It's important that parents educate themselves on the Playing Pathway, including the point system that allows players to move from one competitive level to the next. Knowing and using the pathway effectively will allow parent-coaches and their children to set realistic tennis goals. Setting goals will allow parents and children to easily assess their progress toward playing at a desired level, whether it is playing high school tennis, earning a college scholarship or competing at the tour level.

The following chart outlines the nine levels of competitive tennis, starting with Little Tennis, for beginner children, and progressing all the way up to the professional level. 

 Description of levels