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Programmes

 

WHAT WE DO

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To get younger people impassioned about our sport and to harness the enthusiasm, knowledge and skills of the game’s professionals and its clubs. Through our programme of grants, we intend to:

   · Support real tennis clubs to reach out to all young people in their local          communities.

   · Teach young people to play real tennis, inspiring a love of the game and its tradition of good sportsmanship.

· Create sustainable junior membership sections within clubs.

· Significantly increase the number of under- 24’s involved in the game and keep them engaged. 

We aim to do this by supporting clubs who show an eagerness to work with young people by:

   · Increasing youth involvement on an open access basis.

   · Devoting court-time and other resources to young people from their local communities, schools and youth groups.

   ·  Coaching and entering a club junior team to play in the new national inter-club tournament for juniors, called the Peter Luck-Hille Cup and run by the Foundation.

   · Working alongside the Foundation in promoting the CPD1 Course, Teachers’ Assistants Programme, which teaches Amateur members to help run junior tennis within clubs.

Train the Trainer Workshops

 

We have funded the development and delivery of a new one-day practical workshop to train club pros in how to recruit and coach youngsters and schools.

 It is now part of the T&RA / RTPA's formal training and accreditation programme for pros. Before moving on to take up his new position at Head Professional at Wellington, Dan Jones ran these courses at several different clubs. He is now running ‘Train the Trainer’ courses at Wellington to pass on to other professionals his in-depth knowledge of how to plan and execute junior group training sessions. Most of the countries professionals have now attended and passed this very important course. All pros who have attended to date have rated it highly. It has certainly increased their confidence and ability to be effective in enthusing junior tennis players. The next course is being held at Wellington on May 12th.

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For more information on the coaching techniques being learnt on these course please view the video clips on the “Coaching” tab.

 

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Training Video

 

 

We have funded the production of a series of video clips of best practice routines for the coaching of juniors in groups.

 

It is to help club pros and to establish a set of best practices to which they can contribute and refer. Our next project is to produce a guide to the first six lessons a junior might have from their very first moment on court.

 

Marketing Videos

 

 

We have published a marketing video to help clubs to sell the game to schools and parents. It is particularly aimed at primary and prep schools and the Under 12s - and has already been used with some success.

 

We are completing a marketing video for secondary and public schools and Under 18s.

 

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The Peter Luck-Hille Cup

 

This tournament is sponsored by The Dedanists’ Foundation.  It is part of the Foundation’s programme for encouraging and helping clubs to recruit more schools and youngsters into the game.

This event is a junior inter-club competition run on a handicap basis designed to include predominantly youngsters aged 12-15 with handicaps ranging from 45-90.

The Charity, with the assistance of our Ambassador Paul Weaver and Director Josh Farrall, successfully ran the eigth Peter Luck-Hille Cup in 2021/22. This inter-club junior team competition is aimed at giving juniors who may be below the elite level a chance to take part in team matches and meet similar juniors from other clubs. The 2022/23 tournament is now under way with a record entry of 12 clubs now taking part.The grand final will be held at Wellington in June 2023.

Universities

 
We have identified University Student Real Tennis Clubs as a very effective means of recruiting new young players, and well worth our support. 
 
We have awarded cash grants to each of the following university student clubs:  Bristol, Middlesex, St Andrews, Exeter (who play at the Hyde and Bristol courts), Newcastle, York and Durham (who play at the Jesmond Dean court) and St Mary's.
 
We have awarded these grants on the basis that the student clubs have proper governance, elected Officers, formal University recognition and a formal relationship with their local club with a court. 
 
These factors will help to ensure that these student clubs endure from one academic year to the next, and that the Foundation funding delivers long-term benefit for Junior Real Tennis.
Junior Coordinator Programme

 

 

The Dedanists' Foundation funds and runs a structured course to teach selected members of Real Tennis Clubs how to coach juniors. Similar courses are found in the world of Lawn Tennis and Squash.

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The strategic idea underlying the JC course is that amateurs with an interest in junior tennis will be able to provide valuable support to the Club Professionals in developing their own Junior Programmes.  They would be able to offer valuable cover if the Pro is ill or away, and would enable clubs to take ownership of their Junior Programmes and therefore become less reliant on Dedanists’ Foundation support for the long-term.  After discussions with the T&RA, it was agreed that the JC Course would be a CPD1 Course, and therefore all participants would be covered by T&RA insurance.  

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The courses will provide:

  • Valuable support to the professionals in developing their own junior programmes 

  • Offer valuable cover if the pro is away or ill, as continuity is vital to the success of the course.  

  • This would also help clubs take ownership of their junior programme and become less reliant on DF support for the long term. 

  • The Junior Coordinator would also be helpful in transporting junior to fixtures

  • Liaise with other JC's to discuss ideas and promotions

  • Offer valuable support to club, professionals and junior development.

  • JC's may also provide valuable experience such as marketing, sales, promotion or other skills sets 

  • All JC's would have to have insurance and DBS certification.

Third Party Review

 

 

The Foundation has contracted with an independent business and sports consultant to review all of these programmes and report back to the Foundation and its founder patrons, such as the LRTA, by the start of next season.

 

Comparison Facts DF and DS.jpg
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