Academies teach children to play the game

Meng Xin, a 10-year-old girl from Beijing, stayed at a summer camp to play mini-tennis with about 40 other children from Chinese and expatriate families.

They are receiving intensive full-day training at the Potter's Wheel International Tennis Academy in Beijing, where Carlos Rodriguez, French Open champion Li Na's former coach, serves as the president and is one of the shareholders.

The historic victory of Li, the first Asian woman to win a Grand Slam championship, has resulted in a growing interest in tennis among children in a nation where the sport has been relatively unpopular.

Tennis is not alone when it comes to children playing trendy sports this summer. Many take classes in soccer, swimming and ice hockey, as parents increasingly value the importance of playing sports as a way to help children boost their confidence and social skills.

"I would like my children to learn to play tennis because it teaches coordination, determination, and it's a great exercise to build muscles," said Melissa Mowbray-d'Arbela, a mother of two daughters aged 7 and 10.

A week of mini-tennis training at Potter's Wheel International Tennis Academy costs 2,980 yuan ($485) including boarding. Between 1,000 and 2,000 students enroll in tennis classes each year.

In 2005, China had only 5 million regular tennis players, but the number had soared to 30 million by 2011. The Women's Tennis Association predicts that Li's victory will eventually boost the Chinese tennis-playing population to 300 million.

Ding Ding, chairman of the Potter's Wheel International Tennis Center Ltd in Beijing, said the school had an annual loss of more than 3 million yuan for many years, following its establishment in 2003. China's tennis market did not show its growth potential until recently, but since then the school has started to turn a profit.

"Many people think Asians lag behind in tennis because they are not physically competitive. In fact, it's due to the lack of a comprehensive coaching system," Ding said. "There aren't many tennis associations in China because they are unsure about the investment and repayment of the talent."

Akhter Hossain, a head coach of the school, said he has seen a big change during his nine years of coaching, with many more Chinese becoming serious about tennis.

"Tennis is a psychological game," he said. "Chinese players have good technique, but they need to develop a stronger mentality."

For other youngsters, soccer is their sport. Groups of children aged between 7 and 15 are taking soccer classes held at different parks in Beijing. The classes are organized by China Club Football Ltd, a joint-venture club that has coaches from the United Kingdom. Founded in 2001, the club started to make a profit in 2009, when interest in soccer in China grew and parents began to change their mindset and allow their children to take sports training, according to Liu Libin, coaching administrator at the school.

About 5,000 children attend soccer classes annually at the school, with the youngest being 4 years old.

Coach Rob Skupien, who has coached in the United Kingdom and the United States, said soccer is quite new in China and poses many challenges. But it is a growing sport, and he is looking forward to seeing the change.

Chinese students have too much academic pressure placed on them, Skupien said. They play soccer only two hours a week, less than their European peers who play about 10 hours a week with their parents and friends, he said.