Tennis - Retaining young talents tops local tennis’ priority list |23 December 2019

Coach Oketch with young local players and coaches

The main challenge ahead for the Seychelles Tennis Association is to come up with new techniques and strategies to retain the existing and attract more young talents who could be nurtured into successful and accomplished players.

George Oyoo Oketch, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) expert, tutor and coach made the statement as part of his recommendations following his official visit to assess the progress of local tennis, precisely the national training programme, including the national training centre.

Mr Oketch explained that the programmes should be used to detect new talent and then ensure proper follow-up in their development, by setting up specific goals.

He further noted that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) programme also aimed at getting more people involved in tennis, whatever their age, gender, playing standard and physical ability, while at the same time, it is to develop talented players, especially from under-resourced and under-represented countries.

The ITF gives them the opportunities, structure, knowledge, and expertise so they can compete nationally, regionally and, ultimately, internationally.

Commenting about local tennis, based on his observation from his last visit, Mr Oketch said it is on the right track, since there has been a great increase in the number of players, especially youngsters.

He explained that the interest is already there and that with the help of the ITF, the STA needs to work on better and more attractive programmes and strategies to keep them in tennis.

Mr Oketch further added that the Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) – the national 14-and-under junior development programme for national associations, supported by the ITF – has already paved the way for tennis development in the country.

The JTI is a key part of the national association’s player development pathway.

A national JTI provides opportunities for increased participation in tennis for junior players who are 14 and under, and identifying the most talented players for focused player development within a nation.

It provides opportunities for more tennis coaches, school educators and administrative organisers (the “deliverers”).

The JTI incorporates the following key elements; ITF Tennis Festivals, 10-and-under tennis (Tennis10s) within primary schools, tennis facilities ie, tennis clubs, and community venues (“venues”), deliverers (tennis coaches, school educators and administrative organisers) involved with delivery of tennis opportunities within the JTI in the nations, junior performance tennis for the most talented 12 and 14-and-under players and effective use of tennis equipment provided by the ITF.

Another initiative which Mr Oketch said has been introduced locally and should be emphasised on is the ‘Tennis Play and Stay’ campaign.

Officially launched as a global campaign by the ITF in 2007, the ‘Tennis Play and Stay’ is aimed at increasing tennis participation worldwide. The ‘Tennis Play and Stay’ campaign also aims to promote tennis as easy, fun and healthy, and to ensure all starter players are able to serve, rally and score from their first lesson.

Fundamental to the campaign is the use of slower balls by coaches working with starter players, ensuring that their first experience of tennis is a positive one, where players are able to play the game.

The programme consists of a series of supporting programmes, which introduce tennis to the starter player, and club-based programmes to retain and encourage increased activity.

These programmes include Tennis10s for children aged 10 and under, 11-17 tennis programme for young people and Tennis Xpress for adults, and are all characterised by the use of slower balls.

At the 2010 ITF annual general meeting, a new rule was introduced for 10-and-under competition impacting coaches and junior players worldwide.

This was only the fifth occasion that the ITF Rules of Tennis have been changed in the history of the sport. The new rule came into effect in 2012 and states that 10-and-under competitions can no longer be played using a regular yellow tennis ball, with the mandatory use of slower red, orange or green balls.

This rule change is a key part in the development of the ITF’s efforts to make tennis easier to take up. Through the various supporting programmes, the coaches are now using the slower balls for all starter players.

Roland Duval