Tennis Wales is the National Governing Body for tennis in Wales.

Tennis Wales Governance Structure  /  Staffing Structure 2010/11

93 clubs are currently affiliated to Tennis Wales. Each year these clubs elect a Board of Directors which has responsibility for running the sport in Wales on their behalf. The Board meets five times a year to agree strategic direction but delegates the day-to-day running of the sport to a small, committed team of staff. Tennis Wales’ HQ is at The Welsh National Tennis Centre, Cardiff, but there also exists a regional office in North Wales (Wrexham).

For specific tasks the Board is supported by a Tennis Operations Group (TOG), who help the staff in the delivery of key areas of work. In addition to its member clubs and their coaches, Tennis Wales’ key stakeholders are its two main funding partners the LTA and The Sports Council for Wales.

In partnership with its stakeholders Tennis Wales has identified two main strategic objectives:

1. To increase participation in tennis (particularly in terms of competition)
2. To produce world ranked junior players

Leading the staffing structure in pursuit of the above objectives is the Tennis Wales Chief Executive Officer who provides the link between staff and volunteers, manages the business and liaises with all funding partners.

To support the first objective Tennis Wales employs two Tennis Development Managers (TDM’s) based in North and South Wales, who provide advice and support to member clubs, self-employed coaches and Local Authority Tennis Development Officers. 

In the last seven years club membership has increased by 40% from 8400 individuals to just under 12000. The majority of this growth has been amongst juniors, and is due to the significant commitment being made by many Welsh tennis clubs and coaches to develop the sport.

To support the production of world ranked junior players Tennis Wales employs a National Performance Manager who focuses on players under 12 years of age. They work closely with the LTA High Performance Centre in Wrexham, the Esporta Cardiff/Glamorgan performance programme, and their feeder Satellites.

These programmes are producing an increasing number of junior players who are among the best in GB for their age. To support both objectives Tennis Wales co-ordinates approximately 250 tournaments and competitions each year through its Tennis Services Assistants. These events provide opportunities for the six-year old mini tennis player to the seventy-six year old veteran player!

The Tennis Wales Coach Development Manager, co-ordinates courses for potential new leaders, teachers and coaches, and organises Continual Professional Development for existing coaches. The number of licensed professional coaches in Wales has doubled to 115 individuals over the past six years.

A part-time Finance Officer and Tennis Services Assistants(based in Cardiff and Wrexham), complete the team, and deliver financial administration and support to the various Tennis Wales functions. The administrative officers also provide support to the two County Committees within Wales - North Wales and South Wales.

The County Committees have responsibility for running local league tennis and County teams that compete in the GB Inter-County Championships. The South Wales Courtstall Summer Doubles League is one of the largest in GB. Veterans tennis for those aged thirty-five and over is co-ordinated by the North and South Wales Veterans Associations.

Tennis Wales is a well respected part of GB tennis and Welsh sport. A great deal of progress is being made towards achieving our twin objectives but as always, much work remains to be done! Should you have any questions relating to Welsh tennis please do not hesitate to call or email us. We are here to support!