Britain’s Georgie Stoop today joined pupils at Histon and Impington junior school to check out the changes in tennis which are taking the nation’s youngsters by storm.
The Tennis Foundation (TF), supported by the Lawn Tennis Association, (LTA) has been implementing a new AEGON Schools Tennis strategy to increase children’s access to tennis.
With latest statistics from the School- Sport Survey 2008-09 detailing a 2% increase in the percentage of school-club links to 42% in the last year, the British number six was on hand to see the new style tennis delivery in action and experience firsthand just what an impact the initiative is having in Cambridge.
Stoop, who reached career high of 178 in the world this season, was an honorary pupil for the day as she played with, and against, a Year 6 class and then finished the visit with autographs and a Q+A session.
She said: “I think the younger the kids start the more they are likely to learn and the more they're likely to carry on. I never played tennis at school, I always went out of school to do my own squads or lessons as it was never really a big thing in my school which was a shame actually because I was really impressed with today's school lesson and how the TF are trying to give more pupils more opportunities."
AEGON Schools Tennis provides a range of resources for schools, including an innovative coach-led DVD. The new tools are designed to give teachers everything they need to offer tennis, and to challenge old-fashioned views of the sport. They demonstrate how tennis can be taught in small areas to large groups, whether in the playground or the school hall.
Histon and Impington junior school Head teacher Lesley Birch said: “The AEGON Schools tennis programme is fantastic and has allowed us to significantly improve the delivery of tennis within our school. The children have always enjoyed their tennis lessons and to be provided with free equipment certainly allows more children to have greater opportunities to play.
“Even the teachers’ lives are made easier as the DVD really takes the pressure off them whilst teaching children high quality skills from a real tennis expert and gives even the non specialist teachers the confidence to get involved.
As an early specialisation sport, it’s great to see children at this age thoroughly engaged in this sport. I’m pleased to say that we have also set up after-schools clubs that run year-round and we have forged great school club links with our local tennis club Histon so I hope the pupils can take what they learn here and continue to be involved in the game as they grow up.”
Eleven-year-old Jake Cairns added: “Today was really fun and it's a great way to keep fit and healthy. I just really enjoy tennis. I don't play outside school so I enjoy the lessons we have at school, the DVD is really fun.”
The programme also provides the equipment to make it happen. Around 60,000 tennis rackets and 120,000 tennis balls have been sent, free-of-charge, to a number of primary schools in the last year to address schools’ fears regarding a lack of equipment and space.
AEGON is the Lead Partner of British Tennis and is supporting the sport at all levels from grass roots to elite level.
Steve Clode, AEGON director of marketing, added: “The work carried out by both the LTA and the Tennis Foundation through AEGON Schools Tennis, is already making great strides in developing tennis as a core part of the sporting curriculum in many primary schools.
For further information on School-Club links
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