"As soon as I heard about the Beyond The Baseline programme, I knew that I wanted to be a part of it!
The idea of inspiring young pupils and nurturing their aspirations seemed like a very appealing position to be in. Having played on the professional tennis tour for over 6 years, facing numerous challenges along the way and eventually achieving my own dream of competing in the main draw at Wimbledon, I believed that I could help set young students on the right path to achieving their own goals.
I know that my friends and fellow Tennis Mentors on the programme have all also had testing yet successful careers feel the same way as I do about being part of such a motivating tennis scheme.
Beyond The Baseline is a free secondary schools programme, aimed at engaging young students who may find certain aspects of school a struggle. There are presently six current or former professional tennis players including myself, who have been trained up as Tennis Mentors to visit schools and share our experiences with the next generation.
Each school on the programme receives three separate visits from their Tennis Mentor across a 6-8 week period. I have been lucky enough to have made twelve visits this year across four schools and I have seen for myself the impact that Beyond The Baseline has had on young students.
As well as getting pupils active on court, as Tennis Mentors we talk about the different employability and life skills that we have developed through our own journeys and transfer these to the young students.
I have personally improved many skills of my own through mentoring as part of Beyond The Baseline. My ability to adapt has really progressed; in schools you discover that quite often you need to tailor your sessions to the group of pupils that you are working with, as no student is the same! I have also learnt to adapt my sessions to the facilities that are available at the schools, which I have found to come in very handy when faced with limited space!
Carrying out this mentoring role has also greatly improved my public speaking skills and I am now comfortable talking in front of large groups. My confidence to manage lots of pupils has really advanced; I am able to keep students engaged whilst also controlling the flow of sessions. As a professional tennis player you learn to develop independence and organisation skills and being a part of Beyond The Baseline has hugely expanded these abilities and many more; it is a very beneficial role to have in order to prepare yourself for the future."
Jade Windley, Beyond the Baseline mentor.
The Tennis Foundation and Youth Sport Trust are now recruting new mentors for the Beyond the Baseline scheme. Find out more and apply here.
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