Sports chiefs have applauded a booming tennis centre at the heart of a North Wales community for rallying hundreds of youngsters to pick up skills for a life in sport.
Every week more than 500 junior players step onto court at the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre, in Wrexham, to play competitively or just for fun.
To meet the huge demand and give even more local youngsters the chance to swing a racquet, the centre has introduced 16 new Mini Tennis tournaments, trained up more coaches and given local teachers and older pupils the know-how to teach specific tennis skills.
The centre’s grand slam success comes hot on the heels of 2009 re-developments that not only made it the biggest in Wales but also the only UK centre to have permanent mini tennis courts - paving the way for more kids to pick up a racquet.
Adrian Jones, Tennis Manager for the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre said:
“The extra tournaments have helped us to meet demand because we were full to capacity and it’s helped us to grow the game even further in the region.
“We’ve got the staff and structure to ensure that players can reach their potential. We’ve produced several very good players, such as Lisa Whybourn who is the UK’s Number 10, so we’re moving in the right direction.”
Adrian adds: “We’ve worked closely with Wrexham County Borough Council to develop the game in Wrexham. Their Tennis Development Officer goes into local schools to give teachers the skills and confidence to teach tennis. We’ve also trained older juniors, from 13-17 years of age, to help with the teaching of younger players.
“So even if youngsters can’t come to the Tennis Centre they at least have good opportunities to play tennis on their doorstep. We are very happy with the progress of the school programmes and they will be key to us maintaining the growth of the game in this area.”
Some of the key priorities in a recently launched sector-wide Vision for Sport in Wales, devised by Sport Wales and industry partners, revolve around encouraging new ways of delivering opportunities to increase participation and improve elite performance.
Chair of Sport Wales, Professor Laura McAllister believes examples like the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre are proof that these ambitions are already being achieved and can be replicated elsewhere in Wales.
She said: “We need to have first class sporting opportunities, like those offered at the North Wales Regional Tennis Centre, available in Wales if we are to achieve our ambitions of getting every child hooked on sport for life and creating a nation of champions.
“Great numbers of children and youngsters in North Wales have the chance to take part in high quality, structured tennis training and competitions thanks to the investment that has gone into the centre.
“We not only want that great work to continue locally but for our partners across Wales to take note and strive for similar success in attracting young people into a lifetime of sport.”
Find out more about the Vision for Sport in Wales visit at: http://www.sportwales.org.uk/media/506916/sport_wales_english_vision_doc_screen.pdf