Put USPTA Little Tennis in the mainstream at your club or facility by making it a feature program both on and off the court. Merchandising your pro shop effectively can be a key element in selling Little Tennis to parents. Use point-of-purchase displays, videotapes and colorful bulletin boards for promotion. These ideas, along with an information packet that was sent to every parent with a child 8 years old and under, were the driving force behind the program’s huge success at Dunwoody Country Club near Atlanta, Ga.

How can you run a successful program? Here are some tips on getting started.

• Establish on paper the goals of your USPTA Little Tennis program.
• Place fliers and information sheets in strategic locations throughout your facility.
• Make colorful displays featuring Little Tennis equipment.
• Run Little Tennis videos in your pro shop, both the demonstration copy enclosed with your Little Tennis kit and ones taken at your own clinics and league days.
• Use club newsletters and local media.

When you are ready to get down to the specifics of your program, several steps can be taken to increase the likelihood of a large and successful sign-up.

• Divide classes into age categories and offer optional times and days for clinics, as well as for league and play days.
• Provide a professional for league/play days to supervise and charge a nominal fee to cover cost.
• Emphasize parent participation on league/play days and offer a "free day" for the child who has a volunteer parent at that session.
• Encourage parents to watch at the sidelines during pro-conducted clinics or participate with younger children.
• Offer a training session for parents to make them comfortable teaching striking skills to their child.
• Use a phone campaign to talk individually with parents and secure commitments for the season.
• Hold a training session for staff to ensure consistency in using the modified equipment.
• Maintain an on-court ratio of 4:1 and keep in mind that you don’t have to discount your rate to make this program a success.
• Offer Little Tennis birthday parties.
• Give out plenty of stickers, stamps and prizes for children who follow directions.
• Emphasize parent participation on league/play days and offer a "free day" for the child who has a volunteer parent at that session.
• Hold an end-of-season tennis carnival that involves professionals and parents.

The future of tennis is in the hands of the "peewees," and the earlier they catch the tennis bug the better. A great recipe for success is thorough organization, family participation and creativity. Our goal is to make tennis a priority in the athletic development of young children. The main ingredient? You, the professional. Make every clinic and league day an exciting event.