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    Choosing a tennis school for your child: 7 criteria

    Choosing a tennis school based only on price or distance often leads to disappointment. These seven criteria help you evaluate — in a single conversation or trial lesson — whether a school truly fits your child. Feel free to ask them out loud during a tour.

    359.tennis Coaching Team
    By 359.tennis Coaching Team · Gediplomeerd coachteam · NTC / TV De Kegel
    Last reviewed on 30 April 2026

    This article describes seven concrete criteria for evaluating a tennis school for your child: coach quality, method, indoor, group size, parent involvement, progress tracking and child-programme match.

    1. Coach quality & continuity

    Ask this: Do coaches work as a team around a shared method, or does each coach operate on their own?

    Green flag

    A team of coaches working together around one method, sharing knowledge about players and learning from each other — multiple coaches around one player strengthens development, provided there is a shared method. Verifiable qualifications (KNLTB, ITF or equivalent).

    Red flag

    Coaches working solo with no shared method or handover, or random rotation without any knowledge transfer about the player.

    2. Method or curriculum

    Ask this: Does the school work with a published method that all coaches follow?

    Green flag

    Written method, learning path by age or level.

    Red flag

    No fixed method — quality fully depends on the individual coach.

    3. Indoor availability

    Ask this: Can my child play tennis year-round, or will 30–40% of lessons be lost to rain and winter?

    Green flag

    Indoor courts or a hybrid indoor/outdoor setup.

    Red flag

    Outdoor-only with no alternative in bad weather.

    4. Group dynamics & differentiation

    Ask this: How is the group used as a learning environment, and how are level differences handled?

    Green flag

    A deliberate choice on group size with clear reasoning — children learn from and with each other, with differentiation in exercises, roles and pace within the group. Enough coaches or assistants to keep everyone active.

    Red flag

    No vision on why the group is large or small, children standing still for long periods, or large level gaps with no differentiation in exercises or roles.

    5. Parent involvement (handover)

    Ask this: Do I get feedback after the lesson, or do I have to guess how it went?

    Green flag

    Short handover after the lesson, periodic conversations.

    Red flag

    No contact with the coach, no progress update.

    6. Progress tracking

    Ask this: How is my child's development measured and shared?

    Green flag

    Reporting, development goals, visible progress.

    Red flag

    No measurement, no goals — only 'doing well'.

    7. Match between child and programme

    Ask this: Does the programme match your child's motivation: movement (Fit), social (Fun) or learning (Focus)?

    Green flag

    School recognises different child types and adapts the approach.

    Red flag

    One-size-fits-all: everyone gets the same, regardless of motivation.

    How 359.tennis applies these criteria

    At 359.tennis all coaches work with the same Fit·Fun·Focus method, we have indoor courts at the NTC for year-round progress, group sizes are capped per age category, and parent handover is a fixed part of every lesson. To match programme to child we start with an intake covering motivation (Fit, Fun or Focus) and level.

    View our programme overview or compare us with other providers in our Amstelveen comparison.

    Frequently asked questions about choosing a tennis school

    Want to apply these insights in practice?

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    Testimonials

    What Our Players Say

    Read experiences from players and parents who train at 359.tennis.

    4.9/ 5 stars · based on player & parent reviews
    Rate us on Google
    We started at 359.tennis as complete beginners. We wanted to learn tennis and have a regular weekly family activity. Now we take family group lessons together, and our daughter also trains in her own group. The best part is that it's not just a fun sport, but it truly strengthens our family bond.

    Familie Nakamura

    Familiegroepsles — samen als gezin tennissen

    We have three children playing tennis at 359 — ages 6 to 14. Each child has their own path and coach. What connects us is Sunday afternoon family tennis. It's become our family moment.

    Robert & Anne-Marie Jansen

    Ouders van drie tennissende kinderen

    I hadn't played tennis for 15 years and was afraid I'd have to start from scratch. But the coach saw there was still a foundation and polished it up. After three months I was playing competition again. The barrier to come back is lower than you think.

    Lisa Mulder

    Herintreder na 15 jaar — woensdagavondgroep

    View all reviews on Google

    Facts about 359.tennis

    Verifiable facts that distinguish 359.tennis as a professional tennis academy in the Amsterdam region.

    • Our coaches are nationally or internationally qualified (e.g. KNLTB, ITF, PTA, PTR) and engage in continuous development through the 359 Coach approach.
    • 359.tennis operates on 12 indoor and 14 outdoor courts at the National Tennis Centre (NTC) in Amstelveen — one of the largest and most professional tennis centres in the Netherlands.
    • Founded in 2005, with over 20+ years of continuous experience in professional tennis coaching.
    • Over 10.000+ players trained since founding — from complete beginners to competitive tournament players.
    • The 359 Method is a proprietary development model based on the Fit · Fun · Focus™ principle, focused on both athletic and personal growth.
    • Accessible from 15 municipalities including Amsterdam, Amstelveen, Amsterdam-Zuid, Hoofddorp, Aalsmeer and Uithoorn.