A group of Derbyshire tennis coaches who set up national training camps two years ago have started attracting international players to take part in them.
About 30 youngsters – the bulk from the county – took part in the first programme run by Ace Tennis Camps in July 2010.
Today, more than 200 pupils are involved in the camps each year and coaches have now extended them to two sites to meet demand.
Children from the UK, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Italy and Saudi Arabia are among those who have been through the Ace Tennis Camps programme.
The coaches take youngsters from the ages of nine to 17 and provide them with five hours of tuition each day at either Queenswood School, in Hertfordshire, or Ardingly College, in West Sussex.
Among top players to have previously used the Queenswood courts are Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Lleyton Hewitt and Kim Clijsters.
International students can also take part in the week-long camp's English Language programme.
Camp director and owner Chris Osborne, 31, of Allestree, said he had first come up with the idea for the camps while working in America.
He said future plans also include holding camps abroad, possibly in Paris or Madrid.
Osborne said: "I was working as a director of tennis for Nike in Boston and I was amazed by how many international students were attending the camps they had there.
"I realised there was nothing like this in the UK and that's what gave me the inspiration to get started.
"I'm really proud of what we've managed to achieve and set up.
"What's particularly encouraging is that 2010 was a time of economic doom and gloom and we managed to start this business from scratch despite that.
"A lot of people said it would struggle to get off the ground because people would have less spare cash to spend on it but we've had testimonials from parents saying how much it has helped their child develop.
"And that's not just in the sport, they've also felt it helped the child develop personally."
Each year, the coaches – including Osborne, Matt Allen, Chris Frosin, Nick Gillott and Chris McPherson, who are all involved in other Derbyshire tennis clubs – run three camps.
Students also get to take part in other activities, such as guided tours of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, football tournaments and cinema trips, as well as tennis.
"We're keen not just to develop their tennis skills but also the students' interest in sport, language and culture," said Osborne.
"Some of our pupils from Derbyshire have had some of the children from abroad come over to the stay with them when the camp's over. It's nice – we feel like we've created a bit of a community.
"And it's good for the kids to be playing each other because they're getting to learn from different opponents."
The coaches will be taking pupils to the West Sussex site for the first time this year.
They plan to take 15 from Derbyshire both to stay and to compete at a national tournament running at the same time.
"By going as a team, the children can support each other," said Osborne
"It's a major tournament on the junior calendar and we will be able to go to the matches with them, give them feedback and prepare them for the next match.
"Once their involvement in the tournament is over, they can go back into the training environment. It will be really interesting to see how it works.
"The camps have had a lot of support from the Lawn Tennis Association, which is keen for us to drive up participation.
"As well as setting up camps abroad, we're now seeking a major sponsor and we're also going to offer a free scholarship to a youngster.
"We think they'll be from Derbyshire because we started out here and it is a thank you for everything the place has done for us."
For more information about the programme, visit www.acetennis.co.uk
Courtesy of Derby Telegraph