Over 70 local children picked up a racket and played tennis for free on Saturday as Leicester Forest East Tennis Club hosted an open day as part of National Mini Tennis Week.
The club, based on Hinckley Road, opened its doors to children between the ages of three and ten to try out LTA Mini Tennis – with many playing tennis for the first time.
National Mini Tennis Week 2013, sponsored by Highland Spring, gave over 10,000 children across the country a fantastic first experience of LTA Mini Tennis, which offers the perfect introduction to the sport of tennis with smaller courts, nets and rackets and lower bouncing balls but all the energy of the real thing.
LTA Mini Tennis, sponsored by Highland Spring, has been developed by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to introduce children between three and ten years old to the sport.
The week ran from Monday June 10 until Sunday June 16, and Leicester Forest East Tennis Club welcomed families to take part in the event, with adults also having a chance to play tennis on bigger courts at the facility for free.
Coach Tom Lewis, who oversaw the mini tennis sessions, said: “It was a really great day and I’m delighted we were able to welcome so many people down to the club to play tennis.
“We wanted to give as many kids in Leicester the chance to play tennis and to have seen so many of them come along and take part in the open day was really special and hopefully we inspired a future British star to pick up a racket and start playing regularly.”
There are now more than 1,500 registered tennis venues delivering LTA Mini Tennis across the country, catering for more than 110,000 children.
For more information on LTA Mini Tennis and National Mini Tennis Week please visit www.ltaminitennis.co.uk