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º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ collaborates with governing bodies to support parents and children in tennis around the world

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, The International Tennis Federation (ITF - the world governing body for tennis), and the LTA (the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain) have come together to provide a suite of education and support resources for parents of young tennis hopefuls, and to drive forward research on parenting in tennis.

From the success of the LTA’s nationwide parent education workshops developed through Professor Chris Harwood’s research in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences (SSEHS), the ITF has joined forces with both parties to utilise this content and promote an international strategy to support parents in its member federations.  

Group workshops on supporting children in competitive tennis will be offered to parents in several nations once restrictions relating to the Covid-19 pandemic have been eased.

A shorter online course - ‘Parents of Beginner Players – Introduction to Tennis’ – is the first of the suite of resources to be developed for global reach, and is aimed at parents and tennis coaches around the world to take once registered on the ITF Academy.

This online course details the benefits of children participating in tennis, the roles and responsibilities of a supportive tennis parent, and tips on selecting and developing positive relationships with tennis coaches.

Already proving popular, to date the course has been completed by 1,800unique users on the ITF’s online platform and has been translated into French, Spanish and Portuguese.

Professor Harwood explained:

“Parents are key stakeholders in junior tennis with an active investment in the game and in their child’s happiness, well-being and development. As sport scientists and organisations who have a strong command of both the challenges and the benefits of tennis, I believe that it is vital that we share our knowledge with parents and help them to thrive in support roles to their children."

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Luca Santilli, the ITF Executive Director for Tennis Development, added:

“Since the ITF announced that our education packages have been made available for free to access through the ITF Academy during the global pandemic, we have been delighted to see a huge number of registered users using the resources to further educate themselves about the game and delivery of tennis.

“Targeting parents through this specific Parents of Beginner Players course is very important for junior tennis development. We are thrilled that it has already proved extremely popular for parents and tennis coaches around the world.”

The collaboration with the LTA and ITF has led to the funding of a PhD studentship at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ to advance the science of parenting in tennis.

The project conducted by PhD student Ella Williams, supported by Professor Chris Harwood and Professor Sophia Jowett in SSEHS, focuses on understanding the fundamental qualities which underpin effective and healthy relationships between parents, players, and the coaches that support them.

Reflecting on the original education strategy initiated by the LTA, Keith Carder, Head of Competitions at the LTA, stated:

“It is great to be able to extend the knowledge that we have been able to share with tennis parents in the UK through to parents on a worldwide scale with the ITF. We have found that parents have reported greater confidence in positively supporting their child, and we want all parents to have positive experiences of tennis.”

To find out more on tennis at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, click HERE.

Notes for editors

Press release reference number: 20/137

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is one of the country’s leading universities, with an international reputation for research that matters, excellence in teaching, strong links with industry, and unrivalled achievement in sport and its underpinning academic disciplines.

It has been awarded five stars in the independent QS Stars university rating scheme, named the best university in the world for sports-related subjects in the 2020 QS World University Rankings and University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2019.

º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is in the top 10 of every national league table, being ranked 4th in the Guardian University League Table 2020, 5th in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020 and 6th in The UK Complete University Guide 2021.
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is consistently ranked in the top twenty of UK universities in the Times Higher Education’s ‘table of tables’ and is in the top 10 in England for research intensity. In recognition of its contribution to the sector, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ has been awarded seven Queen's Anniversary Prizes.

The º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ London campus is based on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and offers postgraduate and executive-level education, as well as research and enterprise opportunities. It is home to influential thought leaders, pioneering researchers and creative innovators who provide students with the highest quality of teaching and the very latest in modern thinking.

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