|
|
Local and National Provision for Tennis Every popular sport has to be provided for at different levels, from absolute beginner to international elite. At each level there are different coaching and training procedures, as well as the consideration of the disabled to cater for. This essay will try to explain the management of funds and how they are distributed around the country to improve the game for everyone, and to increase grassroots participation. Tennis is a very popular sport, however there appears to be a gap between amateur and professional players. There are several agencies that are trying to change this. The government, who controls the distribution of funds to the agencies, have set up a ‘Game Plan’ to achieve increased participation and improved success in international competitions. Their main reason for intervention is to benefit public health; therefore they are focusing on the sports that produce the most health gains. They have allocated £1.1 billion to the six most popular sports, one of which is tennis. Added to this, the lottery funded, Sport England, have announced £60 million to the FA, ECB, RFU and the LTA for club development. These larger agencies work in conjunction with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) who organises where all the money should go. The LTA’s responsibilities cover all aspects of the game from promoting the game to newcomers, to running major international tournaments. The LTA have set up several initiatives, with the help of sponsors, that they then extend across the country through their affiliated clubs. This is how the government branches out to the whole nation. For example the LTA and Robinson’s have created ‘Mini Tennis’ and ‘JNR Tennis’. These initiatives can be played locally in Essex at the following clubs: Brentwood Connaught Southend Redbridge Woodbridge LTC Mini Tennis is for children aged 4-10. They have different stages: red, orange and green, and each stage uses courts, types of balls and rackets appropriate for the children involved. A child graduates from the colours as they get better. When they reach a certain standard or are 9-12 years old they can become JNR players. This is played on full sized courts and gives the opportunities for juniors to start playing in tournaments. This is one of the ways to start out, however there are three main routes to national excellence.
|
