How do I coach 14 girls (varying abilities) on just 2 courts?

Igor TolarCoach, Slovenia

That's impossible I said to myself first moment, but! On one court you must work with one group never smaller than 10 pupils. You must working on the way like cardio drills for example. The other girls can work alone. Than you can switch places...etc

But you must thinking about trying to get one more coach to help you out. I'm free yo must call me:))

Tennis CoachCoach

DO you have any suggestions for doubles drills?

Andrew MahCoach, Singapore

It's not an ideal situation but can still be managed drills can be the same However the coach must be able to vary his ball feeding to suit the different level of players. Speed of the ball and target of achievements varies too. In open drills, better ones to work on ball control to the weaker ones who may be working on techniques. 

Tennis CoachCoach

I too coach two teams together, I am finding it easier to do some things and harder to do others. As the season progresses and the girls get used to drills they will become a lot more independent. I start with group session and then set up different drill stations that they do for 3 minutes and then rotate around. some of the things I do are skipping/ ladder and dodging work/mirror shadowing in circle/passes alternating with medicine ball/high passes in front of wall.

I run one skills and drills session and a game based learning session another morning so far this combination is working really well in particularly the game based training. I pair up girls of similar abilities start the stronger ones off and then work closer with the others.

Tennis CoachCoach

sorry was in the netball page when answered this- just noticed now related to tennis

Tennis CoachCoach

This is a great way to train!  I do this every day.  Here are some of the drills/games to do to work on serve/return, volley overheads, rally skills.  I'll give you one for each.

* Serve and return  take cones(short one) put in the middle from service line to baseline, two returners on one side of court, deuce and ad, then have servers on the other side, they get two balls to serve(as in a game) the server and returner play the point out crosscourt, alley to middle, until someone wins the point the next server comes in and does same as before once the returner wins three points the server who lost the last point become a returner.

* Volley/Overheads-play Qyeen of court, but your team must hit a volley or overhead to win point.

* Rally skills  Play team tennis, make four teams (for two courts) two per court,  each team puts one player on baseline they rally for a point with other teams player, if they win they stay until they win three points=one team point.keep going until one team wins 7 team points

Hope it helps if you have 14 I would put 8 on one court 6 on the other, try to rank highest level together.   Also these games can be drop feed by the players so you can move and instruct between courts. 

Tennis CoachCoach

beingIt being a former professional boxer, I would try to  inject cardio work into these sessions whenever possible.  Get some jump-ropes and use some lateral drills for the spectators as they prepare for their turn hitting balls in your planned drills.  But, jumping rope is a great cross training tool.

Tennis CoachCoach

I believe having them do conditioning and footwork is extremely important and is one way of having them engaged on the second court without a coach.  However, there are other alternatives as well.  You can invest in a ball machine which will keep them very active and working on the techniques you are instilling or what I like to do is have players rotate as your second coach.  Having your players act as coaches allows them to see a different perspective and helps them when it is their turn to be student.