Last chance to book your place at the Spring Forum
You only have a few days left to take the last remaining places at The Tennis and Padel Business Forum on April 18th. This year’s Spring Forum has a strong emphasis on Padel development and ‘building communities’. It spotlights employment essentials and the impact of sustainability on tennis and padel clubs and operators. The Wolverhampton Lawn Tennis and Squash Club offers a unique insight on how it has created a supportive competitive environment at the club to help underpin the success of Henry Searle, 2023 Junior Wimbledon Champion
The event takes place at Pinsent Masons, London EC2A 4ES and is FREE to attend. To reserve your place contact phil@tiauk.org as soon as possible
New LTA Vision for 2024-26 – working with the tennis industry to grow the sport
Having completed its 2019-2023 five year strategy, the LTA has published a new vision document covering 2024-26. The vision of ‘Tennis opened up’ was at the heart of the 2019-2023 strategy and has delivered real success. The historical decline in tennis participation has been reversed, and ambitious targets for increasing participation have been exceeded.
The LTA wants to work together with the TIA and the industry generally to help deliver this new vision, to grow the sport and benefit from its success.
‘Tennis opened up’ remains the vision for 2024-2026 – building on the approach and successes of the past five years, with a renewed focus on the areas where the governing body can have the most impact. The LTA’s areas of focus in the strategy are summarised below:
Welcoming
We will make tennis welcoming to all, by reaching new audiences through grassroots programmes, investing in high quality facilities with a focus on parks and covered courts, whilst creating a more diverse tennis workforce. This will make tennis a truly inclusive sport.
Enjoyable
Ensure tennis is enjoyable for all by making it easy to play. We’re investing in resources and teacher training in schools across the country, pioneering new and engaging forms of the sport, and creating a variety of opportunities to book, play and compete whether that be in clubs, parks or other venues.
Inspiring
Making sure we inspire through tennis – on and off the court. Helping to develop professionals who perform at the highest level, can inspire future generations of players and fans. We can only do this through investment in a high quality and internationally relevant performance programme. We also want to set aspirational standards off the court – making sure tennis is governed and administered to the very highest standards, and ensuring we have the financial stability to guarantee the long-term health of the sport.
Underneath each of these areas sit more detailed tactics, which can be read in the full document.
AELTC leaders support ‘Premium Tour’ proposal
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has “backed proposals for a reformed tennis calendar” that would offer equal prize money to men and women all year. At a meeting in Indian Wells in March, AELTC Chair Debbie Jevans supported a new “Premium Tour” model which would “thin out tennis’s notoriously overcrowded calendar, while also making it more equitable for the leading women.”
While Jevans addressed the meeting remotely, AELTC CEO Sally Bolton and committee member Tim Henman were both present in Indian Wells. Henman “expressed strong support for the reforms” and was “insistent that tennis’s brief off-season is inadequate.” The stakeholders “with most to lose” are the existing ATP and WTA Tours, and their respective bosses took “contrasting stances” in Indian Wells. ATP Chair Andrea Gaudenzi is “not keen to downgrade the majority of the tour’s existing events,” while WTA Chair Steve Simon “was more receptive, simply asking for further details to chew over” (London TELEGRAPH, 3/11).
Tennis – Padel – Pickleball
As mentioned in the last issue of Tennis Industry News, Padel and Pickleball are gaining considerable traction in the UK, with Padel clubs being set up as commercial entities in their own right and Pickleball courts being established in tennis clubs looking to diversify their offering.
And golf clubs are also considering including P+P such as the Farringdon Park Golf Club:
‘A Devon golf course has become the latest to say it is planning to convert its 18-hole course to a 12-hole venue.
Recently Farrington Park Golf Club in Somerset, announced plans to reduce its course from 18 holes to 12, and build other forms of entertainment, such as padel tennis and pickleball courts, a children’s play park, an outdoor gym and a maintenance hub, in the space created.
Now Teign Valley Golf Club’s owner, 360 Sycamore, has said it is at an “early stage” with proposals that include replacing the 18-hole course with a new 12-hole circuit, while padel tennis and pickleball courts would also be introduced.’ (Golf Business March 18)
TIA UK is giving more prominence to both activities and hopes to encourage more Padel and Pickleball suppliers and operators into the TIAUK family during 2024.
Celebrating Grounds Week at Wimbledon
#GroundsWeek, now in its fourth year, looks to raise awareness and recognise the work of grounds care volunteers and professionals in the UK, with a focus on inspiring new recruits to consider a career in the industry. Research carried out by the Grounds Management Association (GMA), highlights that the industry is in need of new recruits to join the sector. Currently, 40% of the workforce is over 50 years-old and, without an influx of new recruits, this could result in a significant employment gap within 5 years.
Sport simply could not take place without the contribution of grounds management and, without quality grass pitches, not only will our nation’s health and local communities suffer, but so will our talent offering when it comes to professional teams and leagues.
GMA says that If we improved existing grass pitches, almost 1,400,000 (1,376,252) more children could play rugby or football every week and 489,859 more could play cricket every season. That means 4,000,000 more children’s football matches could happen every year on existing pitches – this is why #GroundsWeek and encouraging more people to join the sector is so important.
Aman Ahmed, Communications Officer at the All England Club has written an article about the experience of groundsman Conrad Cavill, on the importance of grounds care and his journey to demystify and illuminate the art of Groundsmanship
Tennis Industry Xmas lunch
Our 2024 Xmas Lunch at The Queen’s Club will be held on Thursday December 5th. This event has become an established get-together in the tennis calendar and a great way to commence the festive season.
We are pleased that Marcus Buckland will again be our MC and details of this year’s Tennis Panel will be announced later in the year
Scam warning
You may have recently received a communication from samanthasmith@leaddigihub offering THE TIAUK member/contact list. THIS IS A SCAM AND SHOULD BE IGNORED. Your email of course will never be shared with anyone without your permission