Coach, referee or volunteer in tennis

Most of us dream of playing professional sport but in reality, coaching is the next best thing. Here, we reveal the pathway for tennis.

If you are interested in becoming a tennis coach there is a five-level coaching pathway available through the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA). The pathway gives enthusiastic players of all abilities the opportunity to get involved in coaching starting at beginner level right up to elite.

It begins with Level One Coaching Assistant to help teach LTA Mini Tennis to children aged three to ten. Level Two gives Coaching Assistants the opportunity to work with a licenced coach to teach groups of beginners.
For those who are looking for a career in tennis coaching the Level Three qualification allows them to become an officially licenced coach in their own right.

Letchworth Tennis Club coach Matt Cartwright, who has the Level Three badge, explained the benefits. “I have learnt valuable social skills to interact with such a wide variety of individuals which will undoubtedly stay with me,” he said.
“Being your own boss requires you to be organised, dedicated and full of enthusiasm. It makes you think on your feet and realise things about yourself you may have never realised.”

Level Four and Five takes coaches down either a club set-up or a performance set-up to the very highest level of coaching as Master Coaches – coaching elite players.

Please visit the website www.lta.org.uk/Coaches-coaching-assistants/Coach-education-structure to find out how you can become an LTA coach.

“Being your own boss requires you to be organised, dedicated and full of enthusiasm. It makes you think on your feet and realise things about yourself you may have never realised.”

VOLUNTEER
Volunteers are the lifeblood of British tennis. Young volunteers, club volunteers and people happy to help out at competitions and local parks and courts are all part of the British Tennis framework and the LTA recognises their hard work.

For those regularly volunteering in tennis there are opportunities at Wimbledon and other national events, and at the end of the year you might have your contribution recognised at the LTA’s annual British Tennis Awards.
Poppy Brimson, 17, is a coaching assistant and volunteer at Ilfracombe Tennis Club insisted volunteering had a positive impact. She said: “I have definitely gained more confidence and would be more confident running my own activities now.
“If I hadn’t have volunteered I wouldn’t have ever considered taking a coaching course and taking a more prominent role at my club and college.”

For information on how to volunteer at the LTA please visit http://www.lta.org.uk/volunteers-officials/Volunteers1/.

“I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in the game I love through officiating. I’ve been able to travel to different parts of the country which will hopefully progress to overseas if I can take my officiating further.”

REFEREE
If playing tennis isn’t for you, refereeing or umpiring could be your calling. The LTA holds a one-day Basic Referee course around the country as the first step into officiating. You’ll need to attend one of these days before you can apply for an Official Licence, referee smaller competitions and go on to take a Full Referee course.

There are two types of tennis umpires within the sport – the line umpire and chair umpire. If you have designs on becoming a chair umpire you must start as a line umpire before progressing.

The Basic Line Umpire Course is a one-day course to provide an introduction and when you successfully complete it you can apply online for an LTA Officials Licence. During your time as a Line Umpire you will be eligible to be invited onto a Chair Umpire Accreditation Course.

Chris Mann is a Tournament Referee working for the LTA and said: “I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in the game I love through officiating. I’ve been able to travel to different parts of the country which will hopefully progress to overseas if I can take my officiating further.”
For more information on becoming a referee or a tennis umpire then please head to http://www.lta.org.uk/volunteers-officials/Organisers–Officials/.