Last week my two eldest boys joined a tennis camp at Kensington Prep School with Henry Lamb Tennis, who run tennis coaching camps in South West London and South West France. This was my children’s very first time having tennis lessons, and they really had a lot of fun!
The lessons
A couple of days before the course started we received all the joining information we needed on what to bring (including tennis rackets) and what to expect. The daily lessons for the Mini Red group (for children aged 4 and a half to 8) are 2 and a half hours long. So the children have a 20-minute break in the middle of the session and need their own water bottle and snacks.
With it being the end of July, the weather should have been a lot better. But last week we got a lot of rain! It was very on and off though, and to be fair, it didn’t really detract from the experience at all. The boys did appreciate being able to play outdoors without it being scorching hot. And in case the weather gets really bad, the school has indoors facilities as well, so lessons can continue in case of rain.
Our brilliant coach Miss Crystal ran the course all week for my boys and the other children, and she made the whole experience a lot of fun!
Every day they’d start their training with some warm-up exercises and stretches, learn a new skill, and play lots of fun games.
So on Monday they learnt the forehand shot, on Tuesday the backhand shot, on Wednesday volley, on Thursday serve, and on Friday they played rallies.
The rewards
Every day Miss Crystal would motivate the children by selecting a Player of the Day, and it worked wonders! My Middle Guy won Player of the Day on the very first day and was of course over the moon!
My eldest had to wait until the Friday to get not only Player of the Day, but also Player of the Week! He had been working hard for that all week (the boy is very competitive), and it was such a great feeling for him to be rewarded for it. I could really see that it helped with his self-esteem and his self-confidence.
And their coach Miss Crystal played a great role in that. Before we left on Friday she told my boys: “Remember that no matter what sport you play, even if you don’t succeed at first, you shouldn’t get disheartened. Just keep trying and putting in the hard work, and the results will come”. And considering how competitive my Big Guy is and how much he likes doing well (and winning), these words couldn’t have been more appropriate! I honestly hope they leave a lasting impression!
The verdict
The boys had a fantastic week, and I loved the friendly, welcoming ‘family feel’ of the Henry Lamb programme. It was inspiring and extremely rewarding for the boys. They learnt new skills in a short space of time that will come in handy whether they decide to continue learning tennis or not. Kendra from the main office was really attentive to our needs and got in touch both at the beginning and in the middle of the week to check that everything was going well. I’d definitely recommend Henry Lamb to any family in the South West London area. And if you’re not in the area, you can always check out their 5-day residential camps!
About Henry Lamb Tennis
Henry Lamb Tennis run tennis courses and camps in Sout West London and South West France. At the moment, they work with 12 independent schools, have a team of 25 inspiring coaches, and teach approximately 500 children per year.
Their programmes are based on a great balance of fun games and instructions aimed at teaching tennis skills. So the children will play a combination of games that focus on hand-eye coordination, as well as engaging in tennis drills and match play. This is both fun and rewarding for the children, and as a parent, all you wish for is that your children can learn in a friendly and fun environment, right?
Have you tried Henry Lamb Tennis camps?