Spotlight on Schools tennis

Georgie Stoop joins in an AEGON Schools Tennis training session

As Lead Partner of British Tennis, we want to support tennis at all levels, not just the top players and events. Grass roots development is especially important to us. As part of our sponsorship, we support the LTA and Tennis Foundation in helping teachers get more children playing tennis, through the AEGON Schools Tennis programme.

AEGON Schools Tennis helps to provide teachers with tennis equipment and coaching skills to teach the game to young children. So far in 2009, almost 2,000 schools across the UK have received mini-tennis kits each containing an innovative coaching DVD, net, rackets and balls. That adds up to some big numbers – over 60,000 rackets, 120,000 tennis balls and at least 300,000 children playing tennis. The rollout is continuing and more schools will receive packs over the next school year.

Teachers are invited to attend dedicated training courses run by the Tennis Foundation and LTA, to help them make the most of the coaching DVD and teach tennis skills.

Putting it into practice with a tennis professional

Early in November, primary school pupils in Cambridge took part in a special tennis lesson led by their teacher with encouragement from Georgie Stoop. The Team AEGON player, who this year reached a career high world ranking of 178, met with the pupils of Histon and Impington junior school before taking part in a tennis lesson using their new equipment and training DVD. A great time was had by all and Georgie was impressed with the session, saying:

"To encourage more kids to take up the sport and stay involved, we want to make tennis more accessible at school and we want them to have a quality experience of this great sport, and the session I saw today was exactly that."

As well as providing equipment and training for teachers, AEGON Schools Tennis aims to build links between clubs and schools and promote inter-schools tennis competition.