Taking up tennis

[timyone]

Heya DHBC brains trust, my cousin wants to take up tennis, with some coaching to move into playing it in some comps, but can't work out where to start. Any one have a tennis past, or know where to start?

[rhys]

How old is your cousin? I haven't played tennis in many years, but when from what I remember as a kid here is my advice.

Find a set of courts close to his/her house, they will usually have coaching sessions there a few days a week. Having a few lessons they should be able to meet a few people who will be keen for mid-week or weekend games to get their experience up. A couch will be able to advise on what grade of weekly fixtures your cousin should play in. After a while they will be able to play in tournaments that are put on by local organisations. I imagine it's similar to cycling where you would have to pay a yearly registration fee for a license of sorts in order to be covered for insurance etc.
Tennis racquets are a bit like bikes I guess, in that when you're starting out you don't necessarily need the best one. Buy the one you like and the best one you can afford to encourage you to use it as much as possible. Some shoes that are designed for tennis will also help a lot, you can play in boardshorts or whatever clothes you have lying around.