LTA Tennis Foundation funded programme goes the extra mile to ensure everyone is included
• 3 MINUTE READ
Like many big cities in Britain, some areas of Birmingham experience significant levels of deprivation. In these communities there are higher levels of child obesity, increased levels of poor health, a shorter life expectancy, and lower income. We know that sport can help to tackle some of these issues, however, a lack of access to facilities, opportunities to get involved, and cost are often some of the main barriers to participation.
Sport for Life International, a charity based in Birmingham, are tackling this lack of access by delivering their programme Building Character through Tennis (BCtT), which has been funded by a grant from the LTA Tennis Foundation.
BCtT is a unique project that aims to bring down barriers to entry into tennis that exist amongst underserved communities in Birmingham. It uses the power of sport to create new opportunities for underrepresented groups to play tennis, increase fitness levels, build mental health and access quality tennis facilities.
The LTA Tennis Foundation grant will support the delivery of the programme for three years, and by the end, almost 1,400 children will have had the opportunity to take part and experience tennis.
Meet Mohammed
One child who has felt the positive impact of this programme already is Mohammed, a Year 6 student. Mohammed has additional needs, is blind, and has a Teaching Assistant, named Fareeda who supports him while he is at school.
Before Sport for Life International started delivering tennis sessions at his school, Mohammed had found it difficult to take part in PE and had never had the opportunity to try tennis before. The school did what they could but did not have the equipment needed to ensure he was included.
The Sport for Life International team purchased specialist equipment so that Mohammed could take part, this included a jingle ball so that he could hear where the ball was and could play tennis like the rest of his peers.
When Mohammed was first told he would be able to take part in the sessions he felt very nervous because he had never played tennis before. However, he really enjoyed it, saying, “it was really good – I love it!”
To engage the students the Sport for Life International coaches play lots of different games, one of which is the reactive game. This exercise is designed to help young people develop their reaction speed, which is a crucial part of any type of sport.
The students are organised into pairs, standing opposite one another with a ball placed on a cone in between them. The coach then shouts a series of instructions, which include mainly warm up and stretching exercises, and as soon as the coach shouts 'ball!' the students have to try and pick up the ball before the partner standing opposite to them beats them to it. The ones that fail to get the ball sit out, and eventually you will end up with a champion.
The tennis sessions have had a marked impact on his social development. He has learnt to be part of a team, he has learnt to participate in activities with other children, and it has boosted his self-confidence as he can do the same things that the other children are doing.
In his first session, Mohammed took part in the reactive game, and did so well he even became a finalist. Mohammed said, “I felt very happy being a finalist, it makes me smile. I feel happier after playing and learning to play tennis”.
Fareeda, Mohammed's Teaching Assistant said, “I think the tennis sessions have had a marked impact on his social development. He has learnt to be part of a team, he has learnt to participate in activities with other children, and it has boosted his self-confidence as he can do the same things that the other children are doing.
"He was very, very happy to take part, it made him think he is part of the class, not different to anyone else, and in the future maybe pursue sports as his career.”
Ensuring people are included is powerful and can change a person’s life. Mohammed Naeem, Sport for Life’s Head Coach, said, “Over the years we have seen firsthand the positive impact sport has on young people, but what's been more interesting, is the effect sport has on those young people, in particular, that are struggling or those that come from difficult backgrounds. We have found that in those instances, sometimes sport is the only lifeline those young people have.”
Sport for Life International aims to provide opportunities, inspire and change the lives of children and young people by inviting them to take part in sport and educational programmes at premium destinations in their local community. They work closely with those who have not been successful at school or in society and use the power of sport to improve the self-esteem of young people by helping improve their educational and sporting skills. In addition to the sessions in Birmingham, Sport for Life are also working in communities in Bradford, Leeds, to deliver BCtT.
The work that Sport for Life is delivering aligns closely to the LTA and the LTA Tennis Foundation vision of tennis opened up and is a great example of the impact the LTA Tennis Foundation’s Grant Making Programme is having.
By funding other organisations and charities who are experts in their areas of delivery and embedded in their communities, the LTA Tennis Foundation can reach more people and impact more lives. The funding provided is solely for the grassroots of the game with a particular focus on diverse and underserved communities where the game is less well established.
Inclusion in tennis
Read about how the LTA and LTA Tennis Foundation are opening up tennis.
