Tennis courts in parks are generally maintained and run by local authorities for example in Bury St Edmunds there are courts in the Abbey Gardens. Courts are expensive to hire at around �5 per hour. There are several clubs in West Suffolk for example The Risbygate Club in Bury St Edmunds. There is a joining fee for the club, which is quite expensive particularly for young people however, the subsequent cost of hiring the court is cheaper than. A number of villages in the West Suffolk area have their own communal courts which you can access providing you are a resident in the village, for example Bardwell has 2 courts.
There are no indoor courts in West Suffolk therefore tennis is mostly played through spring and summer. Tennis lessons for children are available throughout the year in venues such as local leisure centres and schools where mini courts and practise sessions can be set up. For those who wish to compete there is the Glasswells tournament in the summer,in Bury St Edmunds, all other competitions take place further a field which require transport to get there.
The LTA is the main tennis governing body. It makes these opening statements on its website “OUR VISION, To make Britain a great tennis nation. OUR MISSION, More players, Better players.” (www.LTA.org.uk) The LTA aims to develop tennis from the grass roots of tennis to international success. They have clear priorities, juniors, clubs and performance. They believe in order to succeed, tennis needs to be played from a young age, money is invested in encouraging very young children to the game and helping them develop their skills to become talented players who will represent their country.
The British Tennis Foundation is the official tennis charity. It works alongside the LTA, to provide opportunity for young people and those with disabilities. It helps organise come and try sessions, national training programmes and international tournaments. The Central Council of Physical Recreation CCPR is responsible for distributing lottery money to national governing bodies, some of this money is given to the LTA to invest in the development of tennis. The National Coaching Federation NCF aims to improve the standard of coaching in the UK. It runs courses to ensure coaches are fully qualified and are able to coach participants to the very highest standards. This enables players to be coached my the very best and produce a very competitive edge.
Many talented performers begin playing tennis at a very young age, they gradually move up through club age groups. When a youngster with talent is spotted their coaching becomes more intense and their level of competition increases. The LTA has a system of tennis coaching which begins young and carries on to senior tennis.If a talented player wishes to pursue a career in tennis but also study for a degree at university, special scholarships are available to ensure top coaching is still available but alongside studies.
Wheelchair tennis can be played against others in wheelchairs or able bodies players. The International Tennis Foundation regulates the wheelchair game. The ITF ensures wheelchair competitors can compete in the worlds most prestigious events. Wheelchair tennis can be played on regular tennis courts, so some facilities are available. Many wheelchair players are discriminated against and there are no wheelchair teams locally. This is because nationally wheelchair isn’t as widely played as able bodied tennis.
Tennis provision is minimum at the moment, but it is higher than it has been. The LTA is committed to developing the game and with encouragement from those already participating I believe in the future tennis will have the best facilities and provision, regardless of their age, gender, or ability.