Tennis Coaching Program

Meet Our Head Coach

Jordan McKnight

Hi everyone, I’m delighted to introduce myself as the new Head Coach at CIYMS Tennis Club, starting in January 2026. With over eight years of coaching experience across Northern Ireland, I’ve worked in all areas of player development—from grassroots beginners right through to performance-level juniors and adults.

My focus is on creating clear pathways for every player, whether they’re starting out or aiming to compete at the highest level.

I’m really excited to bring fresh energy, structured programmes, and a supportive environment to CIYMS. I look forward to meeting you all on court and working together to help every player reach their potential.

Please add a line to contact Jordan through headcoach@ciymstennisclub.org

Junior Tennis

If you're looking for a place where your kids can play tennis, look no further than CIYMS, Belfast. Our junior program is thriving—we have juniors of all ages and abilities!

We offer classes in Red, Orange, Green and Yellow ball tennis.

If you have any questions about our program, feel free to contact us

Junior Tennis Timetable

2026

New Term – starting 5th January 2026. 

So, what should you expect and what should you bring to junior sessions?

  • Please arrive early to check in with the coach or volunteer. This particularly applies on the first week to reconcile payments and emergency contact numbers

  • Your child will need to bring their own tennis racquet

  • Please bring a minimum amount of possessions courtside, ideally racquet, jacket and water

 
Junior class descriptions:

 

This is aimed at 4-8 year olds. It’s played with a larger than normal red transition, low compression ball. This makes the ball easier to use for the younger children giving a much higher rate of success. The emphasis here is in fun and the learning of simple A,B,C’s agility, balance and coordination. Technical content is very basic and only at grass root and fundamental levels.

All red class last for 1hr.

This is a step up from a red ball class and aimed at children 9 years old. It uses a normal size low compression transition orange ball. This stops the ball bouncing to high for the children and assists them to develop their technical and tactical skills and allows them to rally and score. Coaching become more technical and various different grips are introduced e.g. eastern and semi western.

This is a block of 5 lessons aimed at teaching children the basics of tennis in a fun and interactive way.

Development Squad

Purpose: Build strong foundations for players entering the Yellow Ball stage.
Focus Areas:

  • Technical development: grips, strokes, footwork, and rally skills
  • Tactical awareness: learning how to construct points and basic match play
  • Physical conditioning: agility, coordination, and endurance appropriate for juniors
  • Confidence building: creating a supportive environment where players enjoy competing and improving

Parent Message:

This stage is about establishing core skills and confidence. Players will learn to rally consistently, understand scoring, and begin structured match play. It’s the launchpad for progression into performance tennis.

Purpose: Build strong foundations for players entering the Yellow Ball stage.

Focus Areas:
• Technical development: grips, strokes, footwork, and rally skills
• Tactical awareness: learning how to construct points and basic match play
• Physical conditioning: agility, coordination, and endurance appropriate for juniors
• Confidence building: creating a supportive environment where players enjoy competing and improving

Parent Message:
This stage is about establishing core skills and confidence. Players will learn to rally consistently, understand scoring, and begin structured match play. It’s the launchpad for progression into performance tennis.

Purpose: Transition promising juniors into a more competitive and structured environment.

Focus Areas:
• Advanced technical refinement: consistency, spin, and shot variety
• Tactical development: patterns of play, decision-making, and adapting to opponents
• Competitive exposure: internal match play, local tournaments, and team events
• Mental skills: resilience, focus, and handling pressure

Parent Message:
Here, players move beyond the basics into performance-focused training. They’ll be challenged in match situations, encouraged to compete regularly, and supported in developing the mindset needed for higher-level tennis.

Purpose: Prepare more advanced junior players and young adults for high-level competition and long-term player development.

Focus Areas:
• High-intensity training: advanced drills, conditioning, and match play scenarios
• Tactical mastery: exploiting strengths, neutralizing opponents, and strategic match planning
• Competitive pathway: T500 and higher graded tournaments, league play, and representative opportunities
• Professional habits: goal setting, reflective practice, and leadership within the squad

Parent Message:
This is the elite stage of the pathway, designed for players committed to excelling in competitive tennis. Training is intensive, expectations are higher, and players are supported to reach their full potential both on and off the court.

Adult Tennis

We're here to help you learn how to play tennis and get as good at it as you can.

We're here to help you learn how to play tennis and get as good at it as you can.

Whether you want to be a beginner or go all the way to an advanced level, we can help you get there. We offer beginner classes for those who want to learn the basics of tennis, intermediate classes for those who have been playing for a while and want to improve their technique and accuracy, and advanced classes for those who are looking to compete against others in competition leagues.

We also offer three Club Play sessions a week so that members can get together with other players and practice their skills in fun competitive doubles matches.

In addition, we have options for internal tournaments & League play if you’re looking for some extra challenge!

Adult classes can be booked via Acebook. 

Adult Tennis Timetable

Tennis Leagues

CIYMS Tennis Club enters teams throughout the year in the Belfast & District leagues, at all levels from Division 1 to more social competition.

These include;

    • Men’s and Women’s Autumn League (October/November, Saturday mornings)
    • Mixed Floodlit League (January/ February evenings)
    • Men’s and Women’s Winter League (February/March, Saturday mornings)
    • Men’s and Women’s Singles League (March/April evenings)
    • Men’s and Women’s Evergreen League (May/June, Friday evenings)
    • Mixed League (April/May, evenings)
    • Men’s and Women’s Knockout Cup (July evenings)
    • Mixed Summer League (July/August, evenings)

Entry is available to all Full Playing members (subject to selection) who have paid their subscription for that period. We welcome players of all abilities so do give it a try!