The LTA recently announced a new vision for tennis in Britain, as part of a long term strategy to grow the sport and open it up to many more people. You can read more about this on the LTA’s website, but the below gives a brief overview.
Working closely together with County Associations, including our own, the LTA develops tennis in Britain from grassroots participation through to the professional game. By all aligning behind the sport’s new vision of ‘Tennis Opened Up’, and the mission is to grow the sport by making it relevant, accessible, welcoming and enjoyable, we can help more people enjoy the benefits of our amazing sport and get involved in the way they want to.
Tennis is a sport that anyone can play; whatever their ability, and whatever community or background they are from. They can play at any age and for a whole lifetime, and it can provide physical, social and mental rewards both on and off the court. As lovers of the sport, we all know this, but we want tennis to be open to as many people as possible, across the whole of Britain.
The new vision will be at the heart of everything the sport does going forward, and it is something everyone involved in tennis can get behind. Collectively, we want to see many more people pick up a racket, whether it’s for the first time, or the first time in a while. We want to enable men and women of all ages and abilities to play more often, all year round. We know starting early is crucial to playing for the long-term too. We need more children to start playing and will do what it takes to make it as easy as possible for parents and kids across the whole of Britain to choose tennis, building new and developing existing relationships with schools and local communities, so more kids and young people than ever before are able to pick up a racket.
There remains a commitment to delivering a clear route for players to develop too – from starter sessions with our brilliant accredited coaches, to first-class support at the new National Academies due to open in the Autumn. The Player Pathway for tennis in Britain is designed to find and nurture the next generation of champions, with a particular focus on enabling young players to break into the top 100, win medals at the Olympics and Paralympics, and in turn, inspire fans across the nation.
Without volunteers, coaches, officials, clubs and venues, tennis simply can’t exist. They all play an essential role in the future of our sport, and so they will be provided with the right investment and support, while we will continue to celebrate their wonderful work through our County Awards and at a regional and national level through the LTA Tennis Awards.
Continuing to build the visibility of tennis will help engage with thousands more fans so that we can bring them closer to the sport, offering new ways for them to enjoy and get the most out of tennis. Britain has a reputation for staging truly world-class tennis tournaments, and this standout calendar of major tennis events will continue, taking tennis to new areas with events throughout the year, so as many people as possible can watch top-class tennis action.
We hope you share this vision for tennis for Britain, and the desire to see our sport and its benefits opened up to as many people as possible. To keep up to date with all the latest news and developments, make sure you check the LTA’s website www.LTA.org.uk and follow their official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Alternatively, if you have any questions you can contact the LTA’s Services Team on 020 8487 7000 or via [email protected].