Junior tennis is a great training ground and can be a very positive experience given the right set of circumstances, attitude, etc.  The traditional 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under tournaments on both a national and international level offer talented juniors an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience against different types of players on different surfaces, under pressure situations.  For many years, top juniors have “played up”, i.e. played in higher age groups because they are dominating their own age group.  This can be a worthwhile strategy to gain match experience against better players.  However, it is not a good approach when players are really doing it to avoid the pressure of playing against their peers.  Some successful pros have opted to almost entirely skip the junior scene preferring to perfect their games and then join the pro tour.  For a few incredibly talented and lucky juniors, this approach may work, but it is the exception to the rule.  Even if a player is dominating the junior scene, that can also be a positive experience because of the confidence gained from winning so many tournaments, as well as the experience of winning while being “expected to win.”  Players will always face pressurized situations in the future and junior tournaments are the best place to learn how to deal with nerves and tough situations.  If they eventually progress onto the pro tour, then they have already learned how to handle these situations.