Monitoring training is important for the prevention of overtraining and overuse injuries in young tennis players. Nowadays young players have training programs of high intensity and duration, both on and off court. Many Spanish young tennis players suffer from musculotendinous injuries. Some coaches expect results too quickly and do not respect the natural developmental phases of biological growth. Scientists and doctors, however, advise that prevention is an important key for long-term success. We worked for one year with two coaches, A and B. Coach A continuously trained with a high work load, without using a monitoring protocol. Coach B reduced the physical training load (endurance), and incorporated a monitoring protocol both on and off the court. This consisted of heart rate measurement every morning, medical screening three times a year, psychological testing (EMOtest) every two months, and a fitness test (FORM test) every three months. Coach B reduced total work load with 25% and increased the duration of the rest and recovery periods during and between training sessions. This lead to a 30% injury reduction of the players of coach B compared to those of coach A. Furthermore, the EMO test showed that the players of coach B were more confident and more positive. This study shows that strict monitoring of the training load, using simple tools, may prevent overtraining and reduce injury risk, and help the coach to individualise the training. It is recommended that coaches use a monitoring system to help young players achieve success and realise their full potential. Further studies may be needed to evaluate the effects on tennis performance.
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