More Shropshire tennis clubs than ever have signed up to take part in this year’s Tennis for Kids programme, a popular Lawn Tennis Association initiative designed to introduce youngsters to the game.
Open to boys and girls aged between four and 11, six-week coaching lessons, developed by experts at the LTA, will be held around the country, many of them here in Shropshire, by qualified tennis coaches.
More than 20,000 children took part in the scheme nationally last year and the hope is for that figure to be exceeded in 2018, the third year which Tennis for Kids has been run.
Bob Kerr, the Tennis Shropshire chairman, said: “This is arguably the most successful initiative, certainly in terms of participation, that the LTA have come up with. We were delighted to see the number of children involved with Tennis for Kids in Shropshire more than double last year to 875.
“We had 19 tennis clubs around the county taking part last year and in 2018 that figure will be even higher as more and more clubs sign up and recognise just what a good initiative it is.
“Six-week lessons were previously offered between April and September, but now qualified coaches are allowed to run courses at any time during the year once they have been trained to implement the new format.
“The registration to sign youngsters up for Tennis for Kids is launched this week and we’re looking for lots and lots of youngsters to get involved and have fun playing tennis.”
Each child to sign up for the programme at a cost of £25 will receive six one-hour lessons in small groups at a local club together with a tennis racket and a ball to keep plus a personalised t-shirt delivered right to the child’s door.
Nigel Hunter, the director of tennis for Tennis Shropshire, added: “Tennis for Kids was first introduced after Great Britain won the Davis Cup in 2015 and we are delighted that more clubs than ever before will be taking part in Shropshire this year.
“The county’s coaches recently went on a training course with Annabel Croft, the former British number one, and this year’s programme is set to be bigger and better than ever.
“The LTA has bought 50,000 rackets, so let’s try and help make sure the LTA find homes for all their rackets and have to go and get some more – that would be a nice problem to have!
“Conversion rates of youngsters continuing to play tennis at the end of the initial six-week courses are already very healthy in Shropshire and we hope that will continue to increase.
“Compared to many counties in the UK, Shropshire already has more coaches and clubs taking part. The county has really got behind the scheme and it’s pleasing it has had such great results in getting more children playing tennis in Shropshire.”
To find the nearest club to you in Shropshire running Tennis for Kids courses in 2018, visit https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/TennisForKids and enter your post code.
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