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25 YEARS OF BRINGING NEW VOICES TO THE GAME

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Page 1: TF artwork

25 YEARS OF BRINGING NEW VOICES TO THE GAME

Page 2: TF artwork

TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 1

For 25 years it’s been our mission to bring the benefits of our wonderful sport to as many people as possible, regardless of background or ability. Perhaps it’s only now that we are really beginning to realise just how much tennis has the power to change lives for the better, and help individuals fulfil their potential, not just as players of course, but as people. Even more excitingly, perhaps our maturity as an organisation means we’re better placed than ever to know how to help deliver that change.

It has always involved hard work, as those of you who have worked for us will know. Often it has called for innovation and creativity. At other times it’s patience and sheer will that make the difference. But in every case, without fail, when progress is made, it’s made because we’ve listened.

Listened to the needs of the people who feel that tennis is ‘not for them’. To those who feel excluded or unwanted. Listened to those who feel unable to participate or progress in a sport that would love nothing more than for them to take part and progress. Listening to those reasons, understanding them, and answering them with actions that lead to change are at the heart of what our work is about.

Listening is fundamental for another reason. If this last quarter of a century has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is achieved in isolation. Courts are no good without players. Players need coaches. Coaches need training. People (and resources) everywhere need bringing together: schools, clubs, parks, local authorities, charities, organisations and individuals. The closer the links and the more open the channels of communication and co-operation, the stronger the entire tennis community.

This book is to commemorate and thank all of those who have contributed to our work in building that community. There can be no better way to celebrate than to show that in listening and responding to voices that say “It’s not for me”… it’s possible to create new and more powerful voices in people who have discovered that, yes, in fact tennis is for them. Their stories of achievement, discovery, growth, empowerment, progress and joy are powerful proof that our work has been and continues to be worthwhile.

25 years listening and responding to voices that say “it’s not for me”

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 1

For 25 years it’s been our mission to bring the benefits of our wonderful sport to as many people as possible, regardless of background or ability. Perhaps it’s only now that we are really beginning to realise just how much tennis has the power to change lives for the better, and help individuals fulfil their potential, not just as players of course, but as people. Even more excitingly, perhaps our maturity as an organisation means we’re better placed than ever to know how to help deliver that change.

It has always involved hard work, as those of you who have worked for us will know. Often it has called for innovation and creativity. At other times it’s patience and sheer will that make the difference. But in every case, without fail, when progress is made, it’s made because we’ve listened.

Listened to the needs of the people who feel that tennis is ‘not for them’. To those who feel excluded or unwanted. Listened to those who feel unable to participate or progress in a sport that would love nothing more than for them to take part and progress. Listening to those reasons, understanding them, and answering them with actions that lead to change are at the heart of what our work is about.

Listening is fundamental for another reason. If this last quarter of a century has taught us anything, it’s that nothing is achieved in isolation. Courts are no good without players. Players need coaches. Coaches need training. People (and resources) everywhere need bringing together: schools, clubs, parks, local authorities, charities, organisations and individuals. The closer the links and the more open the channels of communication and co-operation, the stronger the entire tennis community.

This book is to commemorate and thank all of those who have contributed to our work in building that community. There can be no better way to celebrate than to show that in listening and responding to voices that say “It’s not for me”… it’s possible to create new and more powerful voices in people who have discovered that, yes, in fact tennis is for them. Their stories of achievement, discovery, growth, empowerment, progress and joy are powerful proof that our work has been and continues to be worthwhile.

25 years listening and responding to voices that say “it’s not for me”

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“It’s too difficult”

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 5

Tennis, difficult? It is. And that’s the most valuable thing about it. Too difficult? Absolutely not, it’s possible for anyone. Manage expectations, set reasonable goals, and the fact that it takes work is what makes it so thoroughly rewarding. One of our major challenges these past 25 years has been not just to convince people that tennis isn’t as difficult as it looks, but to innovate and adapt it so that it really is achievable for everyone.

And that means everyone. Whether you’re two or ninety-two, whether you’re visually impaired or hearing impaired or paraplegic or autistic, there should be a way for you to enjoy tennis. And thanks to our work and others’, there is. We believe that if you can match the game to people’s needs and capabilities, there is no end to the joy and personal benefits that it can bring. Our aim is for the full inclusion of disabled people across all areas of tennis: community, coaching, performance. We will be developing and funding a series of disability hubs around the country that will provide equipment, support, training and more – everything required to bring the game to these groups. You don’t have to be hitting blistering passes on Centre Court. For some, just to feel fresh air in their lungs and a ball bounce on the strings is a source of immeasurable pleasure and achievement.

4 TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

45,800 dISABlEd PEOPlE PlAY TENNIS ONCE A MONTH 1

91,000 OVER 55s PlAY TENNISONCE A WEEk 2

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY6 7

Innovating and adapting – make the game fit the needIt’s common sense that a child is going to struggle to manage full-sized rackets, fast bouncing balls and a big court. First short tennis with its sponge balls, and then mini tennis with its lower pressure balls graded red, orange and green have addressed this: lower nets, less far to run, the chance to maximise court space by playing across the court. Kids love it and learn faster with it. But mini tennis means that other groups have been able to benefit too. Wheelchair beginners, children with learning disabilities, adult learners and the elderly for example.

A little creativity and common sense today makes a big difference to lives tomorrow. We’ve developed purpose-built kits that have, thanks to the LTA’s sponsorship with AEGON, gone into 500 special schools and opened the game out to people with autism, Down’s syndrome and many other types of learning and behavioural difficulty. Thanks to an innovation from Japan, tennis can now be played by visually impaired and even completely blind people, using an audible ball with bearings at its core. Players are allowed two or three bounces depending on their level of visual impairment. Its popularity is extraordinary. Whilst the differences are less radical, there are alterations, mostly in communication, to adapt the game for hearing impaired players, too. Much of our work in the area of disabilities is carried out in close partnership with the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust. In 2012 the Trust donated 60 tennis wheelchairs, for free, to 13 tennis venues across Great Britain, to help those inspired by tennis at the Paralympic Games to give the sport a go in their local area.

Many people think tennis is too difficult. But with the right care and attention to the needs of each individual it’s an incredible success. These transition balls – green in particular are great – give them access to the sport. At first it was chaos: the boys loved the feeling of hitting the balls as high as possible into the surrounding gardens. It was more like cricket than tennis. But we could see from the start how it could be made to work. They were loving it. Since then every child in the school is taught tennis. It gives them instant feedback. They see themselves improving right before their eyes.”

Cefyn JonesP.E. teacher and qualified tennis coach at Falconer School, Bushey, for children with social, emotional and behavioural special needs. Falconer was awarded British Tennis School of the Year in 2011.

Ray of hope – tennis in spinal unitsSo tennis is all about running is it? Think again. Many of the UK’s most successful tennis players have spinal injuries, brittle bones or have lost limbs, and some cannot run at all. They play in a chair. Seeing what can be achieved even with the severest of disabilities – in and out of a chair – and supporting the progress of disabled players at all levels from beginner to Paralympic champions is nothing less than inspiring.

For each disabled person coming to tennis it’s a journey, and being there and providing a credible route for progress at different stages is our aim. The Tennis Foundation takes chairs and rackets to the spinal injury unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital (and other spinal injury units around the country) to demonstrate the sport. For many patients coming to terms with their injuries to be able to see tennis being played is a ray of light, and something to aim for and look forward to. In fact the journey for two of our finest wheelchair players, Peter Norfolk and Janet McMorran, began at Stoke Mandeville. The Tennis Foundation has received a grant from the Spinal Injuries Association and the Dan Maskell Tennis Trust to support local coaches to deliver tennis in the Spinal Injury Units in Britain during 2012-13.

You have to go through stages with disabled sport. First it’s all about rehabilitation. Then it’s recreation. Then it’s competition. You have to go from can’t do to can do, it’s a journey. When I first saw tennis at Stoke Mandeville it was like a light bulb going off in my head. I watched them play and I thought: ‘that’s the sport for me.’”

Peter Norfolk, OBE, was paralysed in a motorbike accident aged 19. He became a double Paralympic gold medallist and multiple tournament winner, the World No. 1 quad player.

I spent half an hour playing tennis with a young girl in an electric wheelchair. She couldn’t speak, was partially deaf and had very limited movement. The game was on the tray of her chair, pushing the ball back and forth, no more than a foot apart, but the smile on her face and the enjoyment she was getting out of it said it all. In the end anyone can do tennis. There’s always something you can do to make it achievable.”

Tom GibbinsHead of Education, Tennis Foundation.

Did you know?Wheelchairs have developed a lot since the days when wheelchair tennis was played in standard hospital wheelchairs.

Peter Norfolk

a hit

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY8 9

Same side of the net – integration Perhaps it is difficult to appreciate just how special it is to share a sport with family and friends unless the possibility has been taken away from you. But tennis does something with ease that many sports struggle to: it brings non-disabled and disabled players together and allows them to play the same game on the same court at the same time. For many disabled players tennis has given back what their injury or illness took away: the camaraderie, the laughter, the bonds they enjoyed with companions previously. Tennis lends itself naturally to integration.

The inclusive nature of tennis is one of its biggest attractions for disabled people. For example the only concession to the wheelchair user is that they are allowed two bounces of the ball – but many do not even need that. Nowadays there are mixed competitions on court, whilst other wheelchair tournaments invite non-disabled players to compete… in a chair of course. Whole families play visually impaired tennis together. The value of ‘reuniting’ a disabled person with the non-disabled world is inestimable.

I’m very excited about working with the Tennis Foundation. They have been really supportive. They’re helping us develop a ball that is more affordable yet more robust, get more coaches and volunteers involved, showcase the game and set up more competitions. We went to Japan with them to learn how the coaching was structured and run there.

We were captivated by how the Japanese moved around the court and returned the ball with no vision at all! It was fantastic – it was like ‘wow, this is what I’ve always wanted to do!’ Personally, blind tennis has quite simply given me a new lease of life.”

Alan Wetherley contracted Leber’s disease, a genetic condition, and lost his sight overnight, aged nine. Alan is now a Level 2 coach for visually impaired tennis, and working at Metro Blind Sport based in South East England in partnership with the Tennis Foundation to bring the sport to as many people as possible.

For me tennis is a sport that is really good at integrating people who’ve had an accident into what you would call mainstream society. That’s why for me tennis is the best sport for a newly injured person to get into.”

Tony Knappett fell off a roof at work in 1997 aged just 23 – and was paralysed from the chest down. He began playing wheelchair tennis that same year and quickly went on to represent Great Britain in tournaments around the world. He currently runs the North West Challenge Wheelchair Tennis Tournament and organises a wheelchair tennis group at South Ribble Tennis Centre.

24,200dISABlEd PEOPlE PlAY TENNIS

ONCE A WEEk IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS*

* Active People Survey 6 (APS6) April 2011/ 2012

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 11

Confidence and independenceTennis has a happy knack of improving the confidence and independence of people who play it, particularly younger players, and particularly disabled players. Possibly that’s because it’s so easy to measure progress, possibly it’s because the sport requires, ultimately, an individual to take the responsibility for his or her own actions, and a good degree of focus. But it actually helps that it’s not entirely easy: an increase in self-esteem is the natural result of overcoming challenges.

Throughout our teaching and coaching programmes, and in the way that our camps and competitions are structured, we try to ensure that goals are achievable, that people are placed in groups of a similar level, and that ‘difficult’ is always broken down into smaller obtainable elements that are anything but difficult.

There was a young lad coming down to the club, about seven years old. I said to his mother one day ‘Forgive me, because it’s none of my business, and not my place to intrude, but I can’t help but noticing that you push him into the club in his chair. Now it’s not for me to say, but for him to play wheelchair tennis, the lad is going to need strong arms. Maybe it’s an idea to let him push himself, be there if he needs it obviously, or uphill, but let him manage himself a little.’ Well some months later that mother came to me and she said that one day the boy had slung his bag over his shoulder, gone up to her, and announced he was off to play tennis. On his own, in his chair. His opponent was able-bodied by the way. Just that simple thing made a massive difference to him. That’s tennis.”

Ivor Jess, MBE broke his back cycling aged 23. He is Tournament Director, Belfast Open; a wheelchair player; and founder of the Spokes in Motion Tennis Club.

Even we – his parents – have learned from it. His coach Lesley said to us one day that he gets nervous. I said at first I find that difficult to believe. But I think she was right. And tennis has helped him overcome that, it gives him focus and confidence. Success helps, being told you’re good helps.

The main thing is enjoying it. Me asking him if he fancied a game of tennis and him saying ‘ok, let’s go’… well ten years ago it was never on. To be able to do that together, that’s very rewarding. It’s also given him something for when we’re not here, which helps him to become more independent.”

Stephen Eccles’ son Joseph is autistic. Joseph represented Great Britain at the Athens 2011 Special Olympics, winning a silver medal. Joseph has now passed his Level 1 coaching award.

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY12 13

Never retire! – fit for lifeMany people watch the superhuman exploits of Federer, Murray and Nadal and jump quickly to the conclusion that they’re not fit enough for tennis. Our job is about finding ways to persuade people that it’s just the opposite: tennis is a great way to get fit. In fact tennis now offers aerobic sessions set to music and run by qualified coaches that are aimed specifically at fitness for players of all abilities. It’s called Cardio Tennis and it’s enjoying ever greater popularity all around the country.

Mini tennis for seniors is now widespread, meaning players can continue playing into old age. In fact there are tournaments in America for the over 90s – so there’s plenty to be ambitious about – it can be done!

The original members of our mini tennis for the over-60s included one lady with MS and several with hip and/or knee replacements.

We’re all now over 70 with very differing abilities. We play in teams of three (games up to eleven points) and allow double bounces, which prolongs the rallies and ensures our ‘winners’ keep coming back! The game keeps us fit and flexible but quite a lot of the healthy benefits come from laughter! We then undo all the good work by retiring to the clubhouse for coffee and too many biscuits.”

Julie HighamMini tennis player, (age withheld!)

-40%RACkETS ARE 40% lIGHTER

THAN 30 YEARS AGO*

Did you know?The world’s oldest registered tennis player is maintaining a busy training schedule – despite being 95 years of age. Artin Elmayan plays tennis three times a week, and praises the sport’s health benefits.

Deafness is a hidden disability and that’s a real barrier to overcome. To watch deaf players is to watch people with no obvious problem.

You watch, but you don’t realise that the players don’t hear the ball bounce or hear the spin or the slice or the impact, which gives you an idea of the speed… another big difference is balance: you sway, your balance is not the same. Also normally you can hear your feet move and shuffle, but without it you can’t judge your movement in the same way, so you lose your footing.

No one can see that from the outside. It’s so important that we grow the sport and get people into it younger, just for its benefits. That will help people integrate and get out of the deaf circle and into the wider world. This really needs encouraging, this integration, it’s really important, especially for communication.”

Lewis FletcherGB Hearing impaired tennis player, Head Coach and Director Tennis Xperience.

* ITF (itftennis.com)

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY14 15

Difficult to give up – tennis for the sheer joy of it So we say: yes, tennis is challenging, but not too difficult. And quite aside from hope and integration and confidence and independence and fitness we believe this ‘difficulty’ gives something even more important to the people who play it.

Pleasure.

It’s fun. And from the first volley to the first rally or the first ever net cord falling your way and not theirs to the first set, match, competition you ever win… it just goes on being fun.

Sundays and Wednesdays I’d go down to Bishop’s Park to have a hit. I loved the training. I loved being out of doors. We’d play in the rain, the snow, brush the leaves away, put on coats, gloves, scarves…. nothing was going to stop us playing tennis, we loved it.”

Janet McMorranFormer British women’s No.1 wheelchair tennis player; four-time Paralympian; US Open Super Series finalist, 2001.

We heard this laughter from a couple of courts down. When the ball went dead we looked across, wondering who it was. It was a player who is no longer with us, Kitty Godfrey, playing mixed doubles, all of them a certain age, eighty-something she must have been, strapped up like you can’t imagine and trying to make each other run, half-volleying everywhere, and laughing.

That’s the way this game can get you. Wherever you are in the game you can play with someone of the same standard and have a wonderful wonderful time.”

Sir Cliff RichardOBE, Vice-President, Tennis Foundation.

It’s just like being fully sighted again as if you were just playing tennis, you know, like a regular person. That is something I enjoy… it brings people together. It keeps you fit… it helps people develop their spatial awareness.”

DavidHertfordshire.

One of the guys, he’s 50, he’s got Multiple Sclerosis, he walks around with a stick, so his disability couldn’t really be more different to mine but we still have a good game.”

IsaacLondon.

I prefer to play sports with deaf people so that we can understand each other easily… with hearing people I can get left out easily and that’s no good.”

ThomasSurrey.

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“There’s nowhere to play”

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 1918

No courts, no tennis. Over the last quarter of a century along with the LTA, All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Sport England and the support of many others we have invested very heavily in this most fundamental area: trying to give as many people as possible easy and affordable access to somewhere to play. And it’s not just courts. Add floodlights and you can play for longer. Add a roof and you can play in the winter and the rain. The Indoor Tennis Initiative saw 52 Community Indoor Tennis Centres built around the country.

But there’s more to it than the courts themselves. Great courts are no use if they are empty: they need to be well served by coaching and activities, welcoming, good quality and rooted in the community. Wherever we’ve invested, we’ve also invested in people and programmes too. Add, whenever it’s possible, facilities where people can meet, have a drink and mingle, and your roots become stronger still.

2,720 REGISTEREd PlACES TO PlAY IN THE uk 3

£46m PlANNEd INVESTMENT IN INdOOR ANd PARk COuRTS 2009 – 2013 4

123 VENuES OFFER TENNIS FOR dISABlEd PlAYERS 5

TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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20 TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 21

Winter warmers – the Indoor Tennis InitiativeTennis infrastructure received an investment of some £100 million via this programme, carried out in partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, UK Sports Council and LTA. The Tennis Foundation (known then as The LTA Trust) contributed some £16 million of that. We created and funded roles for Tennis Development Officers at each centre to make sure that the new centres – 52 were built in total – were linked to the communities they served. The major effort was in a 10-year building period between 1987 and 1997 that saw the establishment of 44 centres representing over 200 covered courts. The objective was to introduce the sport to new participants, and research has shown that one-third of the users at the centres came into tennis through this route.

However, these Community Indoor Tennis Centres not only provide venues for grass-roots programmes, over time they have become vital in servicing the needs of tournament tennis, where they host over 80% of the indoor tournament calendar. They are indispensable to the High Performance Programme – more than 50% of recognized performance activity takes place in them, and many are High Performance Centres too. They also support junior, wheelchair and hearing impaired performance player development.

We are currently investing significantly in improving the performance of these Community Indoor Tennis Centres to help restore their place at the heart of communities. We believe that a lot of our recent work with communities, new approaches to boosting the tennis workforce, and the experiences taken on board from our huge investment 20 years ago is really going to make a big difference.

With the Indoor Tennis Initiative a number of barriers suddenly didn’t exist, one of them being membership and the perception of having to be a certain standard or having to know someone to be able to join.

The Indoor Tennis Initiative opened up tennis to a significant number of people and provided well-needed indoor courts in this country where we hardly had any.

We had to get the message out that it wasn’t private, you didn’t have to wear traditional tennis gear and so on, and to do that we did sports days, open days, we went into the market square and set a court up and gave out leaflets, anything. With the coaching programme, the indoor centre at Nottingham was jammed out from the word go at the times you’d expect.

The centre proved to other people that indoor courts were a viable business proposition: we showed the demand was there. In ‘97 a new private members club with 9 indoor courts started up – then another, then another – suddenly the city had over 20 indoor courts.”

Richard JoynerFormer Tennis Manager, Nottingham Tennis Centre, currently LTA Tournament Director.

Tennis Freestyle is awesome, I have just earned my green band and I now want to get my black and become a legend!”

Charlie Berrey 10, Tennis Freestyle player.

Did you know?The origin of the use of “love” for zero possibly derives from the French expression for “the egg” (l’oeuf) because an egg looks like the number zero.

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 23

One game all – parksParks have formed a part of our strategy since the start because they are quite simply a great way to get people playing. There’s no better advert for tennis than a public place with a positive vibe filled with the ‘thock’ of tennis balls and the sound of people having fun. With the help of our sponsors AEGON many new Beacon Sites have been created around the country. Beacon Site accreditation is awarded to venues who demonstrate a real commitment to making tennis affordable and accessible, and through this they receive further support from the Tennis Foundation, LTA and AEGON as part of the AEGON Parks Tennis scheme.

Re-energising tennis in parks has meant rather more than repainting the lines. The real lines are quite invisible, and extend way beyond the courts and out into the local community. Another high profile initiative around parks has been the City Tennis Clubs, focusing on urban areas in non-traditional territory for tennis. The learning gathered from these past programmes is now being fed back into eight even more adventurous Community Pilots, where thorough consultation and engagement takes place with many different groups and bodies before a penny is invested. The signs are encouraging and it should prove to be highly successful and cost-effective. By the time we talk to local authorities we are well informed about the issues on the ground, and this puts us in a much stronger position to put forward practical suggestions for increasing tennis activity.

It started with about 20 kids from the school where I was teaching, and the club developed from that. I worked for two years voluntarily, running it from home. All we had were the courts at Clissold Park, no storage, nothing.

Now we administer all 22 courts in Hackney on behalf of the Borough, nearly all of which have been resurfaced. We’ve now got planning permission for floodlights and almost enough money to build a clubhouse. Within 12 months of starting we were chosen to be the first City Tennis Club in the country and the launch of that whole scheme was done here, so the publicity obviously helped, and we went up to about 1,000 in the first year.

We now have some 5,000 on the database. The majority of those were new to the game. This year we won seven out of the eight AEGON leagues we entered. A lot is owed to the dedication and hard work of the coaches here.”

Jan CoombsTennis Manager, Clissold Park, Hackney.

THOCK!THOCK!THOCK!

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY24 25

An Olympic and Paralympic legacyThe purpose-built London 2012 Paralympic venue for tennis at Eton Manor at the Olympic Park in Stratford provided an electrifying atmosphere for the event. We want the positive energy to remain. We have worked hard in consultation with the Lee Valley Regional Parks Authority to make sure these Paralympic Games leave a legacy for tennis on the site. Work is now under way to convert the venue from Games to public mode, with the provision of four (and possibly eight) indoor and six outdoor courts.

The location is ideal for opening up tennis to non-traditional communities, and even before the facilities are completed we’ve been working with the inner London Olympic/Paralympic boroughs and their communities to establish improved tennis facilities in key parks. Part of the legacy will involve the appointment of a Tennis Development Officer aimed at overseeing community engagement, coaching schemes, ensuring affordable tennis and, of course, the ongoing presence of tennis for disabled people at the site. The Tennis Foundation has lent its support, for example, to the FRE Flyers, a community-based multi-sports club aimed at breaking down the boundaries between elite and amateur sport.

It’s a fairly socially deprived area so it’s important to provide opportunities for the young people and adults alike, and a lot of the kids here today are very new to tennis, so hopefully we’ll keep them engaged and give them a bit of a focus to carry on. We want to spread activity out across the borough. We’re also looking to do more in the schools and also a lot in the community groups – we’re taking tennis into the community because we can’t expect everyone to come to these courts.”

Rachael PorszCommunity Tennis Project Manager Tower Hamlets, LTA.

We are going to fund a tennis development manager for the area, and the recruitment of coaches at Eton Manor, plus activities that will bring in some of the local communities. Some of the people we are engaging are really making things happen, people who’ve never played are helping take us into really non-traditional communities and places. Their community engagement skills are making a real difference. It’s an exciting time.”

Mike BainCommunity Tennis Pilot and CITC Director.

The whole world’s a court – new places to playOf course it’s not strictly true that we need courts to have fun with tennis balls and a racket. Why not trade a net for volleys over a statue or a skip? Improvise a game against a wall? Or play a trick or twenty? To music! By doing away with the more formal, traditional way of doing things Tennis Freestyle is attracting a new generation of youngsters to the sport. No rules, no lines, lots of skill, lots of fun.

But that’s just one of many innovations. Gone are the days of being obliged to be dressed in white on a fancy court with a wind break and a shiny net – now you’ll also find us in playgrounds, tiny community centres like the Osmani and Atlee centres in Tower Hamlets, multi use games areas: anywhere a ball can bounce and it looks like people want to have fun. All of which is helping us find a new workforce. We’re training people from the local community, since having a familiar face delivering the sport seems crucial for confidence at this level, and we’ve had some real success with schemes such as the free Tennis Activators course, which gives people the tools they need to set tennis up in just a few hours.

Kids just want to play. You need to keep them engaged all the time or you’ll lose them over the space of a couple of weeks. We wanted to avoid queues and waiting, and keep them involved. I think they like the spontaneous and creative nature of taking it away from a court to somewhere new. We call it ‘street tennis’.”

James Keatley Head Coach, Tennis Freestyle.

Did you know?allplay is an LTA initiative to improve access to tennis – it provides information about the nearest courts in your area and people to play with.

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“I’ve got no-one to play with”

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY 29TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY28

There’s no getting away from it. If you want to play a full game of tennis on a court, you need someone else to play with. We’re working hard to get the message across that far from being an obstacle, this is a great opportunity. Tennis is a wonderful way to meet people: new friends, partners, social circles. We look to make that opportunity available in as many forms in as many places as possible. There are lots of group sessions – from coaching to camps to tournaments – where players can find others of like mind and ability.

Our partner the LTA has a brilliant new resource which is opening doors all over the country: the allplay website (allplaytennis.com). Using a set of search criteria you can locate someone near you looking for a game within seconds! It also helps find coaches and places to play. The LTA’s promotion of Cardio Tennis – group aerobic classes held by a qualified instructor to music – has also proved to be a great way to bring people together. We take this activity into many of the areas we support, including parks, schools, colleges and universities.

577,996 MEMBERS OF REGISTEREd PlACES TO PlAY 6

417,200 PlAYERS PARTICIPATE WEEklY 7

* As of October 2012

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TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY30 31

In it together – camps and open daysThe Tennis Foundation runs many camps, and supports many more all around the country. Having events, normally structured over a weekend, gives people time to get to know each other and shared activities to bond over. We run camps for children and adults with all kinds of disabilities, sometimes mixed, sometimes specifically for the deaf, wheelchair players or those with learning disabilities, and performance players too. We ran eight wheelchair development camps directly last year, and four learning disability camps, involving 80 and 94 players respectively.

On one camp we had a nine year-old playing a 76 year-old on the same court. Nine and 76 but what they have in common is that both are in wheelchairs and both want to play tennis. But there’s another side to the camps – the mums and dads sit in the coffee shop watching what’s going on and chatting to other parents and relatives. The amount they get out of it is massive.

There’s something magical going on on the court, but when you watch the parents chatting away and sharing experiences you realise that’s pretty magical too. It’s not all about what happens on court.”

Becky TilleyCompetitions and Events Manager, Tennis Foundation.

I like the individuality of tennis, but it’s still a great way to make friends. In wheelchair tennis everyone seems to mingle and get on. I’ve made a lot of friends in the years that I’ve been playing. In fact, on the first camp I ever went to I met Louise Hunt, who’s the current British No. 3. I think I was four years old and she was five. Ever since then we’ve been best friends. If someone put a camera on us when we were abroad it would make a great reality TV show! From just one camp I have made a lifelong friend.”

Jordanne Whiley Wheelchair tennis performance player, Paralympic bronze medal winner 2012.

I really enjoyed social tennis, it was friendly, a lot of people came and it was really great to meet so many new faces, since I only moved down to London this year.“

Mark Norman24, University of Roehampton.

Did you know?People can find their ‘perfect partner’ through tennis. Look at Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi!

91,000PEOPlE OVER 55 PlAY TENNIS

ONCE A WEEk*

* Active People Survey 6 (APS6)(April 2011/ 2012)

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Foundations for the future – building places to meet If you turn up in person hoping to find someone to play with, courts alone don’t help too much. Walking into a clubhouse, pavilion or café certainly does. People to ask, noticeboards to read, players around for longer – it’s obvious that to sustain a significant programme it helps greatly to have a focal point. Our funding criteria allows for clubhouse development or improvement, right down to lighting and paths to improve access.

Kelvin Grove is a park in Glasgow with tennis and bowling. In partnership with Glasgow Life and the LTA we’re supporting a new clubhouse there. This fabulous park needs more than courts and we recognise that. At Roundhay Park in Leeds there’s a tired old shack, and in partnership with the council and Friends of the Park we’re going to upgrade that so that the local community has a meeting place. We’d like to go further and do more of course, but buildings are expensive and planning permission is often hard to obtain. Even so, we are active up and down the country. We understand it’s not all about shiny new courts. Meeting people socially and finding people to play with is fundamental.

I gave up my job, re-mortgaged my house and set up the café in the pavilion. For me there was no going back. I knew the café was the secret to the business. The pavilion is the heart and soul of it. We offered art and music classes, exhibitions, anything just to get people in.

The next thing you know the tennis was going up. Everything started to connect. We sponsored school tennis teams, we’d give a mini bus for them to use in exchange for facilities – all the time things were connecting. It was a real community hub, and I think the community is everything.

We’ll hold a jazz festival – but the local school bands will play first – and 3,000 people come along. That’s why our tennis numbers are so high. People come along and there’s always someone here to encourage and drag them onto a court. Now we have 550 on our tennis camps.”

Robbie SukhdeoDirector, Albert Road Recreation Ground.

We’re 75% of the way through a total redevelopment of the club, which the LTA have helped fund, and part of our agreement was to provide a community tennis programme. We started it in April 2011, branching out into one school, Lordswood School, and two parks, Canon Hill Park and Queens Park. The important thing here is the outreach. We’re going out to them, not vice versa.

To work the scheme needs to be local. Concentrate on what’s achievable, with facilities close-by, don’t dilute your efforts. Next, you’ve got to commit. You can’t fiddle-faddle around the edges. We appointed a community coach focused entirely on this programme.

Next: facilities are vital. You can’t expect kids to embrace the game if they walk on to a court with weeds on – that’s where the LTA and Tennis Foundation come in. The whole thing needs a hub: that’s where we come in. You need local help in sponsorship.

The County Tennis Association is involved. If you get all of those things together it works. It’s partnership all the way down the line. It’s exciting seeing it gather momentum, and the enthusiasm being generated, it feeds off itself in the end. It’s getting it going that’s the key.”

Micky FallowsChairman, Edgbaston Priory Tennis Club.

Friendly rivalries – competitions Another misconception we’d love to dispel: you have to be good to compete. You don’t. We run and support competitions for all levels, even beginners, and even competitions where coaches can stop the action to comment and offer advice. All that matters in a competition is that you are matched with people of a similar ability… which in turn is a great way to find a playing partner. Competitions bring people together, so even if you go as a spectator, you’ll meet other spectators, players and organisers. All through our history we’ve helped run competitions: in schools, in universities, between the boroughs of London, between parks teams all over the country. So many of them, and they’ve given rise to countless friendships. And rivalries, of course.

Open arms – clubs and social tennisThe Tennis Foundation encourages clubs to take on and enjoy the responsibility of strengthening the sport. There’s a vast amount to be gained from reaching out to other venues and the wider community, and it’s to the benefit of all that clubs are welcoming, inclusive, “go-to” places.

‘Social tennis’ is an initiative popular at many clubs, parks, universities and colleges aimed at finding people to play with. Open sessions are arranged in which players can turn up, find someone to have a game with, and have fun in a relaxed environment. It is usually directed at people of varying standards not in official teams.

Did you know?There was a 20% increase in participation of women in 2011.

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“It’s only for posh people”

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Strawberries and cream, green and purple, ‘new balls please’. The Championships at Wimbledon is unique, is still the world’s best tennis tournament, and the fact that it has remained true to itself through changing times is one of its most globally appealing facets. Its great traditions are the reason it is so loved around the world. The revenue it generates underpins our sport.

Is this the only face of tennis? Of course not. Wimbledon was the scene of a passionate, but very different tennis tournament in 2012 – the Olympics. Was it ‘posh’? Not at all. Was it a success? An enormous success. London hosts another unique tournament, similarly successful, but far removed in tone: the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena. Same sport. Different spectacle. But there is room for all of them, just as there is room for all types of player from all types of background in the sport in general.

There is no hiding it: tennis has been considered an elitist sport in days gone by. Even today, whilst there are many very progressive, community conscious and open-minded private clubs, others choose to resist wider interaction. Tennis is evolving around them all the same. It is finding new ways to grow all the time. The Tennis Foundation is proud to support and drive the many ways in which the sport is reinventing itself, and we are totally committed to opening it out to new ethnic and social groups, new areas of the country, new disability groups: tennis should be available to everyone and everyone should feel that tennis is for them.

TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

BN1 TENNIS FREESTYlE IS BEING INTROduCEd IN BIRMINGHAM 8

PE30 WE ARE dEVElOPING A lOCAl WORkFORCE IN RuRAl kINGS lYNN 9

E1 WE ARE TAkING TENNIS INTO THE BANGlAdESHI COMMuNITY IN TOWER HAMlETS 10

1,630 COuRTS BOOkEd IN TOWER HAMlETS FROM MAY TO JulY 2012 11

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Bringing people together – community engagementEngaging with the community is not new. We’ve been doing it for many years, sometimes with great success, other times with more mixed results. The Indoor Tennis Initiative (now the Community Indoor Tennis Centre programme) and the City Tennis Clubs schemes stand out as making a difference. Part of their success is the way low cost, high access, coaching and community engagement combined. The City Tennis Clubs had ambitious aims:

“To make tennis truly accessible to all, irrespective of social or financial background; to use tennis to provide a healthy, drug-free activity for life; to provide positive influence in the lives of young people in order to develop their confidence, self-esteem and respect for others; to provide opportunities for young people to achieve their full potential within the game.”

To bring tennis to football mad places like Liverpool or Tipton in the West Midlands, or to areas of London like Hackney and Highbury has been a big achievement.

These are exciting times. Not only have we learned a great deal from these schemes, but we’ve begun to see new ways forward in terms of accessing communities, increasing the workforce, and linking people together. We understand that working with ethnic communities and a whole range of social groups is important – we’ve formed partnerships with the likes of the Muslim Women’s Sports Federation, London Youth, Shaheli, and the Minority Ethnic Women’s Network. But bringing these people together with clubs, schools and authorities in new and challenging ways is changing the landscape for tennis. We’re currently a year into eight Community Tennis Pilots that will test our most ambitious and innovative ideas yet to get more people working in partnership, and more people from deprived backgrounds playing. The pilots are in Birmingham, Swansea, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leeds, Kings Lynn, Portsmouth, and Tower Hamlets in London.

There’s so much to say on this interlinking – it’s massive. Historically we’ve worked in isolation – funded a club maybe but not engaged with the local school, or the council or community groups at the same time.

With our eight pilots in particular our attitude has become much more granular. Five of our pilot schemes involve employing a pilot project manager. Many have a very different background to the traditional tennis workforce.

They’re not necessarily tennis experts, but they do have an understanding of community and a couple are doing a fantastic job with no tennis knowledge at all. They understand the issues. These guys are shining, bringing fresh ideas and fresh approaches.”

Funke Awoderu Inner City Development Manager (2001-2006), LTA.

Did you know?Colour television was the reason the white ball was exchanged for the bright yellow ball.

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The power of community – Albert RoadThere are probably few things less posh than a gang-ridden park. But that is what confronted “Robby Sukhdeo when he began his project to bring the courts at the Albert Road Recreation Centre to life. Youths surrounded the club, 30-40 of them aged between 15-20. They kicked footballs at customers, broke fences, threw rocks, set tennis nets alight, and broke into the pavilion. In 2005 the club recorded over 250 incidents of crime.

In 2009 it recorded just one. And in 2010 there were none, 2011 none, and there have been none to date in 2012. The turnaround can be attributed to the qualities of Sukhdeo’s leadership, his vision for the pavilion as a community hub, and determination to involve and not exclude the gangs which threatened him. The Tennis Foundation understands that certain individuals simply have the gift to inspire other people and move the game forward: we constantly look for them, try to learn from them and endeavour to back them unequivocally when we find them. The Albert Road project received £300,000 of Tennis Foundation support to resurface the courts in 2010. Albert Road was recognised as a Beacon Site in the same year.

Is tennis for posh people?’ Do I sound posh to you? It’s not, it’s definitely not. The grass roots are not. We have kids from council estates coming down here.”

Tony Knappett runs the North West Challenge Wheelchair Tennis Tournament and a wheelchair group at South Ribble Tennis Centre.

I grew up on these courts in Hackney. There was a real mix of different backgrounds, very multicultural, everyone mixing in together. Some of those kids I grew up with there went on to play county tennis, these courts are a great source of players, and of course I want to see them thrive.

The courts have been resurfaced, they’re pretty good now, I still play on them when go back. I see the kids playing there and it makes me smile – it brings back a lot of memories for me. Best of all? Getting away without paying for the courts if the parks keeper didn’t come round!”

Anne KeothavongUK Women’s No.3.

Did you know?Tennis rackets have increased in width from around 9” in 1987 to 12.5” today.

9”12.5”

25,000TENNIS COuRTS IN BRITAIN*

* LTA website(Nov 2012)

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“It’s too expensive”

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Tennis is undoubtedly perceived as expensive. But what are the expenses exactly? High monthly fees for a private club? Not many clubs are so costly, but in any case we have worked incredibly hard over 25 years to provide an alternative to the traditional system: pay and play, in both park courts and in the 52 Community Indoor Tennis Centres we’ve helped build around the country. In fact there are many courts to be found for free. Rackets, shoes and balls? Many places we support offer to lend balls and rackets for nothing. Playing tennis at a recreational level is not expensive – we’re still working on convincing people, though!

2,586 FREE TENNIS COuRTS 12

40p IS A TYPICAl WEEklY COST FOR uNdER 10s 13

TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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Part of the vocabulary – pay and playIf you want your sport to be all-inclusive, then you have to make it affordable. And that’s what we strive to do. It’s not always easy in a world where budgets are squeezed and people calculate how many pounds per square metre any given facility generates. The arguments will always go on about how inefficient tennis is in relation to the space it takes up, even with innovations like Cardio and mini tennis. But we will go on defending the immeasurable benefits, and go on providing financial support where it is most needed so that people of all backgrounds can access it. At least with ‘pay and play’ people have the freedom to come and try, to play in different places, and to enjoy the sport free from the constraints of a monthly membership. But check it out – even people very familiar with tennis are surprised by how much tennis you can play for free.

We always gave rackets, balls and water for free. We never chuck people off – if they pay for an hour, £3 – we let them play on if there is no one after. We have slots in the week that are free. We’re running free tennis coaching for adult beginners – 60 people have signed up already. People know they can access tennis very cheaply. Since we got the new courts in 2010 we’ve brought over 800 people to tennis. It’s all sustainable too – it all pays for itself.”

Robbie SukhdeoDirector, Albert Road Recreation Ground.

We’re based in the south of Leeds in a deprived area of one of most deprived regions in country. The sessions cost £2.50 – it’s less than some of the kids will spend in the vending machine when they’re there.”

Ross Bibby Disability Sports Officer, Leeds City Council.

THE CHEAPEST RACkET CuRRENTlY ON EBAY* IS JuST

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Performance tennis…Where costs rise extremely quickly is with performance tennis. The better you get, the more you want to play competitions, the harder it gets to pay for: travel, accommodation, entry fees… before even thinking of coaching, indoor courts and training time. For both the LTA, handling performance players, and the Tennis Foundation, taking care of the disability performance side, deciding how and where to allocate our support is one of the hardest aspects of our work. Our aim is to give talent the support it deserves so that even the performance side of the game needn’t be prohibitively expensive.

Did you know?The fastest serve ever recorded is 163.4mph by Samuel Groth at the 2012 Busan Open Challenger Tennis.

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It costs £5.50 for an adult court, £2.50 for kids. There are hours in the day before 10 when the courts are free and there are several free courts around the borough. Here at Clissold Park racket hire and balls are free – people walk in asking how do you play this game, how do you score. I’m looking out now and every single court is full, there must be 50-60 kids out there. And it’s starting to rain!”

Jan CoombsTennis Manager, Clissold Park, Hackney.

* LTA website(Nov 2012)

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“I don’t know how to play”

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Who is the more important coach – the one sitting alongside the world No. 1 at the Grand Slams, or the one who introduces a thousand new children to the game? Of course each is equally as important. The requirements and skill sets of coaches for players at different stages of their career are simply different. The balance between technical knowledge and the ability to communicate has to be carefully assessed in determining how best to train coaches so that they get the best from their players.

It’s vital work. Coaches are people’s first experience of the game, they sell the game, set the tone, make or break enthusiasm and progress. A good coach brings the sport alive.

25,830 TEACHERS ANd COACHES HAVE BEEN TRAINEd TO dElIVER TENNIS 14

2,427 lTA lICENSEd COACHES IN 2012 15

TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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Tennis for life – coaching apprenticeshipThe structure of coaching allows coaches to build their career around their strengths. There is a clear pathway in terms of qualifications, with the chance to specialise in areas of interest. We provide many opportunities to the young, so that they are aware of the possibilities. We also recognise that the early stages of a career are the most vulnerable, and use and help promote the LTA’s Tennis Apprenticeship scheme, which provides mentored support and paid work experience.

The most important thing – and this goes as much for coaching players themselves as coaching the coaches – is creating a positive environment for learning. Nobody will learn anything if they are afraid of making a mistake or afraid of being judged and found incompetent. The first tasks should never be too demanding, simple things that everyone on the course feels comfortable with. This helps create an atmosphere in which people feel confident to move ahead.

Coaching inspiration – setting off on the right footAn important change took place in 2004. Traditionally the tennis coach qualification was an involved process, quite technical, and lasted up to a year. We realised that this qualification was more demanding than it needed to be for those wishing to engage people in tennis, and for that reason we were excluding many thousands of people from our potential workforce – and by that token many thousands of players too. The introduction of Level 1 and Level 2 coaching awards has greatly helped to solve this problem.

With the Tennis Activator course we’ve taken that a step further, based on our experiences within new communities. We have learned that in the first instance, it is often more effective for players new to the game to receive instruction from someone in their own community with whom they are familiar, rather than from an ‘outsider’. With a simple, free, three-hour course, we can train people to deliver tennis to their groups, whether on traditional courts or indoors in reduced spaces. We also offer special courses for primary and secondary school teachers. And we run disability awareness courses for coaches to bring their skills to a broader audience, and increase career options.

More coaches has always been the aim. Better coaches, the same. But finding the right coaches for the right people at the right time is equally as important.

On Level 1 courses older candidates, particularly women, are very fearful that their tennis knowledge and background is not enough to do the job of coaching. But it is! They’re perfect. They’ve had experience with children, work and life. We need to attract many more women into coaching to act as role models!”

Jenny ThomasTennis Foundation Trustee and Director of UCoach.

Doing my Level 1 coaching badge I said to my coach that maybe I should lower my expectations for these children. She said ‘no no, don’t do that. You will get your breakthrough and enable them to achieve’. Just that sentence meant so much to me and really boosted my confidence. I thought to myself ‘I can do this’. And she was right.”

Cefyn Jones P.E. teacher and qualified tennis coach at Falconer School, Bushey, for children with social, emotional and behavioural special needs. Falconer School was awarded British Tennis School of the Year in 2011.

I’d certainly recommend anyone wanting to get into coaching to do the apprenticeship, just for the support you get. As for the game, I love it, it’s really social. I love working with kids in particular and to see them enjoy it and improve is what I enjoy most. The more they enjoy it, the harder they work.”

Stephanie EadenLevel 3 coach.

Ironically it’s the lower-level coaches who are most important for the development of tennis. A Level 1 coach is going to be a child’s first port of call in the game. It’s a different skill set really: all about motivation and inspiration in a safe environment. Good communicators and organisers are really important at the outset. Later, at Level 3 and 4 the sign of a good coach is ability to recognise and respond to the needs of the person in front of them, and adapting plans to suit those needs.”

Jenny ThomasTennis Foundation Trustee and Director of UCoach.

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“You’ll never get kids to play”

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For us one of the most frustrating myths surrounding British tennis is that ‘kids don’t play’. They do. They love to play. What we have achieved with youngsters during our 25 years, working closely with our partner the LTA, is one of the things of which we are most proud. Many hundreds of thousands of them have come to tennis through our work.

Kids play. What is more challenging is to keep them playing as they grow up, even more so in a digital age that has seen all sports lose participants to electronic screens in one form or another. Our answer is to look at the evolving sporting life of any individual as a kind of journey. There are different needs at different ages. Our work is focused in four areas: pre-schools, schools, colleges and universities, and we’ve linked as many of these as possible with clubs. And whilst each of these areas is analysed and treated separately, themes and benefits inevitably recur over the course of the journey: the need to empower, generate interest, provide competition, develop teamwork and leadership, and offer choices about how the game can best benefit each and every one who plays. These are the things we try to address. 14,709

uk SCHOOlS SuPPORTEd THROuGH AEGON SCHOOlS TENNIS 16

46,820 YOuNG PEOPlE PARTICIPATING IN SCHOOlS TENNIS COMPETITIONS IN 2011 – 12 17

TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

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All power to you – supporting teachersThere’s probably no more gratifying sight for a teacher than to see his/her pupils completely absorbed in what they are doing. For one thing this way they are easier to manage. But more importantly it almost certainly means they are learning something.

From pre-school onwards we try to give teachers what they need by giving their pupils the chance to play tennis. If teachers want training to deliver tennis in a range of settings we provide it. If they want lesson plans that include cross-curricular benefits, we’ve got them. Our ‘Volleys and Values’ resource was granted the prestigious London 2012 Inspire Mark, the badge of LOCOG’s programme which recognises exceptional and innovative projects inspired by the 2012 Games. Equipment and games and visual coaching support that are appropriate to the level? We provide them free where possible. Our AEGON Schools Tennis Programme has now supported 14,709 schools since the programme was launched. At least 25,830 teachers and coaches have received specialist training to deliver tennis in schools. 80% of all schools in England now offer tennis. The benefits of a healthy interest in tennis are quickly visible: not just fitness, confidence and sociability, but often in schoolwork itself.

I think what we’re really interested in is performance and really trying to do something and how that then evidences itself in the classroom. What we’ve noticed is that the students that are participating in the programme are much more tuned in, they’re really interested in the tennis, but they’re also thinking quite differently about school. They’re thinking ‘well, perhaps I’ve got to push myself a little bit more’, and I suppose that says something about the relation between sport and performance.”

Grahame PriceHead Teacher, St Paul’s Way Trust School, Tower Hamlets, London. In partnership with Greenhouse, the Tennis Foundation has funded the employment of a full-time head coach at the school.

As a result of attending a free course a primary school teacher with no background can develop the skills of their class with confidence, and schools were provided with a bag of 30 rackets, a mini tennis net, 60 sponge balls and 60 low-compression oversize red balls – also for free. It’s all easy to manage in a practical school-based situation. Locally tennis took a huge leap in a short space of time. Those resources are phenomenal.”

Deborah WheatleyTeacher at Parkstone Grammar School.

It’s improved their communication skills, teamwork skills, better behaviour round school, more focus. They are energetic and want to get in, so it’s improving their attendance and punctuality too.”

Chris DransfieldHead Coach, St Paul’s Way Trust School.

Did you know?Jokari is a great way to practise in the garden or the local park.

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Did you know?You can practise tennis against a wall (which you can find anywhere) and refine your technique.

I’ve never seen my students so interested and engaged during a sports enrichment session as I have with this Cardio Tennis scheme!”

Lisa Hillman Lecturer in Leisure Studies / Public Services at Brockenhurst College.

* LTA (Nov 2012)

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Wider interest, broader access, greater fun – Tennis Trails and Searching for StarsIt began as a dinner between Sue Mappin, (then the National Women’s Team Manager, later Executive Director of the Tennis Foundation 2007-2010), Sir Cliff Richard, and Sue Barker, which hatched the idea of raising money through hosting celebrity tennis matches to begin the search for champions of the future. But it led to new and innovative approaches that broke new ground in how and where tennis was brought to children, and still inspires the work we do today. The Cliff Richard Tennis Trail and Search for a Star programmes and Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation poured millions of pounds into grass roots tennis, and introduced an estimated 300,000 children to the game. The key to generating interest and higher take-up was to focus on the element of fun. With many shared aims and objectives, the Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation became part of the Tennis Foundation in 2007.

I think mini tennis is successful because it’s based on common sense. Little kids are not adults. 6, 7, 8-year-olds cannot play the full game.

Over the years it became obvious that the kids who played with the softer balls for longer at the start progressed more quickly in the long term. I did a small piece of research, not terribly scientific I’ll admit, at a county final for under-10s that I ran – I got the parents to record the number of hits in each rally. We’re talking about the best Under-10s in the county – but on a full court with adult balls.

The average rally was 1.9 hits – including the serve. 1.9 shots means they’re barely hitting the ball in the court, they’re not using any tactics because the rallies aren’t long enough, and they’re probably not having that much fun. Common sense tells you they’re going to learn more if they hit the ball more often. That’s what mini tennis and the different coloured balls has done.”

Sandi ProcterDirector of Tennis at Bromley Tennis Centre.

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* Blueprint for British Tennis (LTA)(Dec 2010)

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Achieving more together – teamwork For a sport that is so often spoken of as ‘individual’, tennis does exceptionally well as a vehicle for learning teamwork. Apart from the often overlooked doubles element of the game, all of our schools, further and higher education competitions are organised in a team format. Many drills and exercise routines – including Cardio Tennis, which is played extensively in schools, colleges and universities – involve strong team elements and group interaction.

But the other key element in learning teamwork comes in the running of the sport – both in and out of school or university. By giving responsibility to people early and involving them in coaching youngsters through schemes like ‘Tennis Leaders’, pupils quickly learn the importance of cooperation and working together.

A light in the eye – competition Speak to anyone in tennis, any child, player, coach, teacher, performance player or administrator: you can only practise for so long. There comes a point where you want to put the skills you have learned to the test. Nothing focuses the mind quite like competition.

The Tennis Foundation puts on tournaments for all ages, from mini tennis for the 10-and-unders to university competitions. We provide courses, guidance and support on how to run competitions smoothly. We also identify and support both organisations and individuals who show exceptional promise and commitment to performance tennis: for example the University Performance Programme now includes nine universities.

Throughout most of the year I oversee the different tennis programmes, helping to run them, sorting out sessions, and increasing the numbers playing tennis at university. When the students have gone home there’s more of a community focus.

I don’t have a tennis background, so I wouldn’t be going down a performance route, but I enjoy helping others get involved, and this way I’m getting two years’ relevant job experience in what I want to do in the future. I definitely couldn’t be doing my Masters if I didn’t have this job – I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

Angela LawUniversity Tennis Coordinator, Exeter University.

Kids love to learn from teenagers. That’s how we’ve got the teenagers playing – it makes them part of something, backs up their knowledge, and they teach – because it’s just tricks – even as they’re learning themselves. Then we go move on rallies. Against a wall, over a bench, anything. When the sessions go on they hear their own songs. Lots of the ideas have been structured by the kids – we’ve just taken care to listen to them.”

James Keatley Head Coach, Tennis Freestyle.

When we started the budgets were tiny. So you had to do the very most you could with what you had – you weren’t talking about many thousands of pounds a year. We had Nestle and Midland Bank and they were sensational in school sponsorship – we must have had about 30,000 youngsters playing.”

Sue WolstenholmeExecutive Director Tennis Foundation 1987-2007.

Did you know?Swingball is a great way to practise in the garden or the local park.

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Did you know?Bananas are a good source of carbohydrate and potassium, which help players refuel, maintain energy levels and avoid cramp during long matches.

Vitamin B60.5mg

Manganese0.3mg

Vitamin C9mg

Potassium450mg

Dietary Fibre3g

Protein1g

Magnesium34mg

Folate25mcg

Riboflavin0.1mg

Niacin0.8mg

Vitamin A81 IU

Iron0.3mg

Broadening shoulders – leadership and responsibility The mid-teens is a complicated age, where individuals have a strong need to express and assert their independence and individuality, but also seek acceptance, especially in the sense of recognition of earning a more adult status. Playing a role in helping answer these seemingly conflicting needs is something of which tennis is undoubtedly capable. Whilst an improving game on the court can help self-expression, handing teenagers the responsibility for teaching and leading younger groups greatly improves confidence, self-esteem and leadership.

The Tennis Leaders course consists of a three hour introduction module, then five further modules of two hours each: volunteering, leading practice sessions, helping at school, helping at competitions. It is aimed at anyone over 13, and opens the pathway to a career in tennis for some, we hope.

Tennis Freestyle inspired me to learn and play tennis and now I work part time teaching my freestyle skills to other children at my local tennis club and park. I hope I can inspire them to play too.”

Alex Funnel17, Tennis Freestyle Activator.

The tennis project has been excellent in a number of areas: raising awareness of tennis with our students; increasing participation in tennis; developing skills and experience of leaders; really inspiring young people to get involved in tennis.”

Tommy Goode Head of Sport, The College of West Anglia, Kings Lynn.

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Tennis Foundation(Nov 2012)

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Something for everyone – choices and careers Not everyone wants the same from tennis. Some want competition. Others want fitness. Others want relaxation, to earn a living, or to simply play it for social reasons. The lucky ones get to do it for all of the above! There comes a certain age where the game needs to offer choices to people so it can answer their needs. As we get to college and university ages, these choices get more sophisticated, and the options need to match that. Much of our work is about keeping people playing at this age, and trying to broaden both our workforce and the opportunities for working in tennis so that these young people stay with the sport.

We have action plans in place with 45 further education colleges in 2012. Our Development Awards support grassroots tennis in 38 universities, whilst 26 universities now take part in our Tennis Co-ordinator programme, aimed at supporting university tennis whilst introducing the student coordinators to tennis as a career.

My teacher pulled me to one side as I was walking down the corridor to my next lesson and said to me ‘I know your parents are keen on tennis, and you may think you’re quite good, but it will never come to anything, you have to concentrate on your studies – you have to drop tennis now’.

I’m so glad I didn’t. I did a French teaching degree at college and never used it, and I’ve been in tennis all my life. I played full time for two years, coached at club, county, regional and national level, headed up LTA Coach Education and now universities – seven different ‘jobs’ in all, a life in tennis, and I’ve loved every minute of it. Tennis offers many career opportunities – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!”

Alistair HighamHigher Education Manager, Tennis Foundation.

The schools programme not only allowed me to develop my skills as a coach, but also build on my organisational and communication skills, all of which have helped me both academically and professionally.

The chance to work within tennis has opened out my career opportunities greatly over the past two years and has allowed me to gain employment directly after graduating.”

Michael Castle 21, Cardiff Metropolitan University.

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“But we never win anything”

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This long-standing (and incorrect) complaint was breathtakingly laid to rest this summer as Andy Murray swept Roger Federer aside to win an Olympic gold medal, and followed that up with the US Open, the first grand slam win for a British player in 76 years. The Tennis Foundation is thrilled for Murray in particular and British tennis and the LTA in general, because we know how much hard work has gone into this extraordinary achievement.

However, what many people aren’t aware of is that the UK has been consistently winning trophies and medals in the world of tennis for many years. Peter Norfolk won gold in the quad division of the Paralympics in Athens and then Beijing. He’s just one of a long history of world-class wheelchair players the Tennis Foundation has helped develop and support over the years. But whilst we’re talking about gold medals, mention must be made of our 2011 Special Olympics team, who returned from the World Summer Games in Athens with no less than five of them. And, not to be outdone, this year our hearing-impaired tennis team picked up five medals at the European Deaf Tennis Championships across both the junior and senior events.

Paralympic Games lONdON 2012 QuAd dOuBlES – SIlVER lONdON 2012 WOMEN’S dOuBlES – BRONzE

BEIJING 2008 QuAd SINGlES – GOldBEIJING 2008 QuAd dOuBlES – BRONzE

ATHENS 2004 QuAd SINGlES – GOldATHENS 2004 QuAd dOuBlES – SIlVER

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Deaflympics 1993 SofiaSally Vaterlaws and Helen Schofield Bronze (Women’s Doubles) 2001 RomeHelen Schofield and Sharon Templeman Bronze (Women’s Doubles) Helen Schofield and Daniel Tunstall Bronze (Mixed Doubles) 2005 MelbourneAnthony Sinclair Silver (Men’s Singles) Anthony Sinclair and Darren O’Donnell Bronze (Men’s Doubles) Catherine Graham and Sharon Templeman Bronze (Women’s Doubles) Alex Simmons and Daniel Tunstall Bronze (Mixed Doubles) 2009 TaipeiAnthony Sinclair and Catherine Graham Gold (Mixed Doubles)

Dresse & Maere Cup 1991 Hatfield UKGB Women Runners-Up (Maere Cup) 1995 Florida, USAGB Women Runners-Up (Maere Cup) 1999 Finale Ligure, ItalyGB Women Bronze (Maere Cup) 2003 AustriaGB Women Maere Cup Champions GB Men Runners-Up (Dresse Cup) European Championships 2012 Koblenz, GermanyCatherine Fletcher and Lewis Fletcher Silver (Mixed Doubles) Catherine Fletcher and Bethany Brookes Silver (Women’s Doubles) Bethany Brookes Gold (Junior Girls’ Singles) Sophie Paul Gold (Junior Mixed Doubles) Jack Clifton Silver (Junior Boys’ Singles)

World Team Cup Medals 1988 (USA) Men World Group – Bronze 1989 (USA) Men World Group – Bronze 1998 (ESP) Quads – Silver 2000 (FRA) Women – Bronze 2001 (SUI) Quads – Gold 2002 (ITA) Quads – Gold 2003 (POL) Quads – Silver 2007 (SWE) Juniors – Gold 2008 (ITA) Men World Group 2 – Gold Quads – Bronze Juniors – Silver 2009 (GBR)Women – Silver Quads – Gold 2011 (RSA)Women – Bronze Quads – Bronze 2012 (KOR)Women – Bronze Quads – Silver Juniors – Bronze

Since 1988 GB has won 8 bronze medals, 5 silver medals and 3 gold medals.

Paralympic Games London 2012Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne Silver (Quad Doubles) Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shuker Bronze (Women’s Doubles) Beijing 2008Peter Norfolk Gold (Quad Singles) Peter Norfolk and Jamie Burdekin Bronze (Quad Doubles) Athens 2004 (first year quad event was added to Paralympics) Peter Norfolk Gold (Quad Singles) Peter Norfolk and Mark Ecclestone Silver (Quad Doubles) Grand Slams (Grand Slams didn’t become ‘Grand Slams’ on the NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour until 2009 but these titles were still won at a Grand Slam before 2009, they just didn’t get Grand Slam points for the rankings). Peter Norfolk (Quad Singles)Australian Open 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012 US Open 2007, 2009 Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthorne (Quad Doubles)Australian Open 2011, 2012 Jayant Mistry and Michael Jeremiasz (FRA) (Men’s Doubles)The Championships, Wimbledon 2005

Taking it to the limits – world class competitionsDisabled players have the same desire to push themselves to the limits and test themselves against the best, and that is why it is so important to support competitions. The NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour originated in 1992 with 11 international tournaments. The 2012 NEC Wheelchair Tennis Tour featured over 170 tournaments, which reflects the great growth in disability sport. The Tennis Foundation hosts the British Open, which was founded in 1990 and is one of six Super Series events on the Tour and one of the most important tournaments in the world outside of the Grand Slams.

The Tennis Foundation also hosts the prestigious Nottingham Indoors ITF 2 tournament – upgraded to ITF 1 Series for 2013 – and runs the annual National Deaf Tennis Championships and the National Learning Disability Tennis Event. In addition we support the Development Series – ten competitions around the UK and Ireland that allow developing wheelchair players the chance to experience and enjoy competition before graduating to ITF tournaments.

The nature of winning – support for performance playersThe Tennis Foundation identifies and helps develop talented disabled players both to allow them to reach their full potential, but also to help create role models, champions and raise the profile of the disabled game generally. Our performance players enjoy support in various areas: financial, coaching, strength and conditioning, sports psychology, PR and lifestyle support and tournament entry fees, travel and accommodation. This is made possible with the generous support and funding of UK Sport, SportsAid and the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.

But what’s winning, really? There are many millions playing the game around the globe, but really only a hundred or so who maintain a reasonable living from it as players. And there’s only one number one in every category. Does that make the rest of us losers? Of course not. Every one of us, disabled and non-disabled alike, can feel like a Nadal or a Federer if we let ourselves. We can all feel like a champion for a second on the court, whatever our ability. That’s enough. Play. Enjoy the benefits, which are many. That alone makes you a winner.

UK Winners List (Associated with the Tennis Foundation since 1987)

Deaf Tennis Wheelchair Tennis

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Looking forwardAs you will, hopefully, have gathered from the many voices in this book, tennis is for everyone, the whole community, whatever sex, colour, ability, or background. We have made progress but there is much to do. We need to work with our partners to ensure there are no barriers to entry, understand our ‘customers’ better, and be more ‘joined up’ as a sport in the way we tailor our offer and engage with different communities.

We have learned never to make the mistake of thinking that where there is little or no tennis activity, there is no interest in playing the game, or latent demand. There has never been a better time to grow the game, nor a more exciting prospect.

As Lord Coe said of the Paralympians, let’s ‘lift the cloud of limitation’ and take this great game to new heights.

Geoff NewtonExecutive Director, Tennis Foundation.

I can honestly tell you that of all the national governing bodies that I’ve worked with tennis stands out one that loves its sport and supports the people trying to develop it.”

Deborah WheatleyTeacher at Parkstone Grammar School.

If I could see one thing come from the success of these Games and from such an amazing summer of sport, it would be to see more girls getting active and giving tennis a go.

I think we’ve proved that anything is possible and I love the fact tennis can be played by anyone, regardless of ability. I’ve had young girls come up to me and tell me they are inspired and it’s just amazing to hear that.

Reaching the final at Wimbledon and winning a medal at London 2012 has shown our sport to a whole new audience and I’m really glad we’ve been able to do that because the more people who know about it, the more people who will pick up a racket for themselves.”

Lucy ShukerCurrent world No. 7 in singles and doubles.

I tried loads of things, but when I discovered wheelchair tennis, I knew it was for me. I liked it straight away. You could move around quickly, you could hit, you could be powerful, you could be crafty, you could play in a team, you could be on your own.

I always loved tennis. I used to go to watch Tim Henman at Wimbledon when I was a little boy. But I loved boxing too. Wheelchair tennis seemed to combine the best of both worlds. One-on-one combat. That’s why I loved it. I treated it a bit like boxing.

I started off playing at my local park with friends and family and then a local coach suggested I should try a Tennis Foundation wheelchair tennis camp. My career started from there.”

Andy LapthorneCurrently world No. 2 in doubles and No. 4 in quad singles.

The Tennis Foundation first started to support me when I was about 12 or 13… without them I’d never have been able to do anything. They gave me that chance, and without that chance I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Jordanne Whiley UK women’s wheelchair No.1; world No. 12 in singles and No. 8 in doubles.

The feelings never leave you, they never go away. That day I was best player in the world. I won a gold medal. To be honest it was more relief, five years of hard work come to fruition. I remember the shot, as soon as the ball left my racket I knew it was a winner.”

Peter Norfolk GB’s first-ever Paralympic tennis gold medal winner; currently world No. 1 in doubles and No. 3 in quad singles.

Peter Norfolk and Andy Lapthornewon Silver (Quad Doubles) at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

Jordanne Whiley and Lucy Shukerwon Bronze (Women’s Doubles) at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

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We have been extra lucky with the staff and leadership at the Tennis Foundation, blessed really in having the people with the vision to move things in the right direction – now it is much bigger with a much bigger remit compared to where it was. Are they good listeners? Yes. They are.

We’ve not always agreed, but they’ve always supported me 100%. We should be grateful and celebrate what they’ve achieved in 25 years, but we should look forward to what they’re going to achieve. Integration, that’s what we’re after. Open up people’s eyes and show them that if you’re in a chair you can do anything you want.”

Peter Norfolk GB’s first-ever Paralympic tennis gold medal winner; currently world No. 1 in doubles and No. 3 in quad singles.

Tennis FoundationNational Tennis Centre100 Priory LaneRoehamptonLondonSW15 5JQ

T 0845 872 0522F 020 8487 7304

www.tennisfoundation.org.ukhttps://de.twitter.com/TennisFndation

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Tennis FoundationThe National Tennis Centre100 Priory Lane RoehamptonLondon SW15 5JQ

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Registered charity England & Wales (298175)The Tennis Foundation is a company limited by guarantee and registered in England & Wales (02138124), registered office as above

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25th year anniversary

We are very fortunate to be celebrating our 25th year anniversary in 2012, a year when sport has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds and when we have all been captivated by what has been achieved by our Great British sportsmen and women. Never has British tennis had a greater opportunity to build on the success that we are currently enjoying across all abilities and we are committed to creating a lasting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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new people. Initially communities feel that tennis just isn’t for them but we have learnt a lot from our recent pilot programmes when we have taken tennis to them. Working closely with the LTA and Sport England, we have exciting plans to work with an ever-wider range of communities going forward, especially in the major urban areas.

We’re very proud of our work to get more children playing in schools and we will continue to build on our track record in this area by embracing new areas including pre-school, special schools, colleges and universities. Building on our success at the Paralympics, we will enhance and co-ordinate

The Road to Rio has already started and we are working closely with UK Sport, the British Paralympic Association and other partners to ensure we have another successful Paralympic Games. We are also developing our performance programmes for hearing impaired and learning disability tennis, areas where we have already enjoyed much success. We are so lucky to have the support of so many people and organisations who share our vision of making tennis inclusive and accessible to all. Just a glance at our list of partners says so much about the way tennis is growing, and who is helping move it forward. We’re proud of and thankful for every one of those relationships and indeed the many more we didn’t have space to mention.

Take this as an open invitation to come and get involved to take us further. Tennis will welcome you with open arms. Yours sincerely,

Sir Geoffrey Cass Jonathan LanePresident of the Tennis Foundation Chairman of the Tennis Foundation

1. Active People Survey 6 (APS6)(April 2011/ 2012)

2. British Tennis Members Survey(LTA website)

3. LTA (Oct 2012)

4. Blueprint for British Tennis (LTA)(Dec 2010)

5. 2012 Tennis Foundation Audit (as of Sept 2012)

6. LTA (Oct 2012)

7. Active People Survey 6 (APS6)(Apr 2011/ 2012)

8. Tennis Foundation (Oct 2012)

9. Tennis Foundation (Oct 2012)

10. Tennis Foundation (Oct 2012)

11. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

12. Tennis for free website (Nov 2012)

13. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

14. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

15. LTA (Nov 2012)

16. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

17. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

Sources

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80 TENNIS FOUNDATION 25TH ANNIVERSARY

We have been extra lucky with the staff and leadership at the Tennis Foundation, blessed really in having the people with the vision to move things in the right direction – now it is much bigger with a much bigger remit compared to where it was. Are they good listeners? Yes. They are.

We’ve not always agreed, but they’ve always supported me 100%. We should be grateful and celebrate what they’ve achieved in 25 years, but we should look forward to what they’re going to achieve. Integration, that’s what we’re after. Open up people’s eyes and show them that if you’re in a chair you can do anything you want.”

Peter Norfolk GB’s first-ever Paralympic tennis gold medal winner; currently world No. 1 in doubles and No. 3 in quad singles.

Tennis FoundationNational Tennis Centre100 Priory LaneRoehamptonLondonSW15 5JQ

T 0845 872 0522F 020 8487 7304

www.tennisfoundation.org.ukhttps://de.twitter.com/TennisFndation

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1. Active People Survey 6 (APS6)(April 2011/ 2012)

2. British Tennis Members Survey(LTA website)

3. LTA (Oct 2012)

4. Blueprint for British Tennis (LTA)(Dec 2010)

5. 2012 Tennis Foundation Audit (as of Sept 2012)

6. LTA (Oct 2012)

7. Active People Survey 6 (APS6)(Apr 2011/ 2012)

8. Tennis Foundation (Oct 2012)

9. Tennis Foundation (Oct 2012)

10. Tennis Foundation (Oct 2012)

11. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

12. Tennis for free website (Nov 2012)

13. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

14. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

15. LTA (Nov 2012)

16. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

17. Tennis Foundation (Nov 2012)

Sources

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