Meet Spark: Tennis Wales Launches New Mascot to Help Young Players Better Understand Safeguarding
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Tennis Wales has launched a brand-new mascot named Spark a colourful, friendly dragon designed to help children better understand safeguarding and feel safer when playing tennis or padel.
Spark is a 9-year-old dragon who will become a central figure across child-friendly safeguarding resources, offering a friendly face and clear, simple guidance to help young players understand what’s right and wrong in sport. Spark has been designed with a profile that is relatable for young tennis & padel players.
The idea for Spark came from a Wales design competition open to children across Wales. The winning design, created by Tomos Wilkinson-Spittle from Rhyl, captured the judges' attention with its bright, welcoming look. Tomos’ drawing was then professionally brought to life by designer ‘a guy called minty’, and Tomos was rewarded with a brand-new Chromebook and a bundle of tennis goodies from HEAD.
Mark Vaughan, Safeguarding Officer at Tennis Wales, said:
“We wanted to create something that really attracts the attention of our young players. Spark helps break down barriers to provide a safe and supportive way to talk about important topics. Safeguarding should be accessible to every child, and Spark helps us make that possible.”
As part of the launch, the Tennis Wales safeguarding section has been completely redesigned, with a new Kids’ Hub featuring Spark as the guide. The section includes engaging content that explains what’s OK, what’s not, and what to do if something doesn’t feel right all written in language children can easily understand.
Simon Johnson, CEO of Tennis Wales, added:
“Spark is part of our long-term commitment to ensuring tennis and padel are safe, welcoming spaces for young people. Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility, and we’re proud to be leading the way in making these conversations easier for children.”
Spark will make his official debut at this year’s Cymru Tennis Championships, appearing on player passes, keychains, and event artwork throughout the venue instantly becoming a hit with young players and families.
The aim is for Spark to be recognisable to children so topics like safeguarding feel less intimidating to children, Spark will feature all child-facing safeguarding materials from Tennis Wales, helping children of all ages feel informed, supported, and safe both on and off the court.
Find out more & see the Tennis Wales access for safeguarding via the link below-
https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/in-your-area/tennis-wales/safeguarding-tennis/
