LTA performance strategy 2018 to 2028

Strongbow · All-time great

RE: LTA performance strategy 2018 to 2028

Kolohead · Junior player

Mini tennis (whilst I think at some locations is too expensive ) is affordable as there are many clubs doing this very well. The issue we have is when the kids get older the better they get the more it costs. The pyramid structure doesnt work. Financially its upside down. If the more talented kids can not afforded monthly global travel they soon fall behind. Tennis Europe is def just for the rich. The reason we wait so long for too pkayers in uk is simply down to costs. Until another body is formed for lower classes nothing will ever change. Im off to watch my lad play on a £48 grade 3. How many families can afford those every week so even at home the tournament strupture should be reviewed. Its just too expensive for too many. All this about its affordabl are for participation figures . Again lta flirting and manipulating numbers . I wonder what the participation rates are for kids 15-18.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Your insight is really useful and intersting, koloh.

Just for info, no top juniors I knew in France basically had any interest in Tennis Europe (and I was part of the detection and junior team for 15 years). And ITF rankings are only part of the equation. Your domestic ranking is the main thing that counts. And this is fed by team tennis (which is free to the child) and money tournaments (entry fees of about £9 and lots of them over the year within 30 mins drive, pretty much wherever you are). Also, the national championship results (entry fee about the same). The kids' tennis europe rating never came up in committee discussions. So no need for anyone to schlep their kid and pay £48 (just wouldn't happen unless the event was down the road or you've got a real fanatic tennis parent).

As you say, mini tennis is easy money - tons of kids on the court, one hour sessions....

The important bit comes after that.

I think private school tennis must be behind most of the 15-18 year olds who play.

Kolohead · Junior player

I stand corrected. My fee was £42 not £48. I just checked. France sounds like they have a better local system then we have here. Compare how many French top 100 in last 10 years to what we have had speaks volumes and supports your info. The fee for todays event is a local grade 3 mens. Others are around £30 to play at under 18 and mens. Still a lot for most. This is the problem. Yes you can go and find a free Court somewhere but to compete and climb just costs too much. Then to have the news that to be recognised by the lta past age 14 u need to meet the national criteria which is heavily based on international travel further enforces the view that this is a rich mans game that they want to keep that way. Ever seen the film Trading Places. The lower class kid tennis player is Eddie Murphy and the Lta the two old stock brokers who make a bet that they can or cant turn the lower class into a successful stockbroker (tennis player). Thats what I mean about lta flirting with the idea and putting up some show that they care. They will bet on one or two to show they care but the other 99% are all in the boys club. And that is my theory why we get and Andy Murray or Fred Perry every 50 years or so

Elegant Point · Satellite level

Majority of the 15-18 year olds competing at National/International Level are either at private school (7% of UK children attend a private school), or a Tennis Academy. If they do attend state school they are generally from the Home Counties eg Surrey or Hertfordshire where the local comprehensive is likely to be featured in Tatler magazine "Best 20 state secondary schools" This reflects the demographic of parents who can afford to fund tennis at this level. The state school pupils don't tend to play many TE a or ITFs due to issues with taking time away from school and prohibitive cost.

As I mentioned in an earlier post AASE funding for 16-18 year olds has been stopped as of this year. This was funded by the government and was available to all with a rating above 4.2 (I think) still in education and worth ~£3200 for 16 months from 2016, previous years was higher than that.
Perhaps the LTA could continue to fund the AASE scheme out of its own pocket - would be a drop in the ocean for them and would encourage 16-18 year olds to continue to study AND play tennis.

IMO the LTA need a serious look at the the French system......

tennisgirl03 · Newbie

Never usually comment but thought the information might be useful! I think pretty much everyone is in agreement about the system not working, and a lack of understanding about why we have tried a centralised model again.

The AASE programme is just being rebranded, and will now be known as DiSE instead (Diploma in Sporting Excellence). The applications for centres to run a DiSE program closed a couple of months ago, so would anticipate more information coming out soon!

Kolohead · Junior player

glad you commented as thats great news for many

Elegant Point · Satellite level

tennisgirl03 wrote:

Never usually comment but thought the information might be useful! I think pretty much everyone is in agreement about the system not working, and a lack of understanding about why we have tried a centralised model again.

The AASE programme is just being rebranded, and will now be known as DiSE instead (Diploma in Sporting Excellence). The applications for centres to run a DiSE program closed a couple of months ago, so would anticipate more information coming out soon!

" Following a detailed review we (LTA) have decided not to deliver the DiSE programme within tennis at this time"

How rubbish is that apparently 15+ sports are affected by this........

" we will reconsider our position on the DiSE programme in 2020/2021". If you require further information please contact Lesley.Cunningham@LTA.org.uk

Kolohead · Junior player

So from the horses mouth. No more AASE . What a shame . 300 hours of funded tennis gone. We are fortunate that our lad therefore is in the last group. What a shame for the groups younger. Im losing the words

Kolohead · Junior player

www.lta.org.uk/play/player-pathway/professional-player-development/advanced-apprenticeship/

Kolohead · Junior player

hi all
so I am started to see the effect of the blueprint to focus on age groups up to age 14. My lads local indoor performance has vanished overnight. Coaches gone, players gone. Came back from a holiday to find centre either no longer needs the coaches or they walked. Have tried another indoor performance centre 1.5 hours commute away, same problem. a lack of players and therefore unable to put on the squads. local regional LTA offices need to get their hands on this and try and resolve. It seems there may be a lot of 15-18 year old performance players inside top 100/ 50/ 30 GB who will just vanish. Surely this is not what the LTA want? I wonder where the players have all gone. Now of course some will be full time or at private tennis schools. Carry on like this and tennis becomes very much more for the rich past age 14 if you want to continue in performance, or perhaps I am missing the point and the blueprint is about dropping so called "performance squad " if not of a certain standard over the age of 14.

Net effect of this in the long term is that local competitive tennis at grade 3 for example will just drop in standards a long way. has dropped already in the last year.