Tennis
HISTORY
Tennis dates back to the Stone Age. Then, humans used clubs to hit rocks back and
forth. Later, the French modernized the game of tennis. The word “tennis” comes
from the French word “tenez” which means “take it” or “play.” In 1913, an
international conference in Paris was held and the International Lawn Tennis
Federation was founded. In 1977, “lawn” was dropped from its name. Thus, today
it is the International Tennis Federation.
FUN FACTS
® Tennis disappeared from the Olympic menu after the 1924 Paris games.
However, it reappeared as a full-medal sport in the 1988 Seoul games.
® The United States Tennis Association runs more than 200 national
tournaments per year.
® In 1999, 261,535 new players began playing tennis in the United States.
® The Women’s Tennis Association prize money surpassed $45 million in
1999.
® Total prize money from Wimbledon Championships has grown from
$26,150 in 1968 to $7,595,330 in 1999.
BENEFITS OF PLAYING
1. People can burn more calories per hour playing competitive tennis than
playing volleyball, swimming, canoeing, hiking, playing softball, or golfing.
2. Tennis is good for the heart!
3. Tennis can help you improve your leg strength, balance, speed, and agility.
4. Tennis is great for hand-eye coordination.
5. Tennis is fun!
TIME TO SURF!
Web Site Web Site Address
United States Tennis Association www.usta.com
Women’s Tennis Association http://www.wtatour.com/
International Tennis Federation http://www.itftennis.com/
fl_index.html
From Complete Physical Education Plans for Grades 7-12 by Isobel Kleinman, 2001, Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.