Ready Set Rackets is the Universal Rackets program for the littlest players: tennis, pickleball and padel for kids ages 1.5 to 5, taught through games with colorful targets, balloons and kid-sized paddles. Thirty-minute classes, a parent on court for the youngest, and a Ready Tots (1.5 to 3) and Ready Athletes (3 to 5) track so every child plays at the right speed. Classes run through townships and JCCs across the Philadelphia suburbs and in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.
A grown-up on court with every child. Balloon rallies, alligator catch, hit-the-hula and chase games that build hand-eye coordination, balance and the first swing.
About Ready Tots
Real paddles and rackets, foam balls, mini nets and targets. Kids learn to aim, rally and serve through quick games, and finish every class with a celebration.
About Ready Athletes
Weekday classes inside partner preschools and daycares, so kids play during the day they are already there. Ask your director, or send us the school's name.
For Schools
Junior tennis and junior pickleball clinics pick up where Ready Set Rackets leaves off, with the same coaches in many towns.
Junior ClinicsBecause the window for hand-eye coordination opens early, and because it is fun.
Toddlers and preschoolers are not learning tennis the way a 10-year-old does. They are learning to track a moving ball, get their body behind it, and swing at the right moment, the three skills every racket sport and most ball sports are built on. Ready Set Rackets teaches them through play: balloons that float slowly enough to hit, oversized foam balls, mini nets at knee height, hula-hoop targets and games with names like Alligator Catch and Red Light Green Light with Paddles. Nobody stands in line. Every child has a paddle in hand and a ball in play for most of the class.
Classes are 30 minutes, which is exactly as long as a three-year-old's attention span, and follow the same plan every week so kids know what is coming: a warm-up to get the wiggles out, a run of quick games one skill at a time, and a big finish. Ready Tots (1.5 to 3) always has a parent or grown-up on court. Ready Athletes (3 to 5) can be parent-on-court or drop-off depending on the town.
Because the program introduces tennis, pickleball and padel together, kids find the one they love. Many graduate straight into our junior tennis or junior pickleball clinics at 7.
Find a Ready Set Rackets ClassWeekend township classes run in Radnor (Sulpizio Gym, Sundays and Tuesdays), Wynnewood at the Kaiserman JCC (Saturdays), Lower Merion (Saturdays), Limerick (Monday mornings), Upper Dublin (Wednesday mornings) and, new for 2027, Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Saturdays, Morning and Midday classes). Weekday classes run inside partner preschools and daycares. The full schedule, pricing and registration are on readysetrackets.com.
Sessions are five weeks of 30-minute classes and start around $135 depending on the town. Equipment is provided: every paddle, racket, ball, balloon, net and hoop. Bring sneakers, comfy clothes and a water bottle.
Ready Set Rackets runs in the towns marked above and is expanding. Junior clinics for ages 7 and up run in every town listed here.
Limerick, Lower Providence, Lower Gwynedd, Plymouth Meeting, Upper Dublin, Upper Merion, Conshohocken, Springfield, Whitemarsh, Whitpain, Wynnewood (Kaiserman JCC)
Phoenixville, West Chester, Tredyffrin, Concord Township, Radnor, Lower Merion
La Salle University, Fox Chase, Lakewood Ranch, FL, Parrish, FL, Windsong Ranch, TX, Florida & Texas communities
Yes, with the right setup. A two-year-old in Ready Tots bats balloons, chases foam balls, aims at hula hoops and swings a kid-sized paddle with a grown-up beside them. It is coordination and confidence, built through games.
Ready Tots starts at 1.5 years with a parent on court. Ready Athletes is 3 to 5. Junior tennis and pickleball clinics start at 7. Ages are a guide, not a rule; if your child is close to the edge, ask us.
Yes. Classes use foam balls, balloons, lightweight kid-sized paddles and knee-high nets, and a coach runs every game. It is closer to a movement class than to adult pickleball.
Padel is a racket sport played on a small enclosed court with walls, like tennis crossed with squash. Kids play a toddler version in Ready Set Rackets with short rackets and soft balls. It builds the same tracking and swing skills as tennis and pickleball.
Ready Tots (1.5 to 3): yes, a grown-up plays alongside each child. Ready Athletes (3 to 5): depends on the town; some are drop-off.
Thirty minutes, once a week, for five weeks. Sessions start around $135 depending on the town, and all equipment is provided.
Radnor, Wynnewood (Kaiserman JCC), Lower Merion, Limerick and Upper Dublin, plus partner preschools. In Florida, Lakewood Ranch. See readysetrackets.com for the schedule.
Yes. Saturday Morning (8:30) and Midday (12:00) Ready Set Rackets classes run at Lakewood Ranch Park with Manatee County, starting January 2027.
Every town page shows live dates, times, levels and prices. Pick yours and grab a spot.