Tennis

Swimming is the one activity every child should learn early, for safety as much as fitness. Chennai has BBMP pools in most zones, club pools and academy pools; look for a certified coach, a pool depth suited to beginners and a batch size under ten.

Badminton is Chennai's most popular indoor sport, with academies in almost every locality and the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy at the top of the pyramid. Look for wooden or synthetic courts, feeder coaches and a clear progression from beginner to competitive batches.

Cricket academies range from locality nets to KIOC and the KSCA academy. For a young player, look for turf wickets, age-group matches and a coach with a BCCI or state-association certification.