Online Entry for the 2014 competition is live at www.LTA.org.uk/Team-Tennis-Schools until Thursday 16 January 2014. The national organisers have made the competition FREE to enter and each school that enters will receive some FREE tennis balls and a FREE captain’s guide before the season begins to help you and your team.
The competition takes place locally within Kent and I am in charge of our league during the summer term (April-July). The Year 8 & 10 competition caters for schools that have strong tennis players (division 1) as well as those who are less experienced or new to the sport (division 2). The majority of teams in our area will be of Division 2 standard and the leagues will be as localised as possible, with winners being invited to compete in finals under the umbrella of the Kent School Games (The finals do not include schools from Bromley, Bexley Lewisham & Greenwich).
However, stronger teams are encouraged to play in Division 1 where winners will qualify through to regional knockout rounds against other county winners with the chance of reaching regional and national finals.
The competition is run during the summer term and typically you can expect around 3-5 fixtures per team. One team comprises of 4 players (same gender only) and there are two age groups – one for Year 7&8 and one for Year 9&10 students.
If you do not have access to tennis courts you can still enter the leagues and play your matches away. I will endeavour to keep travel distances as short as possible based on entries I receive. I strongly recommend you speak to other schools that you compete with in other sports and should a group of you enter I can run a more local league for you.
The league is organised online during the season so that players, parents, teachers and can view regularly updated results and league tables during the season.
All information can be found at www.LTA.org.uk/Team-Tennis-Schools
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I look forward to seeing your schools entry in the Year 8 & 10 Competition 2014.
Janice White
Team Tennis Schools Year 8 & 10 Kent League