- About
- Officials' role
- Coaches' role
- Parents' role
- Dealing with line call disputes
- For support
Competitive tennis brings its own expectations, pressures and commitments. Participation in Tennis Australia tournaments often involves regular travel, balancing school and training, and increased time commitments for both players and families.
Supporting a young player through competitive tennis can be rewarding, but it can also present unique challenges. These may include:
- managing the financial commitment associated with tournament entry fees, travel, accommodation and coaching support.
- taking time away from work or other family responsibilities to attend tournaments and support your child.
- navigating competitive environments where results, ratings and performance outcomes can heighten emotions and expectations.
- feeling a sense of responsibility or visibility within the tennis community, particularly if your child is experiencing success or progressing quickly.
At Tennis Australia, we recognise these challenges and believe that sport should be safe and welcoming for every young player. This page lets you know how you can help your child enjoy their competitive tennis journey.
What safeguarding means in competitive tennis?
Safeguarding is about protecting children and young people from physical and emotional harm, by creating a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all involved. Tennis Australia aims to make competitive tennis safe and enjoyable, and to develop skilled players and healthy people by creating a balance between performance and wellbeing.
Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. As parents, it’s important to be aware of this and your own role as the supportive figure a child needs to keep perspective and maintain their love of the game. Winning is never the only goal, and the focus should always be on learning and building character.
Who are the officials and why they’re important
Officials are essential in creating a fair, safe and respectful playing environment. They ensure matches are conducted according to the rules and uphold Tennis Australia's Code of Behaviour – setting the standard for respectful conduct.
Benefit of the Doubt
Often overseeing multiple courts and many players at once, officials such as court supervisors do not see every point. To protect the integrity of the match, they operate on a principle known as the Benefit of the Doubt. This means if they cannot be certain of what happened, they choose the option that removes uncertainty and keeps the match fair for both players.
Example: An official is called to decide on an 'out' call on a ball they didn't see. Since the official did not see the ball, they cannot overrule the player's call. The official then follows the necessary steps to verify the call by asking some questions from the player who made the 'out' call.
Breaches of the Code
Abuse or intimidation won't be tolerated. If a player, parent or coach breaches the Code of Behaviour, officials have the authority to:
- issue warnings or issuing code violations
- request to stop watching the match or leave the venue
- submit an incident report to Tennis Australia, for further action to be considered.
How parents can support officials
As parents, you play a vital role in shaping how officials are treated and respected at events. Tennis officials carry out a challenging job and understanding the demands of their role helps create a more supportive environment for everyone involved.
- Encourage your child to communicate with officials calmly and respectfully, even in moments of disagreement.
- Remind them that officials are doing their best to ensure fair and enjoyable play, and respectful dialogue is always the appropriate response.
- Model positive behaviour by addressing any concerns through the correct processes, such as approaching the referee or event staff after a match, rather than challenging officials during play. This helps your child understand that professionalism, patience and understanding are essential parts of competitive tennis.
Tennis Australia places clear safeguarding expectations on all coaches involved in competitive and high-performance junior programs.
A great coach creates a challenging but safe, fun and inclusive environment. You should always feel confident in how your child is being treated, on and off the court.
What you should expect from your child’s coach
All coaches are expected to:
- always prioritise your child’s safety and wellbeing
- communicate respectfully with players and parents – verbal abuse can’t be justified as discipline
- never be alone with a child in an enclosed or private space
- maintain clear professional boundaries, avoiding favouritism, secrecy or excessive contact
- report all safeguarding concerns or disclosures immediately.
Online communication
Coaches should only contact junior players:
- through group messages where possible – no private direct messages (DMs)
- for tennis-related updates (training or match info)
- during reasonable hours (not late at night)
- with parent or guardian oversight.
Travelling with junior players
If travel or accommodation with Tennis Australia is involved in your child’s tennis journey, parents should expect:
- clear written itineraries and permission forms
- separate sleeping arrangements for adults and players
- regular check-ins or communication updates
- two adult supervisors on any TA/MA-organised trip (never one-on-one unsupervised)
- no alcohol consumption or inappropriate adult behaviour around children.
These are outlined in the TA Travel and Accommodation Guidelines (PDF) and are non-negotiable.
What to watch out for
Warning signs of boundary crossing include:
- Your child feeling uncomfortable or overly reliant on the coach
- Secrecy or withdrawal from sharing
- Personal gifts, favours or "special treatment"
- Isolated one-on-one meetings or messages
- Coaches offering to “make life easier”, for example driving your child to/from training and events.
If something feels inappropriate, trust your instincts and report concerns.
The pressure parents don't see
Parents often want nothing more than to see their child succeed, but without realising it, this can create fear rather than motivation.
Pressure does not necessarily always come from shouting or harsh criticism. It can appear in subtle ways, such as:
- talking about how much lessons or travel cost and expecting results in return
- focusing conversations on rankings or wins rather than effort and growth
- expressing pride only when your child performs well.
Even loving comments, such as “We just want you to do your best, especially after how much we’ve invested” can be heard by a young player as “I need to perform to make my parents happy”.
Why pressure hurts development
Research shows there are potential consequences when children feel constant pressure to perform, including that:
- They enjoy sport less because they're playing to avoid letting someone down.
- They become less confident, limiting their curiosity and risk-taking.
- They become less resilient due to motivation driven by external pressure, rather than their own internal drive.
- Their relationship with their parents can become strained, and home becomes a further place of tension rather than a place to recharge.
A better approach
Parents and guardians can help children thrive by focusing on the process, not the outcome. Here are four key areas to focus on:
1. The role of parent compared to coach
Remember that parents and caregivers are supporters, not coaches. When you try to coach, especially during matches, it can create confusion for your child as they can feel torn between following your instructions and their coach’s guidance.
Your role is to provide emotional support, encouragement and perspective, while leaving technical and tactical decisions to the coach.
2. The impact of poor sideline behaviour
Arguing with officials, criticising calls or showing frustration can lead your child to believe that disrespect is acceptable when things don’t go their way. Remember that your child is watching and learning from you every moment.
Positive actions, such as cheering respectfully and staying calm, teach sportsmanship and emotional control.
3. The importance of being supportive
Support means focusing on effort, attitude and enjoyment of the challenge to be their best, rather than perfection or results. Try:
- praising effort, attitude and resilience, not just results
- keeping discussions about tennis positive and brief, and letting them lead the conversation
- reinforcing that mistakes are part of learning and improving
- encouraging your child to set their own goals
- reminding them that your pride and love are unconditional, regardless of results.
When children feel safe and supported, they’re more likely to stay motivated, develop confidence and maintain a healthy relationship with the sport.
4. Keeping perspective
Tennis is competitive, but rankings and trophies should never define your child’s worth.
Research shows that when parents fixate on results, children may experience anxiety, lose confidence or even walk away from the sport. When parents keep perspective, children develop balance, avoid burnout and maintain a love for the game.
We understand wanting the best competitive experience for your child, and part of that is ensuring fair play. Knowing how to respond calmly and constructively to questionable line calls or poor behaviour helps create a positive match environment.
For parents and spectators
Do not interfere – Allow the children to manage the situation themselves initially. It’s often not easy to see from an off-court position and your perspective may be misleading.
Ask for help – If the issue continues or escalates, you may call the referee, official or club administrator for support.
Focus on what you can control – Once you’ve raised the concern, you have done everything you can do. You can support your child emotionally by being present on the sidelines. Just remember to keep from interfering with the game in any way.
Remember that tennis is emotionally challenging and that young players are still developing the skills to manage pressure and make fair decisions.
For players
Here are some things you can teach your child when dealing with issues on court:
Talk it out – If you think your opponent has made the wrong line call, you can respectfully let them know that you disagree but also acknowledge the fact that it's your opponent's call. It’s important to remember that you might have it wrong.
Ask for help – If disputed line calls become a pattern, stop play and request help from a referee, court supervisor or club administrator.
Focus on what you can control – You have no control on your opponent's behaviour or the official's decision, so focus on the things you can control such as:
- taking deep breaths between points
- focusing on your pre-point routine
- maintaining positive self-talk
- setting small achievable goals for the next point (“move my feet,” “hit deep”).
We're here to help
You and your child have the right to expect a professional, supportive and respectful competitive experience. Club committee members, your club’s Member Protection Information Officer (MPIO) and any other members you feel safe disclosing information with are there to listen and act if you ever need it.
You can also raise a concern by:
- Reporting directly to Tennis Australia's Integrity and Compliance Unit (TAICU) via email at integrity@tennis.com.au or online form.
- Calling our whistleblower service STOPLINE at 1800 11 SAFE (1800 117 233).
In case of emergency, call the Police at 000.
FAQs
Competitive environments can be demanding, so it’s important that home remains a place for your child to reflect, reset and recover – mentally as well as physically. Help them process challenges, learn from setbacks and feel supported through the ups and downs that come with competitive sport.
Keeping safety conversations regular and age-appropriate helps make it easier for your child to speak up. Let them know they can come to you with any concern, big or small, and that they will be listened to and taken seriously. Staying calm and open when issues are raised helps build trust and reinforces that asking for help is an important part of being an athlete.
Yes. Coaches, officials and staff involved in junior competitive programs are required to hold valid Working with Children and Police Checks and complete safeguarding training. These measures help safe, professional and supportive environments, alongside focus on player development.
If your child shares a concern with you, remember to listen calmly without judging or reacting harshly. Reassure them it's not their fault and they did the right thing by speaking up. As soon as you can, record details (what happened, when, who was involved) and report the concern to your club's MPIO or Tennis Australia's Integrity team.
