YLT Goal: To group players with players of equal level and to give them the opportunity and confidence to move up a level with small improvements; to encourage kids to feel successful in each level; and to prepare kids for High School tennis. All players are assessed the first week and grouped per these assessments. Players may move up or down a level as deemed in the best interest of all participants, throughout the season. The student to instructor ratio is approximately 8-1.

The 5 Youth League Tennis Levels Green, Quick Start, Red, Yellow, & Blue
are described below: 

Green Level is divided into 2 age groups:
Beginners and new tennis players, who need instruction on the basics and are unable to begin a rally on their own. These players require constant professional supervision and guidance.

Green Level (ages 8-14):

Group Play: Green players will have approximately 8 players on 1 court per instructor and will be supervised at all times. They will begin the first week by learning the basics and then continue weekly to compete as teams and individually through games, that reinforce and teach the necessary skills they need to work towards playing competitively on their own. The focus of this instruction is getting these players ready to move up to the red level. 

Underhand serving, as well as overhead serving is taught. This is the only level that plays 1.5 hours weekly.

Goal: Green level players will be taught strokes, scoring and tennis etiquette through drills and competitive games run by an instructor. Each player will build a strong foundation, while building team work skills and instilling a love of competitive tennis.

Green Level - QUICKSTART (ages 5-7):

Group Play: Beginners and new tennis players agew 5-7, who will benefit by playing on a smaller court with slower starter balls that bounce lower in the strike zone. Instructors teach the basics and help these little players begin to rally on their own.

Goal: Through success, these youngest players will quickly get ready to move up to the green level where they can play on a full size court with regular tennis balls. These players require constant professional supervision and guidance.

Red Level: 
Novice players, who have begun to be able to rally and who are able to consistently begin a rally with a drop hit forehand, but still lack control. These players should also have received some instruction on how to hit an overhand serve. They are not expected to be able to serve with accuracy or consistency and may or may not know how to keep score. Red level works weekly with a coach on ground strokes and serves and also is taught how to play sets with modified serving rules.

Weekly Play: Red players will be taught how to keep traditional ad scoring , play 6 game sets and 12 point tie breakers. Red players will primarily play doubles matches with all 4 players beginning each point from the baseline. When serving, each player is entitled to 3 serves per point. The first serve must be overhand, the 2nd serve is a drop hit forehand that must land in the appropriate service box, and the 3rd serve can be a drop hit forehand that lands anywhere in the court, including the alleys, to begin the point. Players are allowed to stand inside the baseline to hit their 3rd serve.  This level plays baseline doubles and 2 vs 1.

Instruction: Red players will begin competing with players of equal level, and establish the confidence and desire to improve their current skills. Playing 4 from the baseline will greatly improve ground strokes, movement and team work skills. Overhand serves will also improve because each player must begin each point with an overhand serve (thus they are practicing this stroke and learning it's importance throughout the match).  Each week begins with the red level player drilling for 30 minutes with an instructor to work on ground strokes and serves.  We refer to this as their warm-up.  This level of player usually becomes more motivated to improve once they begin competing.

Yellow Level: Intermediate players, who can rally and serve overhand with some control and consistency. They can regularly place underhand serves into the appropriate service box. These players do know how to keep score, and may or may not have had previous match experience.

Weekly Play: Yellow players will be given 3 serves per point. The first 2 must be overhand and land in the appropriate service box. The 3rd serve can be over or under hand and must land in the appropriate service box. Yellow players will play doubles, tag team singles and occasional singles matches. When they are 4 on a court, all players will begin each point at the baseline.  

Instruction: Yellow players will work on improving their match playing skills through drills working on consistency and movement and during matches focusing on concentration, shot selection and court awareness. Playing 4 from the baseline will greatly improve ground strokes, movement, placement and team work skills.  

Goal: To increase rallying and serving consistency so that these players will be ready to move up to blue level.

Blue Level: These players can rally and serve with control and consistency and are already playing matches by USTA rules. Most have had previous atch experience, and may or may not have begun competing in local novice and Satellite tournaments.

Weekly Play: Blue players compete with regular rules when playing a match. This level plays a lot of singles and 2 vs 1. In their drills, players working on changing the direction of the ball, learning point patterns and working on movement.

Instruction: Blue players will improve their match playing skills, concentrating on movement, consistency & shot selection. Playing 4 from the baseline will greatly improve groundstrokes, placement and team work skills. 

Goal: To make sure these players are prepared to play on their High School tennis team.