LTA Youth coaching programme offers a fresh modern approach to tennis in schools, clubs and parks, providing fun sessions with a range of activities designed to help children develop skills for life, on and off the court.

It builds significantly on the success of previous LTA initiatives, such as Tennis for Kids and Team Challenge, to create a clear path that supports kids’ enjoyment of tennis, progression and an informal competitive environment within which kids will thrive.

The development of LTA Youth is driven by insight that children’s physical literacy is deteriorating, and there are growing concerns over declining physical activity amongst children.

This has been amplified during the pandemic with the percentage of kids taking part in daily sport falling from 46.8 per cent to 19 per cent.

For education settings, LTA Youth Schools’ content has been specifically created to develop key character qualities such as perseverance, resilience and respect which complement the school sports curriculum.

The LTA has a target of inspiring 10 per cent of children in Britain to play tennis once a week by 2023.

More than just learning tennis, LTA Youth helps them develop a range of physical and neurological abilities including balance, coordination and fine motor skills, with activities involving decision-making and strengthening hand-eye coordination.

With the pandemic having a real impact on how active children have been, we’re proud to offer an insight-led, world-class programme that get kids active, develops fundamental motor skills and supports athletic development to ensure children progress, compete and enjoy the game. LTA Youth has all of this; it’s all about instilling confidence on and off the court,” says Sam Richardson, LTA Head of Tennis Products and Programmes.