If you live in Coconut Grove, you already know — getting your kid into a real junior tennis program means looking beyond the immediate neighborhood. Peacock Park has open courts but no structured junior development. Kennedy Park is great for hitting around but not a teaching facility. The private clubs have programs, but membership gates and waitlists are real.
That’s where parents from the Grove end up at TennisFIT.
What TennisFIT Juniors Looks Like for Coconut Grove Families
Here’s the practical reality of running junior tennis from Miami if you’re coming from the Grove:
Location and logistics. Ask Jason to confirm the venue, court arrangements and parking before traveling.
The coach. Jason Dixon, USPTA Elite Professional. Twelve years coaching juniors in Miami. He’s run programs at clubs across the city before TennisFIT — he knows what the private-club junior programs do well and where they fall short.
Why Grove Families Choose Us Over a Closer Option
We hear this a lot from parents: “We tried [closer program]. It wasn’t bad. But…”
The “but” usually comes down to one of three things:
Group size. Lots of programs advertise “small group” and then run 8 or 10 kids per coach. We don’t. Groups are 3 to 6, grouped by ability not just age, so kids progress at the right pace.
Real teaching, not just ball-feeding. A lot of programs are essentially supervised play. Kids hit balls, coach watches. Our sessions have a specific technical focus each week, built on across the month. Parents can ask their kid “what did you work on today?” and get a real answer.
Junior progression that actually progresses. Red ball to orange to green to yellow, with proper ball compression at each stage. Kids don’t get pushed up to standard yellow ball before their strokes can handle it. We have parents bring us kids who’ve been on yellow ball for two years at another program with technique that’s broken because of it.
What Your Kid Will Actually Be Doing
A typical 75-minute junior session breaks down like this:
First 10 minutes — Movement & Warm-up. Dynamic stretching, footwork ladder work, light coordination drills. Not just “go run around the court.”
Next 25 minutes — Technical Focus. One specific skill — could be split step timing, could be slice backhand contact point, could be serve toss consistency. Built on across the month.
Next 25 minutes — Live Ball Drills. Coach feeding or partner rallies, working the technical focus into actual play patterns.
Last 15 minutes — Point Play. Real points, with the coach intervening for teaching moments. Not just kids playing each other while the coach watches.
Ages, Levels, and Logistics
Ages 5–8: Red ball, foam ball, oversized racquets, short court. Focus on coordination, fun, and falling in love with the sport.
Ages 8–11: Orange or green ball depending on skill. 3/4 court progressing to full court. Real stroke mechanics start here.
Ages 11+: Full court, yellow ball if mechanics are ready. Tactical play, conditioning, tournament prep for kids who want it.
Sessions run during after-school hours and Saturday mornings. Specific schedule changes seasonally — best to check the current schedule and book a trial session.
What Parents from the Grove Tell Us
What we hear from Coconut Grove families:
“Our kid actually wants to come back.” This is the one we care about. Junior tennis only works if the kid is bought in. If they’re crying in the car on the way to lessons, the program is wrong — doesn’t matter how prestigious it is.
Next Step
If you’re a Grove parent looking at junior tennis options:
- Come watch a session. No commitment, no sales pitch. See how Jason works with the kids.
- Book a trial lesson. Single session, see how your kid responds.
- Then decide.
That’s it. No multi-month contracts, no enrollment fees, no pressure.
Book a trial junior session → or reach out with questions.
Looking for the broader picture on how junior tennis development actually works? Read Junior Tennis Lessons in Miami: What Actually Works.