During this stage, players will demonstrate skills, abilities and the desire to continue playing tennis for recreational purposes or show desire to continue pursuing excellence via the OTR Elite Invitational A system.

Group sessions form the second stepping stone in our OTR Elite Competitive Pathway.
More variables, higher intensity, more stress and a need for faster thinking are all introduced here with less coach involvement, more self-exploration and team building.
Keystone performance strengths will be introduced here throughout the year.

Prerequisites

• Fulfilled and satisfied the necessary Invitational C checkpoints.
• Ready to be challenged at B level.
• New players – required to train 2 sessions minimum before an accurate assessment can be made.

Mission

The mission of the parent

• Support and provide the necessary guidance to ensure that your child’s tennis experience is enjoyable. 
• Understand the OTR Elite Competitive Pathway that outlines how your child can progress in the sport. 
• Discuss the player pathway with the coach via consultation.
• Maintain a long term perspective about your child’s development in the sport.
• Support the child’s competitive experiences by focusing on the process not on results.
• Continue to encourage unstructured play with you and with their peers.
• Always maintain composure demonstrating neutral body language while your child is in competition. 
• Encourage and support participation in another complementary sport at a competitive level.

The mission of the Coach

• Teach the basic sport specific skills and elementary tactics essential to participate in tennis.
• Introduce physical conditioning and fundamental mental skills. 
• Encourage participation in other sports.
• Meet on a regular basis with fitness coaches to ensure a well-balanced training program.
• Measure peak height velocity and the growth spurt three times per year to take advantage of optimal windows of trainability.
• Select appropriate number and level of competition based on individual athletes and long-term objectives. 
• Develop a strong relationship and commitment with other players beyond the tennis court.
• Relentlessly pursue technical expertise that positively influence the player’s tennis skills.
• Select appropriate matches for athletes. 

The mission of the athlete

• Develop some skills demonstrating the ability to manage and be responsible for certain aspects of “tennis life.”
• Warm up, stretch and cool down independently.
• Make appropriate hydration and nutrition selections for training and competition. 
• Practice good hygiene by showering and changing clothes after every training session or match.