The British Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will invest a record £250 million into improving tennis courts around the country in a bid to make the sport more accessible.
As part of the plan, the LTA aims to increase the number of covered and floodlit courts in the country by 50%. They will also implement an online booking system to make it easier for the public to find an available court. The ‘Transforming British Tennis Together’ scheme will see the body inject an initial £125 million into the programme. A further £125 million will then be implemented alongside local councils.
“At a time when more and more people are enjoying the resurgence of British tennis, we’re focused on getting the next generation of players on court and having fun.” Said Alistair Marks, the LTA performance director.
“Transforming British Tennis Together has been designed to tackle some of the most obvious challenges to doing that, and we’re excited about supporting communities across the country who we know are just as passionate about giving more people the chance to play tennis as we are.
“There’s never been a better time to invest in making our tennis courts the social hubs of communities once again.”
The aim of the scheme is to create 750 newly covered courts and 4000 additional floodlit ones within the next decade. LTA CEO, Michael Downey, told The Guardian that participation in the sport has increased by 6% on a ‘monthly participation basis.’
There is a wider picture to the high value plan. It is also part of the LTA’s objective to get more children playing tennis and encourage adults to play the sport throughout the year. According to BBC Sport, a pilot scheme in Sheffield recorded a participation increase of 54% since 2015 following a £1.5 million investment.
Downey’s farewell
Thursday’s announcement comes on the penultimate day of Downey’s job at the LTA. After three-and-a-half years, the Canadian will be returning back to his home country to do a similar role. He was previously the head of Tennis Canada for nine years. Speaking about the new scheme, he hopes that it will break down the stigma of tennis being regarded as a sport for the elite.
“Tennis tends to be rooted in this club network. So if we’re going to turn around the sport for the long haul we’ve got to get more participation in parks, so you’re getting a mainstream audience. That would help change perceptions.” He said.
It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Downey. One of his most vocal critics is world No.1 Andy Murray, who once declined spending time with him because ‘nothing ever gets done.’ In recent years the LTA has come under fire for their management. One of the most memorable was the £40m National Tennis Centre, which failed to work.
Reflecting on his time in the role, Downey now admits that he should have made a greater effort to communicate with Murray.
“I probably would have dedicated more time to it. I spent a lot of time trying to lead the organisation and build and operate a new strategic plan. I should have spent more time trying to talk to Andy.” He said.
Replacing Downy will be Scott Lloyd, who farther David reached the semifinals of the 1973 Wimbledon Championships. Lloyd won’t be taking the position until January 2018. Until then, the management will be supported by figures such as Stephen Farrow, the tournament director of the Aegon Championships.
