
- There is no special uniform for classes. You can train in any comfortable sportswear. Shoes should be non-slip rubber soles.
- Tables with nets in every club.
For classes, the child must need the following individual equipment.
A ball made of celluloid or plastic. It has a diameter of 40 mm. It can be white or orange.
Rackets. They are made from several layers of wood and titanium. Depending on the type of wood, the price of a racket varies. Then it is covered on both sides with several layers of special rubber: with spikes inward or outward.
Racket Case for storage.
Prepare the child for future competitions
You need to feed these info to your kid and prepare them mentally for future if you are consider bringing them up as a pro.
Table tennis competitions are divided into:
- personal, where the results are counted for each participant separately;
- team, in which the results of the participants are summed up to the team as a whole;
- personal and team, points are being awarded to both players and the team.
Game meetings are:
- single;
- paired;
- Women’s
- Men’s
- mixed.
There are three age groups for youth:
- the youngest is 9-11 years old;
- average – 12-14 years;
- the eldest is 15-17 years old.
Athletes over the age of eighteen are allowed to participate in international competitions.
Conclusion
Game exercises in the first place should bring joy. Be patient, give your baby time to learn all game movements, and do not forget to cheer him up and praise him for his success.
And when the exercises deliver their results, and you will see that the child is already confidently handling the ball and racket, offer him to play “in an adult way”, tell the rules and make him an advance player gradually.
