Birmingham

ROTHESAY CLASSIC BIRMINGHAM
LTA COACHING
PATHWAY REVAMPED
The coaching pathway has been revamped and modernised by the LTA in recent years and it is
now serving up candidates that are raising standards of instruction on courts across Britain.
Former British Ladies’ tennis
champion Jo Ward (Head
of Coach Education &
Qualifications) and Merlin
Van de Braam (LTA’s Head
of Coach Development and
Support) have spearheaded
some exciting evolutions
within formal LTA
Qualifications over the last
two years, with an ambition
to drive up standards at all
levels of coaching.
This work sits as part of the
LTA’s Coach Development
Plan, which aims to create
inspirational coaches who
can grow the game and the
first two levels have attracted
growing numbers signing up
for the courses, with 3,395
new candidates signing up for
courses last year.
The LTA Assistant Course
(Level 1) is ideal for tennis
parents, enthusiasts or
keen players looking for
the knowledge and skills
to support group coaching
sessions, alongside a lead
coach.
The next phase of the
coaching pathway, the LTA
Instructor (Level 2) course, is
a five-day qualification (split
into four core and one
elective day), with enhanced
online learning that is directly
relevant to your coaching
career.
Here, Jo Ward and Merlin
Van de Braam outline the
vision for the LTA Instructor
course, which continues to
evolve in this exciting period
in LTA coach education.
Why was there a need to
revamp the LTA coaching
courses?
MVB: We conducted an
independent external review
to look at what was good,
where we could improve and
what were the key challenges
moving forward within coach
education. We listened to
head coaches and asked
them what they needed from
those working with them
on court, and we spoke to
employers of coaches to
ensure we develop courses
and products that serve the
needs of the industry. That
insight told us that we
needed the equivalent of a
group exercise instructor for
tennis. We also saw that 68
per-cent of employers said
Edgbaston Priory Club | 17 - 25 June 2023
35