Following a successful pilot programme, the Lawn Tennis Association is rolling out Tennis Tuesdays across the country from 5 May. We've had a chat with Claire Webb, Tennis Tuesdays Lead for the Lawn Tennis Association to find out more.
So, what is Tennis Tuesdays?
Tennis Tuesdays is a tennis programme, specifically for women, taking place every Tuesday evening from the 5th of May until the 13th October at venues across the country. The programme, in association with Nike, has been designed to offer women an opportunity to play tennis in a social, informal setting with some coaching and fun match play. We piloted the programme last year in sites across London and it was such a huge success we are really excited to roll it out across the UK.
Why a women only programme?
The LTA wants to get more people playing tennis more often and through our insight and research we identified women in their 20s and 30s as a key opportunity for growth. Over five million women state they would like to be more active, showing a huge latent demand for opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity.
As the number of women regularly taking part in physical activity continues to decline and we hope by creating a bespoke programme for women this will help bridge the gender gap with nearly two million fewer women than men exercising regularly.
What makes it different?
Tennis Tuesday’s is a really exciting project for the LTA. It’s our first completely insight lead initiative were we looked at all the barriers to playing tennis for women and we tried to create a programme that removed those barriers. Some of these include, lack of people of a similar standard to play with, not knowing how to access local facilities and time.
Our insight influenced the entire programme, from the night of the week to the length and format of the sessions. For example, the sessions are informal and based on key tactical themes designed to help women improve their tennis skills. The sessions have are designed to be fun, fairly informal and most importantly social.
Who can get involved?
Tennis Tuesdays is for anyone who has played a little, whether at school or in the park. It is an opportunity to play more regularly, meet like-minded people and improve your game! While the programme isn’t for complete beginners the sessions are structured and coached enough for women to show progression each week and improve their game from how to defend a point to mastering your volley.
Where can I take part?
There are 100 venues hosting sessions across the UK. To find places to play visit the Tennis Tuesdays website www.tennistuesdays.co.uk where you can type in your postcode to find your nearest session. If there isn’t one near you but you are interested in other playing opportunities please visit www.lta.org.uk
How much does it cost and do I need equipment?
The price of the session and getting that right was really important for us. Each session is priced between £5 - £9, comparable to the majority of fitness and gym classes. We also provide tennis racquets at all our sessions, so all you need to do is turn up in comfortable clothes and a pair of trainers and enjoy!
Does this have a connection to This Girl Can?
Absolutely, Sport England who run the This Girl Can Campaign are partners of the LTA and key supporters of this initiative. Tennis Tuesdays is a great opportunity for women who want to get more active or back into sport in a fun friendly environment. As a governing body it’s essential we can provide pathways back into our sport and provide as many opportunities as possible for more women to get active!
To find out more and book your Tennis Tuesday session, click here.
Dates: 5th May – 18th October
Website: www.tennistuesdays.co.uk
For more information on British Tennis visit www.lta.org.uk
