The Tennis Foundation, Britain’s leading tennis charity, is backing a new nationwide initiative to encourage budding tennis players to combine sport and study by backing a range of courses being offered in Liverpool.
Students at the Elite Sports Academy, based in south Liverpool, will be able to achieve a BTEC Level 3 qualification (which is equivalent to 4 A Levels) and study a range of education topics including Sport Enterprise and Entrepreneurship with Tennis as a specialism, as well as receive top level coaching to improve their tennis.
The Elite Tennis scheme is headed up by Liverpool's top performance coaches and is also supported by former Great Britain Davis Cup player - and Liverpudlian - Ken Skupski. Ken and his younger brother Neal both became successful professional sportsmen after attaining sports scholarships at a US university.
Ken Skupski, currently ranked 65 in the ATP World Doubles Rankings, will also assist Elite Academy students who want to follow his lead and attain tennis scholarships in the US or UK. The Skupski brothers attended Louisiana State University in America, which is renowned for its tennis programme.
“Combining tennis and study this way gives players options and equips them with skills on and off the court,” said Ken Skupski. “The goal with this programme is to create much better, more rounded tennis players - we want players to be the complete package.”
"I am delighted to see an alternative education provider such as Elite Academy expanding their provision to include tennis. This new programme will enable young players to develop their own tennis performance as well as help to provide a stepping stone to a potential career in coaching, and we would encourage other schools, colleges and coaches to look at similar models and study programmes,” said Christine Sprowell, The Tennis Foundation's Further Education Manager.
“Our aim is to create a clear pathway for young, aspiring players and coaches through our education and coaching programme to help them reach their potential,” added Paul Freeman, Elite Sports Academy teacher and tennis coach.
Since 2011, the Tennis Foundation and Lawn Tennis Association have supported nearly 200 colleges through their Further Education Tennis Programme to grow and sustain the number of young people aged 16 to 19 participating, competing, volunteering and coaching tennis.
The Academy will be launched at the start of September 2014 and there is an open evening on Thursday 22nd May at 6pm at the Heath Road Bridge Chapel Centre, which anyone is welcome to attend. Visit www.eliteschools.co.uk or contact Paul Freeman on 0782 185 4518 to find out more information.