Merseyside’s Ben Saunders and Phil Leighton have just completed their tour of the United Kingdom, helping the Lawn Tennis Association to deliver its Davis Cup Legacy programme. Ben and Phil were both invited to join a team of 5 "mentors" asked to help inspire and deliver the new "Tennis For Kids" training programme to 1000 of the UK’s best coaches. Ben, Phil and his team delivered a total of 15 Davis Cup Legacy training days across the UK throughout March, tutoring these coaches on how to deliver a free six-week coaching programme for 10,000 children aged 5-8 that have never played tennis before.
Both coaches were delighted to be asked to participate in the Davis Cup Legacy Programme, and for Ben it had an added bonus of reuniting him with his old friend and colleague Leon Smith, Great Britain's Davis Cup winning Captain.
Ben said ‘It's been an amazing few weeks working with Leon again as well as Greg Rusedski and Annabelle Croft. I've been to new places as well as some of my favourite tennis venues and met and worked with some amazing people. The energy at the training days has been unreal and a lot of people, including Leon, have said this has been the best campaign the LTA have ever run to help grow grassroots tennis.’
Phil was similarly thrilled to be asked to help with the campaign, saying “I have really enjoyed my involvement as a mentor on the Davis Cup Legacy training. It has been a fantastic chance to engage with our national network of coaches. I love working with children at grassroots so I consider myself very lucky to be still doing something that I enjoy”
Both Phil and Ben themselves started tennis at a young age. Ben’s career into coaching came about as a result of him helping at competitions aged 16, whilst he was still actively playing the game. Of this decision, Ben says ‘I soon realised that I wasn't going to be the next Tim Henman, so I thought coaching was the best way to stay in the sport. I quickly took some coaching badges and started with grassroots tennis, before a previous coach of mine, Judy Murray, took me under her wing and got me involved with performance coaching.
Years later, I've gone full circle and am back at grassroots level “growing the game” running my own coaching company. We do everything from Tots Tennis to Cardio Tennis and I've also been tutoring now for 2 years or so. This is what probably got me the Davis Cup Legacy gig and had me back working with Leon Smith!’
For Phil, his involvement in tennis started as a family affair: “I got involved in tennis as my dad played at the local tennis club. From 13 years old I developed my love of the sport and I would say this set out my life journey. I would not consider myself to be academic and so tennis coaching was a fantastic opportunity to forge a career doing something I really enjoyed.
I have continued to work to increase participation; from the early years as a club coach to the development of my Crosssport business which has afforded me the opportunity to travel the GB, attend European tennis events as well as run the Wimbledon Kids Zone”
With all of the Davis Cup Legacy training sessions having taken place, the first of the free “Tennis For Kids” sessions have now begun. The specially trained coaches will be delivering these programmes until the end of August, and every child that completes a 6-week Tennis For Kids coaching programme will receive a free tennis racquet and ball.
If you know of any children who would be interested in joining a free 6-week tennis coaching programme and live locally to Campion Lawn Tennis Club, you can sign up to Ben’s sessions here: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/TennisForKids/Course/e0b07e2e-e389-44b5-a329-844aac1c7b48
Alternatively, find your nearest “Tennis For Kids” coaching programme here: www.lta.org.uk/tennisforkids