Cross-lateral movement in sports might sound like a term from a science textbook, but trust us—it’s something your child is already doing (and benefiting from!) every time they play tennis. It’s not just about developing athletic ability—it’s about building better brain connections that help kids learn, move, and grow with confidence.
What Is Cross-Lateral Movement (And Why Should Parents Care)?
Simply put, cross-lateral movement is when the body crosses the midline. Imagine your child reaching their right arm across to touch their left knee. That’s it. These types of motions help both sides of the brain work together—and that’s a big deal, especially in early childhood development.
Activities like crawling, skipping, throwing, and swinging a racket all involve this important type of movement. It supports everything from reading and writing to balance, body control, and coordination.
How Tennis Helps Strengthen These Brain-Body Connections
When your child plays tennis—especially using our SMART Tennis™ approach—they’re naturally engaging in cross-lateral patterns. Whether they’re rallying with a partner or switching grips and sides, their brain is learning to coordinate both hemispheres.
Here’s how SMART Tennis™ makes it fun and effective:
- Movement-based learning: Every drill has a purpose, helping build neural pathways while your child plays.
- Dynamic, not robotic: Our activities encourage creative, whole-body movement—not rigid repetition.
- Age-appropriate skills: From Little Bouncers to Beginners, each level is designed to match where kids are developmentally.
Why This Matters Beyond the Court
Sure, tennis builds fitness and focus—but this kind of movement has long-term learning benefits, too. Studies show that kids who develop strong motor coordination and cross-body movement patterns often do better in school, especially with reading, handwriting, and problem-solving. It’s physical literacy for life.
Want to See the Difference?
At Tennis Time Academies, we use our SMART Tennis™ method to help kids build confidence step by step — not just in how they play, but in how they think, move, and show up in the world. Come try a class. Let your child feel success early, experience progress, and start walking a little taller.
Kids as young as 3 can begin! In fact, the earlier they start, the more naturally these skills develop alongside other learning milestones.
Tennis is uniquely effective because it combines agility, balance, and cross-lateral movement—all while being fun, engaging, and scalable to any skill level.
Yes! It supports better communication between the brain’s hemispheres, which improves focus, coordination, reading, and more.
Simple games like crawling races, cross-body clapping, or tossing a ball across the body can help. Look for activities that cross the midline and feel fun!
