Schools
Tennis Yukon provides a Tennis-in-the-Schools phys ed unit for K-7. This is set up as an 8-hour program, but can be modified to fit your phys ed schedule. Tennis Yukon runs the program in school gyms, and provides a certified instructor, balls, nets, and racquets. Cost $25/hour.
Previous programs held at: Grey Mountain, CKES, WES, Takhini, Holy Family, Golden Horn, Hidden Valley, EET. Sometimes these were all classes all day for a couple of weeks, sometimes they were only for certain grades - the program can be tailored to fit the number of students and classes.
Links to see videos of Tennis Canada's school program:
Also, in BC:
Tennis Yukon can also provide training for teachers to deliver the
Tennis for Schools program to their classes. Tennis for Schools is a national program that supports the development of fundamental movement skills related to the sport of tennis, while increasing student knowledge and appreciation for the sport.
Developed through a cooperative partnership between Tennis Canada and Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada), Tennis for Schools is designed for both generalist and specialist physical education teachers in Canadian elementary, middle, and junior high schools. It provides these teachers with the knowledge and tools so that they can introduce their students to the exciting potential that tennis offers in promoting lifelong physical activity and participation in sport.
Regardless of a teacher’s tennis background, Tennis for Schools provides a step-by-step, easy to follow lesson plan that meets many of the required learning outcomes for provincial physical education curricula. Using modified progressive tennis equipment such as slow-bounce balls, smaller playing surfaces, and smaller racquets, all students in a quality physical education program can be successful in tennis.
Tennis for Schools includes progressive unit and lesson plans for students in grades 1-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Each lesson plan includes three major components (Getting Ready, Ready to Learn, and Ready to Play) in addition to a lesson outcome and game goal. Click on "Tennis for Schools Sample Lesson Plan" under "Schools" tab of www.tennisyukon.com.
Tennis for Schools lessons are directly aligned to the Physical and Health Education curriculum for each province and territory across Canada. Depending on how your school schedules their gym classes, we recommend you run the program for at least 6 sessions as each grade has 6 lesson plans. The lessons are adaptable and can run anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.
The program is designed for application in school gyms, but can be delivered on any flat surface. For equipment:
•All the lessons will require the same modified progressive tennis equipment used by all leading National Tennis Associations around the world. The equipment includes mini nets, age-appropriate racquets, foam balls, and line markers. Contact Tennis Yukon at tennisyukon@gmail.com to find out about purchasing a school teaching kit. Tennis for Schools can also be taught with other available gym equipment. For example, benches used as nets, soft or deflated balls, and paddle bats, and cones. Typical school kit consists of 3 nets, 30 racquets and 30 balls.
Benefits for teachers
•Supports the delivery of a Quality Physical Education program
•Meets provincial Physical Education learning outcomes
•Supports the development of physical literacy through fundamental movement skills related to the sport of tennis
•Provides a developmental approach to teaching tennis related skills with developmentally appropriate equipment
•Offers variation and adaptations to allow for unique teaching and learning contexts while meeting all students’ needs and abilities
•Includes sample assessment possibilities (formative and summative) aligned with unit outcomes and specific tennis skills
Allows for flexibility in order to accommodate large or small groups
Benefits for schools
•Provides access to an activity that can be played throughout a student’s educational progression and lifetime
•Allows for easy set-up and instruction in all school environments and facilities
•Promotes developmentally appropriate learning activities for all students in an inclusive setting
•Supports the delivery of a Quality Physical Education program
•Offers an inexpensive tool for teaching curricular learning objectives
•Creates stronger links and an avenue to community recreation associations and provincial tennis associations in order to increase student participation in tennis beyond the school setting
•Offers equipment that can be used across a wide range of grade levels (grades 1 to 8)
Benefits for students
•Facilitates participation in physical activity through meaningful opportunities to develop fundamental movement skills (e.g. overarm throw, catch, run, sidearm strike)
•Provides a means where students can maintain and improve health-related and performance-related fitness components (e.g. agility, speed, coordination)
•Introduces an avenue to life-long participation in the sport of tennis that will extend beyond the school environment
•Helps foster student cooperation and team building skills
•Supports a gender inclusive and culturally diverse environment
•Provides fun and exciting activities that encourage a physically active lifestyle
