Disability Tennis Coaching Resource Contents
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- Navigate this page:
- Inclusive Schools Support
- Free Inclusive Tennis Resource
- Free Inclusive Tennis Equipment Pack
- Inclusive Tennis Teaching Training Course
- Disability Tennis Festivals
- Successful Marketing of Your Festival
- Product
- Price and Booking
- Place
- Promotion
- Getting the Message Out There
- Timing
- Equipment
- Staffing the Event
- On the Day
- Possible Activity
- When Participants Leave the Session
- Debrief
Coaching OpportunitiesCoaches who want to get involved in disability tennis can follow the same pathway as they would with non-disabled coaching by becoming a licensed LTA coach. You can view that pathway below and visit the LTA website for further information. As part of this pathway there are Continuing Professional Development (CPD) modules specifically for Deaf, Learning Disability, Visually Impaired and Wheelchair Tennis, with licence points available to those who attend. For more information on when and where these courses will be taking place, please visit www.lta.org.uk/coaching. LTA Coaching Pathway
There are CPD (Continuing Professional Development) courses available to coaches at certain levels. The Tennis Foundation run impairment specific CPD courses for Level 2 and above coaches. “I love coaching disability tennis as every lesson is different and I’m always thinking of new ideas and teaching styles to help players of all different abilities. Every time a player walks off my court they have a smile on their face and they really appreciate my efforts in teaching them, which makes my job so much more enjoyable.” Andy Jeffery, Head of Disability Tennis, Sutton Tennis Academy Inclusive Schools SupportMany disabled young people have the ability to participate fully in tennis, with little or no adaptations. However, for some pupils with more limited functional or physical abilities, tennis activities can be adapted to ensure that all young people enjoy their experience and can achieve. To support teachers in special schools, and those teaching disabled young people in mainstream education, we have developed a package of innovative training, resources and equipment as follows: Free Inclusive Tennis ResourceThrough Mini Tennis, the modified version of the game, this new resource provides guidance to empower teachers to deliver tennis effectively in special schools, and to disabled young people in mainstream education. The resource is focused around a series of activity cards, but also provides information on adaptations, equipment, the use of Makaton (refer to Deaf Tennis section for more information on the use of Makaton), player pathways and celebrating success. Free Inclusive Tennis Equipment PackThe Tennis Foundation is also delighted to offer a number of special schools a free Schools Tennis Equipment Pack, worth a retail value of £500. This pack includes a range of modified and adapted equipment, specifically designed for use by disabled young people. Inclusive Tennis Teaching Training CourseThe three-hour Inclusive Tennis Teacher Training Course has been designed to give teachers and teaching assistants in special schools, and those teaching disabled young people in mainstream education, the confidence and tools to deliver tennis to a class of children in a small space. The course is supported by a resource and equipment pack. Each teacher attending the course receives:
To book on a course and receive the above resources, visit www.schoolstennis.org. Digital ResourcesThere are several DVDs available and the USB stick that comes with this resource pack contains the following films:
Further videos are on the Tennis Foundation website. Disability Tennis FestivalsThis is a guide on how to plan a successful festival or open day to show disabled people the opportunities available to them within tennis. The information provided is based on case studies of successful programmes that have held or currently hold tennis festivals across the UK. PurposeWell-organised festivals are a great way of attracting and retaining new players within the sport. It is possible to run a festival for all ages, abilities and disabilities at the same time if you have enough space. Successful Marketing of Your FestivalEffective forward planning is essential for good levels of attendance. You should consider the following: Target AudienceConsider your target audience when putting together promotional material. Avoid complicated terminology and keep any marketing materials simple. What can you offer attendees in the way of follow-on opportunities? This will determine your target market and where you should attract participants from. ProductAre you offering something to overcome some of the barriers participants might face? For example, sign language communicators on site or perhaps free accessible transport to your venue. What is Your Unique Selling Point?Examples might be trained coaches/indoor courts/great location/first session of its kind in the area. Remember, tennis is a completely inclusive sport and players of all abilities can play with disabled or non-disabled peers, friends and family. Price and BookingIt is recommended that the festival is free to attend. Follow-on opportunities need to be sensitively priced and affordable. To help plan activities, it is strongly recommended that pre-booking is made available but be flexible enough to accept people on the day. PlaceIn your promotional material explain the convenience and benefits of your venue. Make this information available in your first communication as this can be the first barrier to people attending. If you have good transport links then mention this, as transport can often be a barrier. PromotionThere are many ways to promote your festival, many of which are listed below. You need to be able to contact the relevant people in plenty of time. As a guideline, a minimum of three months is suggested.
After the initial festival, inform relevant groups about follow-on activities and any other festivals you are planning. Please ensure you contact the Tennis Foundation about any activity you are organising, as we can help to support your promotion. EFDS has created a guide to accessible communications, which you can view on their website via the Further Information section on page 75 of this resource. Getting the Message Out ThereIf you have appointed a press officer, this will really help to publicise the event and follow-on opportunities. If not, then write a short, snappy report yourself. Include photos from the event and send to the local press and the Tennis Foundation. It’s always helpful to follow up with a phone call to relevant media. TimingThis will be dependent on when you are ready to deliver your programme. Do not run a festival without having follow-up opportunities available. The start of the summer term has proved easier than the end of a term to organise school events. A well-organised event can run within two hours but longer day-festivals can be popular. EquipmentFor wheelchair sessions a minimum of two sports wheelchairs are needed for people to try. In the promotional material, encourage anyone with their own sports chair to bring it along. Make sure that ‘sound balls’ are available and plenty of different-sized rackets. Also have lots of cones, lines and a range of Mini Tennis balls and full balls. If you have a disability tennis or special schools bag, the adapted equipment contained in those should be used. The Tennis Foundation and Dan Maskell Tennis Trust can assist you if you do not have any sports wheelchairs. Staffing the EventMake sure you have enough staff to provide at least one person per planned activity/station. Staff and volunteers may feel apprehensive about their roles and therefore pre-festival training is vital. Training the coaches in advance is key, as volunteers and helpers can be given basic training on the day of the event. Don’t forget to reward your volunteers. On the DaySign people in. Have a register of pre-booked attendees and the ability to record attendees that turn up on the day. Make sure you have a ‘photo consent’ box and that participants have indicated whether this is permissible. Have a column for preferred method of communication after the event. Take participants’ email address and phone number; do not rely on them contacting you. Let attendees know that if they are interested in signing up for follow-on opportunities that they can do so on the day. Maybe offer a T-shirt/reward/discount for booking and paying on the day. Take lots of photos. Possible ActivityThe court plan will depend on who you are trying to attract into the programme, and your available facilities and staffing. Two examples are as follows: Example 1 – Festival for all ages, six indoor courts, aim is to attract both disabled and non-disabled players. Mini Tennis: Court 1 – Visually impaired (VI) Court 2 – Wheelchair Court 3 – Ambulant (including deaf) players Court 4 – Beginner adults Full Court Tennis Court 5 – Beat the pro (get local performance players to support the event) Court 6 – Cardio (this court positioned on the opposite side of the venue from VI, so the noise from the music does not interfere with the VI activity) Example 2 – Festival for juniors with disabilities, 2 -3 courts Set up stations based on the adapted activity cards, followed by group-based activities over the courts split into mini-red courts. (N.B. orange balls may be more suitable for beginner wheelchair players to give them more time to reach the ball.) When Participants Leave the SessionAll participants should receive a pack with details of follow-on opportunities. Can you include some freebies? Say that you will follow up with a communication within one week. Make sure this happens, otherwise people’s trust will be lost before you have even started. DebriefIt is really important once the session has finished and the equipment has been packed away that you review the session with the coaches and staff, whilst it is fresh in everyone’s minds. Keep PlanningHopefully you have had a great day and you have managed to attract players into your programme. Regardless of how successful this particular programme has been, use your experience from this event to make your next festival even better! 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