Hot Shots vs School Holiday Camps: The Parent's Guide to Kids Tennis at the Tennis Courts in Ramsgate Beach

Searching for tennis courts in Ramsgate Beach for your child usually turns up Scarborough Park Sports Centre first: six courts inside Leo Smith Reserve on Hawthorne Street, a short walk from the beach. What's less obvious from a quick search is that there are two genuinely different ways to get your child started: the weekly Hot Shots program, or a school holiday camp. Both run on the same courts, with the same coaching team, but they suit different families. This guide compares the two directly, with prices and stages taken from the centre's own pages, so you can work out which one, or both, fits your family this term.

Hot Shots vs Holiday Camps: Prices at a Glance

Here's every junior price in one place, using the centre's current rates. Once you've picked a format, you can book a free trial lesson or check dates on the holiday camps page.

Why Term 4 Is Decision Time

Scarborough Park Sports Centre sits inside Leo Smith Reserve at 7 Hawthorne Street, Ramsgate Beach, and opens from 7am every day. There are no court lights and the centre closes at sundown, so call (02) 8395 7788 to confirm the closing time before you plan an afternoon session. It's operated by Sydney Sports Management Group in partnership with Bayside Council, and the six tennis courts sit alongside pickleball, basketball, soccer and volleyball courts on the same site.

Term 4 is the natural time to decide. Weekly after-school Hot Shots classes are running now, and the December school holidays are close enough to start planning camp days. Booking early gives you more choice of times and camp days, so it helps to settle on a format sooner rather than later.

Hot Shots: The Weekly Pathway, Stage by Stage

Hot Shots is Tennis Australia's national junior program. At Scarborough Park, Hot Shots lessons run for children aged 3 to 15 and are grouped by age and ability through these stages:

• Kinder: the entry stage
• Launch Pad (Blue stage): the foundation stage for brand-new players
• Red Ball: basic rally play on a modified court
• Orange Ball: introducing singles and doubles
• Green Ball: advancing rally and match skills
• Yellow Ball: full-court play for the most advanced juniors

Weekly fees depend on the stage and are billed by direct debit: $24 for Kinder, $29 for Launch Pad and Red Ball, $40 for Orange and Green Ball, and $44 for Yellow Ball. The NSW Active Kids Voucher gives eligible families $50 off enrolment. Send it through to the centre before your first paid session so the discount applies, and see our kids tennis pricing and voucher guide for how the 2026 voucher works, or check the Service NSW voucher page. A free introductory lesson is available for new players with no obligation to continue. Not sure which stage fits? Our Hot Shots stages explained guide breaks down each ball colour.

School Holiday Camps: The Intensive Option

For families who'd rather trial tennis in a concentrated block, or who need school-holiday-week care regardless, Scarborough Park runs multi-day holiday tennis camps for ages 4 to 14 across the major NSW school breaks:

• Full day: $90
• Half day: $70
• Single-day, multi-day and full-week bookings are all available
• Each week includes a complimentary Friday BBQ and round-robin tournament

Camps suit all skill levels, which makes them a lower-commitment way for a first-timer to try tennis before signing up to a term of weekly Hot Shots classes. For the daily schedule and what to pack, see our holiday tennis camps guide.

The Hot Shots Challenge: A Step Into Match Play

Beyond the weekly class, Scarborough Park runs weekly tennis competitions and the Hot Shots Challenge, a match-play event for Hot Shots players. It's a natural next step for a child who wants to try match play but isn't ready for, or isn't interested in, one-on-one private lessons. Not sure whether your child is ready? Our guide Hot Shots Challenge: is your child ready to compete? covers what to look for.

Which Should You Start With?

The two formats solve different problems, so the right starting point depends on what you want from the first few weeks:

• Choose Hot Shots if you want steady, term-long progression. A weekly structured class is where skills build, and your child is placed at the stage that matches their age and ability.
• Choose a holiday camp if you want a shorter commitment, a trial run or school-holiday care. Camps suit all skill levels, so a first-timer can try tennis without committing to a term.
• Not sure yet? Start with the free introductory lesson, which has no obligation to continue, then decide between weekly classes and camp days.

If you're still weighing up whether tennis is the right sport for your child at all, our guide to what tennis really does for kids covers the research.

How to Enrol, Step by Step

1. Decide the format: ongoing weekly progression (Hot Shots) or an intensive school-holiday block (holiday camp).
2. Call or email the centre on (02) 8395 7788 or scarboroughpark@ssmgroup.com.au to confirm current pricing and availability for your child's age, or use the contact page.
3. Book the free introductory lesson if your child is new to Hot Shots. There's no obligation to continue afterward.
4. Send through your Active Kids Voucher, if eligible, before your first paid session so the $50 discount applies.
5. Ask about the Hot Shots Challenge once your child is ready for match play, as a next step beyond the weekly class.

Common Mistakes Parents Make

Meet the Coach

Scarborough Park's junior programs are coached by Marcus Italiano, who is Tennis Australia accredited and holds a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Secondary Education from Macquarie University (2024), a Trainee Coaching Course certificate (2022), and current First Aid and CPR certification.

More at Scarborough Park

If your child is brand new to the sport, our beginner's guide to kids tennis covers equipment, first skills and court etiquette before lesson one. For schools, the centre's school programs (tennis, basketball, pickleball, soccer and volleyball) include a bus service for P–12 groups.

Frequently Asked Questions