White Hart Lane Tennis Club in North London has welcomed a spike in interest and activity this week following the fantastic efforts of Team GB’s Andy Murray and Laura Robson.
Following yesterday’s dramatic close to the Olympic tennis at Wimbledon - which celebrated gold and silver medals for the British players – there has been a surge in interest in how and where people can get involved in the sport.
Tennis Development Officer, Siwan Stephens explains how the phone rang off the hook all day Monday, she said: “It’s been fantastic. People in the area have genuinely been inspired by the Olympics to have a go at tennis and find out more about it.
“We have great programmes running at White Hart Lane tennis club so we’re ready and prepared and this Monday we saw a third increase in people attending.
“Many people have called up to find out more about the programmes we offer for all ages and abilities and have now signed up for our programmes over the next few weeks and those starting in September.”
Through the support of the Lawn Tennis Association, Tennis Foundation Haringey Council and Tottenham Hotspur Foundation more people in the area can enjoy playing an affordable, accessible sport throughout the year.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is making it easier for people of all ages and abilities to get involved in tennis through their allplay campaign, designed to help people play tennis.
Roger Draper, the Lawn Tennis Association chief executive, added: “This is great news for the area and fantastic news for the sport. We want to remind people that tennis is a sport that can be enjoyed and played 52 weeks a year.
“The country has been enthralled by the action at the Olympics and we want to ensure that those inspired are aware of all the opportunities out there for people to pick up a racket and give tennis a go themselves.
“With places just like White Hart Lane and Bruce Castle Park across the country as well as the allplay website, it just makes it even easier to find a local court, someone to play against and even a coach to hone your skills.”
In addition to the programmes running at White Hart Lane and Bruce Castle Park, next week will also welcome a free programme at Downhills Park every day from 10am until 12noon for all ages and abilities.
To find out more about playing tennis in the Haringey area please visit www.tottenhamhotspur.com/tennis or call 020 8365 5138.
LTA Development Director, Tom Harlow, said: “It’s great to see Andy and Laura’s success having such an immediate impact on demand for tennis, and I know that our Paralympic athletes will also inspire people to play our sport. But we recognise that this is only the start of our journey, and that working together with our partners at Sport England, and in Scotland and Wales, we still have plenty of work to do in order to translate the success of this golden month into a legacy lasting many years.”
“As part of this we’re also very focused on working with schools to help children and young people develop a sporting habit for life and support the goal of London 2012 to ‘inspire a generation’
The success of the past few days has also seen a surge in activity at Victoria Park, a tennis site in close proximity to the Olympic Stadium that has recently benefited from investment from the LTA, with support from Sport England, to upgraded facilities for Tower Hamlets Tennis programmes.
Read more about the activity here in an article from The Wall Street Journal.
To find a playing partner, a local court or coach, register at www.allplaytennis.com