What You Should Have Inside Your Tennis Bag

Whether just having a practice session or you’re actually getting your game on in a tournament, nothing beats showing up to your tennis lessons and matches prepared.

The last thing you want for yourself and the little ones attending their tennis lessons is to appear on the court, missing an item or two.

That’s why we’ve created this “Items in your tennis bag checklist” so you don’t have to keep thinking of what else you need to put inside your tennis bags.

Here are the items you should pack in your and your kid’s tennis bag:

Racket and Tennis Balls

A definite must-have. If you don’t have these in your bag, you might as well forget about playing because you won’t be able to without them. 

Have at least 2 to 3 single cans of tennis balls in your bag, just in case. Along with that, we also recommend having 2 to 3 rackets for backup.

Water Bottle and Other Electrolyte Drinks

Never forget the water bottle when headed to the court! You need to rehydrate while playing because even the mildest dehydration will cause you to lose focus. You’ll quickly get fatigued and be more prone to cramps, but more importantly, it’s just unsafe to be dehydrated while doing intense physical activities. Even more if you’re packing your kids’ tennis bags. Your kids need to stay hydrated.

Avoid being in that situation and pack water bottles and electrolyte drinks or tablets for you or your kids.

Energy Bars

If you’re playing in a tournament or having a long session on the court, having energy bars tucked away in the pocket of your tennis bag will come in handy. Of course, when playing tennis, we don’t want to load up on too much food in between games. Energy bars are the perfect substitute for a greasy cheeseburger in this case.

Extra Overgrips

If you use tennis overgrips, it’s wise to store some in your tennis bag. A dirty grip or a slippery one can affect how we play the game, and if you don’t have overgrips in your bag, you’ll have to go through the game playing with an inconvenience.

Skipping Rope

A quick back and forth volley will do for some players for warmup. For others, they like to do a little bit more. Having a skipping rope in your bag is a piece of excellent warmup equipment that doesn’t take up much space. As you flick your skipping rope around, you’ll be warming up your arms nicely. The skipping motion will give your legs that much-needed pre-game stretch.

Things to Protect You From The Heat

You and your kids might be playing in the heat, exchanging volleys on an outdoor court. Naturally, you’ll want some sort of protection from the sun. Make sure you pack these for you and your kids:

Hat or Sun Visor

With the sun beating down on your back as you play, having a hat or sun visor on hand will help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’ll also protect your head from heating up. You might not think you need it as you head out, but once you’re in the heat, you’ll be looking for that cap of yours.

Sunscreen

Never go out into the sun without sunscreen on. UV rays can be harmful to your skin, and skin damage is pretty common amongst tennis players. It might be a hassle to slather on, especially for kids who find sunscreen icky but having some on when you play tennis in the heat will pay off.

Items to Wipe the Sweat With

Sweating when playing tennis can’t be avoided. It’s a part of any sport that you play, especially when giving your all to the sport. But it can be annoying, getting sweat in your eyes and on your hands. Towels are useful for wiping your head, forearms, and face of sweat when taking a break. Meanwhile, wristbands allow you to wipe your forehead of sweat during the game so you can focus better.

Extra Clothes

After playing a game of tennis, you or your kids will have worked up a sweat! Of course, you don’t want to go home dripping in sweat or wearing sweat-drenched clothes. It’s also not healthy to have wet clothes on your back when entering a fully airconditioned car. With extra clothes in your bag, you can change out of your wet ones and into cleaner, dry ones. Here are some clothing pieces you should put in your tennis bag:

• T-shirt
• Shorts
• Underwear
• Slippers (If you’ll be changing out of your tennis shoes)
• Socks 
• Tennis outfits or apparel

Wet Bag

A wet bag will come in hand when you’re changing, and you need a place to put your wet clothes in. Putting sweat-drenched clothes into your tennis bag is a no-no as you’ll only make your bag damp and smelly.

First Aid Kit

Of course, you can curate what medical items you want to put in your tennis bag. Athletic tape, Neosporin, Ibuprofen, band-aids, and having a few first aid items in your bag will come in handy should you ever need to use them. If you’re prone to rolling your ankles, pack some ankle braces.

Final Thoughts

It truly pays to be prepared, and for a tennis player, discipline is key to becoming a great athlete. Make sure you always have these items in your and your kids’ bags, and the only thing you’ll have to focus on is becoming an even better tennis player.

Are you looking to get the right tennis equipment and apparel for your little ones? Check out what Street Tennis Club offers here.