British Tennis - Lawn Tennis Association

A large resurgence in the popularity of apprenticeships across a huge range of sectors has occurred in the last few years, and tennis is well in on the action. National Apprenticeship Week is happening this week and this is how British tennis is involved.

Talented British tennis juniors are being helped by a Government scheme which supports the country’s best young athletes, allowing them to get qualifications alongside their training and competitive programmes. 

The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE) is aimed at players aged 16 to 18 and provides a pathway to becoming a professional player, coach or entry into other tennis related business while still gaining qualifications. Taking around two years to complete, AASE is run through LTA-accredited High Performance Centres (HPCs) which are world class tennis academies.

Some of Britain’s Olympic heroes in Beijing, such as swimmer Rebecca Adlington were AASE participants so it shows the impact that the programme has already had in helping athletes reach their full potential.

Three of Britain’s top junior boy tennis players are on the scheme (Luke Bambridge, Kyle Edmund and Evan Hoyt). They are already filling up the trophy cabinet and showing encouraging signs for success on a very challenging international junior tour. Last year, as part of the Great Britain 16U boys' team, they won the Junior Davis Cup title in Mexico after defeating second seeds Italy 2-0 in the final.  The GB team, captained by Greg Rusedski, won the title for Great Britain for the first time. 

Following the win, Martin Weston, LTA Junior Tennis Manager - Men's, said: "It has been a fantastic team effort to win this event for the first time ever. As Apprentice Professional Tennis Players, they are on our AASE programme which will help them develop professional habits as they make the transition to the senior game."

Just back from competing in the Australian Open, Kyle Edmund said: “Tennis has always been a major part of my life and now the support given to me by the LTA and the areas covered in the AASE programme are helping me turn tennis into my profession."

Commenting on the professional approach AASE encourages the players to take, Luke Bambridge added:  "We take a logical approach to our development and work on the tactical, technical, mental and physical goals we set."

The AASE programme allows them to train from their home base, access funding and train with other players on a regular basis. Support is delivered through squad training and sports science. The programme focuses strongly on the transition from being a good junior to a young professional, which is a huge challenge in tennis where there is a significant jump in physical and mental strength needed to be successful at the senior level.

207 tennis players are currently on the programme, and all are training at the High Performance Centres across the country. There are many examples of AASE players who would not have been able to play tennis were it not for the AASE programme, who have now progressed to full time tennis or tennis scholarships. The scheme is not only a huge help for those with a chance of making it as a professional player, but also helps up-skill and professionalise the wider tennis workforce. AASE will help us ensure that British tennis has more highly qualified British coaches and support staff in the future, which is key to success in performance sport.

Roger Draper CEO, LTA added: "AASE is a tremendous benefit to our HPC’s, giving clear pathways forward for our players from the age of 16 and developing young professional role models. It also provides excellent opportunities for players progressing onto Tennis Scholarships."