"Dad, I want to learn to play tennis," my fourth grader beamed, handing me a sheet of paper. She bounced from one foot to the other waiting for me to finish reading --A local parks and recreations tennis instructor visited her school during gym class to show the kids how to play tennis. The paper explained a new program offered to beginners.

Even though my daughter was excited, I had reservations. Tennis? Isn't that a game for rich folks played at country clubs on warm Sunday afternoons? But my daughter's enthusiasm bolstered me into action. We signed up for the free clinic held before the start of the program, just to see if we liked it.

During the free clinic, a coach talked to parents while the children ran through drills on court. I watched my daughter swing her racket and miss the ball. She threw a smile in my direction as she ran to the back of the line. And there was that hop, from foot to foot again while she waited for her turn.

It wasn't until several days later, after a phone conversation with one of the volunteer moms who helped out with the free clinic that I finally made up my mind. Her words not only encouraged me, but she somehow, in a positive way, made me feel as though I'd be lacking as a parent if I DIDN'T sign my daughter up.

What makes tennis such a great game? And why do 25.1 million people worldwide play it? Well, for starters, tennis is fun. But more than that, tennis is a universal sport offering different opportunities to different players, among some of the following:

Competition - Picking up a quick friendly match at the local courts, or entering into sanctioned USTA and World Team Tennis events, a competitive tract exists on almost all levels of play, from the novie player on up to the professional.

Character Building - Honesty is a huge one. On the recreational level, instant replay doesn't exist. Line judges aren't present at most of the matches. It's up to the players themselves to call lines and follow the rules. Many young players may start out making incorrect calls, but the quickly learn this isn't the right thing to do. But other character building traits such as determination, commitment, sportsmanship, and teamwork can all be learned through playing the game.

Family Sport- The entire family can learn to play and develop their games, thus strengthening the bonds between parent and child, between siblings and even between both parents.

Individual or Team Sport - both tracks are available to compete on. I recommend participating in both. The camaraderie of a team effort and the individual - nobody to blame but yourself - are both great environments for children (and adults) to learn different lessons.

Stress Reliever - When you're out there hitting that little yellow ball, nothing else matters. Not bills, not grades, no emotional turmoil one might be going through outside of tennis.

Maintain Physical and Mental Fitness - Once you learn how to stroke the ball, then you learn how to place it, and to anticipate where your opponent might place his ball. Tennis is a thinking game. Plus, you're running up and down, and from side to side...tennis is great for mind and body.

Social and Networking Outlet - Many players get together before and after matches for activities outside of tennis. Also, since the sport is universal, it offers countless networking opportunities. And, you can be almost be guaranteed that if you travel to any city, or up and move, you will find a tennis family upon your arrival.

Lifelong Sport - Tennis, like few sports out there is a game you can play your entire life.

Today, eight years later, my daughter still plays tennis. And now, because of her, so do both her parents as well as her boyfriend. 25.1 million people can't be wrong. Pick up a racquet and get in the game.

Tennis Beginner Tips

Beginners just learning to play tennis are going to face a lot of frustration. It takes time and patience to start getting the hang of things. The most importing thing, however, is to avoid beginner mistakes so that you can minimize the frustration to a minimal level. I am going to share with you 5 tennis tips for beginners that will help you get started the right way.

One. The first tennis tip for beginners is not to try too hard. Yes, do not try to hard at first even if your coach tells you to. It is common to try too hard to get a better result, but that is often not the case in tennis. If you find that you are having trouble with a stroke or technique, try softening your grip and muscles and don't worry about hitting the ball perfect at first until you have the technique down. It takes time to get the required skills to play tennis. Start with normal soft hits at first.

Two. The second tip is try not to have any expectations. If you find that you are expecting a certain result every time you will find yourself getting more and more frustrated. You will develop at your own pace so try not to stress over it. It will all come to you in time but if you start expecting certain results you can set yourself back.

Three. Next I want you to realize that there are no mistakes, only feedback. If you shoot the ball into the net hit the ball higher next time. You don't need to complicate things live follow through, with your knees, or other things as this will come naturally.

Four. This tip involves movement. No matter what is happening on the other side of the court I want you to constantly be moving. You can jog, make small hops, dance, or whatever you must do to keep moving. Standing still will only make your movements more stiff and you will have a harder time getting to the ball and making a good shot. Keep Moving!

Five. This last tip is my favorite. It is to wait. Wait and be patient because it will take time for all of this to start making sense to your brain. It takes time for your brain to adjust to all of the information that you are feeding it. When you get instruction to do a certain shot, do your best then wait. The result will come soon enough, I promise!

So, this concludes my 5 tennis tips for beginners. If you are serious and want to learn how to play tennis the right way, you need to have proper instruction and training.