Over 80 local children picked up a racket and played tennis for free alongside some of Ipswich’s most promising talent on Saturday as Ipswich Sports Club hosted an open day as part of National Mini Tennis Week.
The club, which is a favourite facility of Great Britain Olympian Elena Baltacha and the home of her Tennis Academy – Elena Baltacha Academy of Tennis (EBAT) – 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.
They also got a chance to play alongside young EBAT players such as Maddie Frost who attended the open day and showcased the skills they had learned at the academy.
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 Ipswich Sports Club spent the week taking mini tennis to primary schools such as Dale Hall CS and St. Margaret’s.
EBAT coach George Ayde, 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 Ipswich 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 tennis activities and future LTA Mini Tennis events at Ipswich Sports Club please contact 01473 251143.
For more information on LTA Mini Tennis and National Mini Tennis Week please visit www.ltaminitennis.co.uk