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Child Protection and the LTA
Yes, the LTA is fully committed to Child Protection and has dealt with many cases in the
last 5 years. Yes, we did become a registered body with CRB in May, for all types of
disclosure certificate, but we have decided that we will only require the highest level � the
Enhanced Disclosure Certificate. If you read the newspapers you will be well aware of the
problems that CRB have had � basically too many people requiring a certificate all at the same
time. Their systems have struggled to cope. At the LTA we have exactly the same problem and
so have had to put in place a manageable process that tackles the priorities first and
enables us to follow requests from CRB. The process of obtaining a certificate is quite
rightly lengthy and one of security and confidence � we need (and are required to have) only a
few staff with access to what is essentially people�s private information. We cannot process
over 5000 coaches, 800 junior referees, 2.500 clubs, 100 tutors, and 300 staff � all at once.
So we have a structure in place. The one for coaches is:
� New and re-licensing coaches CRB�d on a continual basis
� All coaches on DCA or CCA will require one from January 2003
� TDA and PCA already require one
� All tutors, CPO�s, National Training staff, CDO�s and Regional Managers are in process
� Junior Referees are in process
� Vulnerable clubs are being helped
� From January 2003 all Mini Tennis and Junior Club Assistants will require one
� We will then roll out to all licensed coaches as fast as we can manage
Licensed coaches have committed to being up to date and to being �secure� in the market
place � CRB is another kitemark for them.
The LTA cannot be responsible for obtaining CRB certificates for persons other than those
involved in its business � it simply does not have the resources to do so.
Finally, can I add a warning? CRB certificates must not be seen as a panacea. They will not
stop Child Abuse in tennis or any other sport. They will only keep known offenders out of the
sport. None of our offenders in the last 5 years � and several are in jail for their
offences � has ever had a previous conviction � the CRB certificate would have been clear.
The only real difference we can make is to use all the processes we already have in place and
add CRB. In the end awareness, observation and a willingness to report things that don�t seem
right, are the things that will make and have already made the difference.
Anne Pankhurst
LTA Coach Education Director
25 November 2002
Short shrift for short sets!
The first-to-four format does have some merit. However, it would reduce one of the crucial
elements of tennis, namely endurance. Yes, the public wants to be entertained, but do we
really want to change a fundamental part of tennis? Also, it would be horrific for slow
starters, which many players are. There would be much less time to work your way into a match,
to change tactics and to out-think your opponent. Let's leave tennis as it is.
Terri D.
4 August 2002
Guaranteed boring final!
Whenever the Williams sisters get to a tournament final, it will be boring. Why? Because the
crowd don't know who to support, so there's absolutely no atmosphere at all.
Allison
4 July 2002
Adding insult to injury?
Why does Richard Williams always imply that anybody who questions him and his daughters
must have sinister motives? When the three of them were booed last year at Indian Wells when
Venus pulled out of the semi (when she was scheduled to play her sister), citing an injury,
it was nothing sinister at all.
It was a warning not to get too arrogant and it was a reminder that their popularity is not
guaranteed. The ticket-buying public will not forgive another episode like that.
Mike C
5 May 2002
Equal Pay - Equal Sets!
I think the women play wonderful tennis and I enjoy watching them just as much as the men.
But, if they want equal prize money they need to play the possible five set matches. If we go
the five set route I have no problem with equal money.
DM
1 February 2002
Get rid of the "filofax coaches"!
When it comes to coaching in this country how short sighted the LTA are. They do not recognise the wealth of experience
we already have, in fact they blatantly disregard it. Good coaches are produced by experience that can take years to acquire.
The LTA promote Club Vision as a recognition that clubs are crucial to the development of players in this country. Clubs
can obtain loans, small or large, to improve their facilities. Only if clubs toe the party line. I know of a local club that wishes
to take their small village club forward. So many obstacles are laid before them by the LTA. The main obstacle is that they
do not recognise the club coach, who even though she is LTA qualified, she is not a licensed coach. She has years of
coaching experience behind her, with a strong thriving junior section. She has taken kids, who otherwise hang around street
corners, and introduced them to tennis successfully. She charges very little and works with them in the week and every
weekend throughout the year. She attends many tournaments the kids play at no cost. She is well respected for her work
with the kids in the community, except that is by the LTA. The LTA are hell bent on producing young filofax coaches who
all coach the same way and are very money-grabbing. Their inflexibility is ruining much of the talent out there.
The LTA�s response on this matter is always to throw out figures about how much revenue Wimbledon invest in junior mini
tennis, city tennis programme or how many indoor tennis centres they are building. Indoor centres are financially beyond the
reach of most kids as well as the cost of rackets, shoes and coaching. The LTA dismiss grass-roots community tennis
coaches at their peril. Their loss is a recipe for disaster. I was told awhile ago by the LTA, that if kids haven�t shown promise
by the age of ten then you can forget about them. How short sighted and quite honestly stupid! Finally, forget about the LTA,
they are doing more harm than good. Coaches should have the courage to go their own way. That way maybe we can give
our tennis kids and this country some hope.
Rachel T. (England)
29 January 2002
Best backhand?
Does anyone agree with me that Kuerten's backhand is the best the game has ever known?
Agassi's is probably more powerful but because he's a two-hander he doesn't have the reach that
Kuerten has.
Richard D
2 March 2001
A vote for Andre
Hi. I would have to disagree with Richard D (2nd March 2001). I believe Andre Agassi to have the best
backhand in the world. The racket speed he generates is just phenomenal and at the pro level when
all the modern players have such amazing physical conditioning the issue of reach on the
groundstrokes is not such an important one. Andre is just as capable of making wide balls to his
backhand as Gustavo but the power he can produce gives him a significant edge in my opinion.
On another note- how you can possibly watch Gustavo Kuerten and comment on his backhand rather
than his superb forehand?????
Mark W
12 March 2001
Disreputable ladies?
What on earth was Venus Williams wearing at the Australian Open?
Seems to me she's far more interested in promoting herself than her tennis. Surely the WTA
should take some action to stop players like her bringing the ladies game into disrepute?
Jacqui Seymour
13 March 2001
The negative media and public opinion of the Williams sisters is self inflicted.
Family life and religion is supposed to be important to them. But what kind of religion do
they believe in that teaches them to treat players and people in general with disrespect
and rudeness. They have no courtesy, manners or humility. Even though I do not condone the
treatment they received from the crowd at Indian Wells, I can well understand why. I don't
believe for one minute that this smacks of racism - that's just media hype. As for
the top that Venus wore at the Australian Open and the dress Serena wore at Indian Wells,
the television cameras took more close up shots of their busts than the tennis.
But wasn�t that why they wore them?
B.M.W.
19 March 2001
Less quiet please!
Tennis authorities have discussed all sorts of changes to the game to make it more
popular. We've had shorter sets and bigger balls. They've thought about stopping the server
from jumping and changing the dimensions of the court.
Why don't they do just one simple thing instead of all this tinkering about with the game
itself? All they need to do is allow the spectators to get involved. No more "quiet please!".
Let them shout and cheer through the match, just like in a football match. The players will
get used to it and we'll have a more exciting sport to enjoy!
Dominic Harris
8 April 2001
Britain needs better coaches!
As far as I am aware there is nothing physically, mentally or genetically that should keep
British tennis players from being just as successful at the sport as players of other
nationalities. We do not have shorter limbs, weaker bones, or limited brain capacities compared
to our foreign counterparts. We do not have big feet and we do not take longer to react to an
approaching ball. In short it seems that there seems to be very little that is actually stopping
us from consistently producing players who can compete at the highest level.
So if we have all the neccessary attributes then what is it that is preventing so many of our
younger players from realising their potentials? Maybe we need to look at whether they are being
taught the right things in the right way in the first place. As far as I am aware tennis is one
of the only sports that allows someone who would struggle to distinguish between a backhand and
a back-flip to take a qualification that allows them to coach the sport! It is the only sport in
which you can join a club and sign up for lessons with someone who is less proficient, but more
importantly is less knowledgeable about the game than you are!
I am by no means denying the existence of coaches who have limited playing ability but still have
a great deal to offer in terms of knowledge and tactical awareness. In fact for the majority of
my own playing career I was coached by someone whom I could beat with relative ease but who, to
this day, still has the ability to effectively analyse my game and give me useful insights into
my performance. But these coaches are very much the exception.
Any person, regardless of experience or knowledge, can apply to take their DCA (Developmental
Coach Award) qualification in order to earn some extra cash in the same way that they might apply
for a place on an IT course or evening art class. And with just a little bit of common sense they
can pass it! It is frightening to think that these 'coaches' then go away with the responsibility
of managing tennis at the grassroots level and they are often the first contact that these young
kids have with the game of tennis.
Poor coaching can actually be detrimental to the games of children (or anyone!). Incorrect advice
leading to bad technical and mental habits becomes completely ingrained at this highly-cognitive
stage of their development. A 10 year-old girl who is prompted into making an incorrect technical
change may never get rid of that hitch in her service action or jerk in her forehand take-back.
Dont' get me wrong- I mean no disrespect to individuals but I do not see how somebody who has not
reached a significant level of playing tennis themselves can expect to be given the chance to
teach others how to play the game. This is just in the same way that I would not expect to be
able to go out on a whim and become a football coach. I have no skill in the game whatsoever and
would not dream of advising other people how they should be playing!
It's an age-old adage that we should aim for 'quality not quantity'. I think this very much
applies to coaching in tennis. I can't believe that there is a shortage of current or ex-players
out there who would make excellent coaches. I recognise that stipulations of playing standard are
implemented at CCA (Club Coach Award) level but in my opinion this standard should be set from the
start. It is all too easy to get exasperated with our players but if we are going to expect
excellence from them I think we first need to expect excellence from our coaches.
Mark W
14 April 2001
Hail Pete the Great!
Now that he's getting close to the end of his career, it's fitting that we should acknowledge
Pete Sampras as the greatest player of all time.
Some people point to his failure to win the French Open, but thirteen Grand Slams is
a phenomenal achievement. In Britain, we've been slow to appreciate him, but this year at
Wimbledon, all those lucky enough to see him in action should give him a welcome that befits
a man whose talents will soon become the stuff of legend.
Malc
7 May 2001
Better facilities?
How come Belgium, Holland and Morocco have more world-ranked players than we have? You can't say that
their facilities are better! What's going on in this country? It's time the LTA got their act
together.
Richard D
12 July 2001
The era of power tennis
Even ladies tennis has entered the era of power tennis. We'll never see the likes of Martina
Hingis winning a Grand Slam title again.
Allan Sullivan
15 July 2001
Move the lines!
I agree with your remarks. I believe that aces are the scourge of tennis. The lines should be
re-arranged with new measurements. I hate watching Ivanisevic and co play tennis.
Aycan
24 July 2001
Men!
Who on earth invented the game of mixed doubles? Tennis is a game for everyone or so we are
told. I don�t think so! Discrimination against women in the work place is common knowledge. In
the sport of tennis it�s rife. I have found some clubs to be elitist and cliquey. I�m sure that
if allowed, male players would ensure their club was men only! unless of course one was a size
8 wearing Kournikova style dresses and it wouldn�t be their tennis they would admire.
In some clubs people change partners after each set has been played. I�ve seen male players lie
about their score in order to avoid playing mixed doubles. I�ve witnessed after a men�s doubles
a player drive off in his car around the block in order to avoid mixed doubles. Male players
have feigned injury only to make a miraculous recovery once the women have been chosen.
But oh my! aren�t the male players all sweetness and light to one�s face, but once our backs
are turned their true colours are shown. Some subtle, others blatant.
The ironic thing is that in some cases the women have a better technique and are stronger. Oh
goodness, it would never do for a male player to admit to that. People wonder why there are so
few female players - I don�t.
Men�s membership fees should be higher to pay for the damage done by their narrow mindedness, rudeness and arrogance.
Shirley D
3 August 2001
Mix 'n' Set 'n' Match!
Having recently taken part in a first to 4 format at the club mystery tournament, I am in
favour of adopting it ourselves during routine club sessions. It would also mix the matches
quicker and cut down waiting time.
HB
10 September 2001
A new angle on tennis?
Why oh why do TV directors insist on showing matches from miles above the court? The
best camera angles are the ones from behind and low to the ground.
Carlo
20 October 2001
Har-Tru this is!
I would suggest that men's doubles could get more of the top-ranked players if the grand
slams played the best of three sets instead of the best of five in singles competition. The
WTA might consider playing a third set tiebreaker in doubles competition, similar to what was
tested this year at the Australian Open? Finally, the USTA (and the ATP) might consider
encouraging tournament directors to use Har-Tru(American clay)in the USA over the long run.
All these hard court tournaments are very hard on the body, even for 22-year olds!!!!!!!!
The wear on the body is cumulative.
Tom Wise
Pawleys Island,SC
30 September 2001
Reluctant No. 1!
I think the WTA ranking points system needs looking at. Jennifer Capriati and Venus Williams
won the Grand Slams, but neither of them was the year-end no. 1. Even Lyndsay Davenport who
ended up no. 1 admits that she didn't deserve it.
Michael Lewis
Orlando
16 November 2001
Make the coaches accountable
It is of increasing concern amongst the tennis fraternity, and indeed amongst the general
public, that few potentially international calibre players are moving their way up the ranks
of British Tennis to follow in the footsteps of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski. However you
look at it, the source of this problem must, at some point, be found in the standard and
structure of coaching in this country. Anyone who has been exposed to details of the LTA
annual budget can not possibly make the claim that funding is of any real concern, with
millions being poured into such schemes as �Club Vision�. Also the development of ITI centres
and National Centres of Excellence around the country are indicative of the improvements in
facilities.
I believe that one simple change in attitude by the LTA towards coaching and coaches in this
country is required before we can expect to see the emergence of national players with the
potential to �make it big�. The LTA needs to do away with the notion of the �Good Coach�.
In Premier league football if a coach or manager is not producing results he is sacked.
Although we perhaps do not want the same rapid turnover of coaches that we see in English
football the principle is still the same- a set of standards and expectations that the coach
is required to fulfil as part of his contract. In tennis you see coaches put in charge of the
new �futures� camps and LTA-based performance programmes all over the country who have never
managed to produce a �top� player in their entire career. Unfortunately it very often seems to
be a case of �jobs for the boys�. Meanwhile those coaches who develop and nurture young
players up through the county ranks and on to LTA �futures� standards are then forced to
hand over their players to these camps and to coaches who have never showed the same ability
for developing talent.
I consent that the new LTA Coach Licensing Scheme is a step in the right direction but the LTA
needs to be even clearer and exacting about its mission statements for coaches and also needs
to keep a keener look-out for those coaches who are �producing the goods�. These coaches
should then be approached by the LTA and offered employment on these futures camps and other
performance set-ups where their job-description centres around producing these top players on
the basis that �if they�ve done it once they can do it again�. At least then we can feel sure
that the future of the game in this country is literally in the hands of those who are most
likely to produce the results and this has to greatly improve our chances of producing
�another Tim Henman�.
Mark W
17 November 2001
No contest for Hewitt!
Lleyton Hewitt is inadvertently taking advantage of a period in the game characterised by a
slump in the number of top-calibre players competing at the peak of their games. Sampras is
struggling to regain the form that led to him dominating the mens game for the past few years
and Agassi is struggling to do the same with any kind of consistency. Rafter is on the verge
of retirement and brief outbursts from players such as Henman, Federer, Roddick, and
Ivanisevic do not, as yet, represent any significant long-term threat to the top-spot. Hewitt
does not possess the weapons or the exceptional talent that we have come to attribute to the
number one tennis player in the world.
Mark W
1 December 2001
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