LTA Coach Development Centre

This enhanced two day qualification is ideal for tennis parents, enthusiasts, or keen players looking for the knowledge and skills to support group coaching sessions, alongside a lead Coach.

Learning outcomes include:

• Communication, organisation and differentiation skills for group coaching
• Basic tactical, technical, physical and mental development frameworks
• Other key assistant skills; from safeguarding to LTA Youth delivery.

Typical deployment

LTA Assistants will be trained to assist a lead Coach at any venue. The course is designed so that sessions run by a lead Coach can be run with higher group numbers, or a session with the same group numbers can be run with higher quality. The course learning outcomes are delivered in the context of beginner level, 10 and under coaching. However, the course covers basic knowledge and skills that are applicable for any age of player and any level of player.

Course duration and structure

There are two separate components to LTA Qualifications; Training and Assessment.

Training: The LTA Assistant course consists of two days of face-to-face training time, which are separated by a minimum of 3 weeks (to provide time for 4 hours’ work experience & course work-completion).

Assessment: The LTA Assistant course does not require a Final Assessment as it is continually assessed throughout the course. 

On completion of the course LTA Assistants will be trained as a Court Supervisor and will also receive their Safeguarding Training which can be accepted as part of LTA Coach Accreditation. 

Training prerequisites

Our courses have pre-requisites to ensure that the course is right for you. For the LTA Assistant, these are:

• Be 16 years old on or before the first day of the course
• Have a signed ‘letter of deployment’ from the venue where you have your 4 hours’ work-experience organised. If you need support with this, your local Coach Development Centre can assist.

2023 Dates

• Saturday, 19 August 2023: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM, Saturday, 16 September 2023: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM

How to book and find out more

• Qualification Training is booked (and paid) via LTA Coach Development Centres (our official external training provider network).
• For specific costs, dates and venues in your area please visit the Course Search Tool.

Reasonable adjustments are available and encompass any arrangements made prior to the delivery of a qualification, course, or workshop. Reasonable adjustments are required to be authorised by 1st4sport and the LTA.  Please contact our LTA Coach Development Centre and Tournament Co-coordinator Ann Williams, at the time of booking.

Ann Williams

Tel: 07944317547

Email: a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk

This enhanced four day qualification, is ideal for those looking to build on the coaching foundations of LTA Assistant/Level 1, enabling you to lead (not assist) in the delivery of group coaching.

Learning outcomes include:

• Develop more advanced skills in communication and organisation
• Have introductory knowledge of ‘observation and analysis’ of players
• Be able to provide general coaching advice across physical, mental, tactical, and technical domains
• Plan and deliver structured lessons from official LTA Adult and Junior coaching products e.g., Cardio Tennis, Tennis Xpress, LTA Youth
• Understand basic principles of skill acquisition, safeguarding and player development

Typical deployment

LTA Instructors will be trained to lead group coaching at any venue. The course learning outcomes are delivered in the context of beginner and intermediate group coaching, across adults and juniors.  However, the course covers basic knowledge and skills that are applicable for any age of player and any level of player.  LTA instructors will typically be deployed as part of a large programme, schools out-reach initiative, leisure centres, or smaller venues that do not have an LTA Coach (Level 3) available.

Course duration and structure

There are two separate components to LTA Qualifications; Training and Assessment.

Training: The LTA Instructor course consists of five days of face to face training time, which are separated by a minimum of four weeks (to provide time for 10 hours’ work experience & course work-completion). At LTA Instructor, the five days of learning are split into core and elective days. There are four days of core training and one day of elective (coaches choose what specialisation they do for their fifth day). Core and elective training is booked (and paid for) separately.

Assessment: Final assessments are conducted during a real-life lesson of your choice, at a tennis venue of your choice.  Assessments are recorded by you (using smartphone equipment) and then submitted virtually by video upload. The exact procedure for this is explained as part of the course.

Training prerequisites

For optimal course quality and impact, the LTA Instructor has pre-requisites to ensure that the course demands are aligned with your existing knowledge and skills. For LTA Instructor, these are:

• A current or previous rating of 7.1 or higher OR successful completion of an Instructor Readiness Test. The Readiness Test can take upto two weeks to complete - please allow sufficient time for completion when signing up for the course. 
• Hold the Level 1 Coaching Assistant, LTA Tennis Assistants, or LTA Assistant qualification
• Hold a DBS/PVG Enhanced Check with Child Barred List certificate applied for in the last 12 months through LTA/Tennis Scotland (volunteer certificates cannot be accepted).

Assessment prerequisites

• Candidates must fully complete five training days (core and elective) and all coursework tasks before they can book their final assessment
• Hold a valid certificate of competence in either First Aid at Work (FAW) or Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW), or have successfully completed the OFQUAL Level 3 in First Aid prior to assessment. This is to ensure you are safe to practice upon qualifying.

2023 Dates

• Saturday 22 July, Saturday 05 August, Saturday 02 September, Sunday 03 (9:00-17:00)
• Saturday 21 October, Saturday 04 November, Saturday 25, Sunday 26 (9:00-17:00) 

How to book

• Qualification Training is booked via the LTA Website https://www.lta.org.uk/workforce-venues/coach-teach/coach-development-courses/courses/#!/?format=All&provider=0014J000006didlQAA
• Or by contacting Ann Williams a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk
• Qualification Assessment is booked (and paid) via the LTA direct
• For specific costs, dates and venues in your area please visit the Course Search Tool.

Reasonable adjustments are available and encompass any arrangements made prior to the delivery of a qualification, course, or workshop. Reasonable adjustments are required to be authorised by 1st4sport and he LTA.  Please contact Ann Williams a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk if you need to be considered. 

On successful completion of the Coach Qualification candidates should be able to:

• Motivate and inspire people to play tennis
• Organise relevant competitions
• Understand the competitive structure in the UK
• Effectively use the coaching process and its integral parts to improve player performance
• Work on their own with beginners and improvers in groups and on a individual basis
• Manage the work of Level 1 and 2 Coaching Assistants

The main objective of the course is to learn how to train candidates how to:

• Coach beginners and improvers, both individuals and in groups
• Organise relevant competitions for beginners and improvers
• Understand the basics of business management

Course Structure

The course is 12 days broken down into 4 modules of 3 days. The breaks between modules will be 4-6 weeks to allow coaches time to undertake 27 hours of coachng experience.

During the course candidates will need to work with an LTA Licensed Coach as their mentor. This will involve the mentor helping the candidate to improve their coaching skills through work on the action plan provided by the course tutor. The mentor needs to have agreed to work with the candidate before the course begins.

Before the course candidates must:

• Hold the LTA Instructor or Level 2 Coaching Assistant certificate.
• Be LTA Registered or have an LTA Enhanced DBS less than 12 months old. Please note it may take up to 8 weeks for the DBS to be processed and you must be in receipt of the DBS upon booking.  Please contact Ann Williams a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk if you need help with your DBS application or Verification.
• Have (or have had) a rating of 6.1 or an LTA Coach Readiness test.
• Have a current HSE approved Emergency First Aid at work certificate.

2023 Dates

• 12 days (9:00-17:00) between 13 October 2023 - 21 January 2024

Make an impact on the landscape of female participation and performance in tennis. Improve your coaching by developing your understanding of the distinct physiology of female athletes and its relationship to technical norms and development.

Course Details

This course will expand coaches’ understanding of the specific needs of female players in terms of physical and technical development and the interrelationship between these areas.

Coaches will enhance their knowledge and skills, both theoretically and practically, across the following areas:

• Understand the characteristics of the female anatomy
• Learn and practice specific training exercises that enhance female physical development
• Learn a framework for understanding the relationship between physique and technique
• Examine norms and data relating to female stroke production, specifically regarding serving, forehands, and backhands
• Practice drills and ideas to develop serving, forehands, and backhands in female players

Learn the cornerstones of performance coaching, from 10 & under to senior level tennis. Optimise your on-court training environment and coaching delivery to drive the highest levels of player progression and performance. This four-hour workshop will expand your understanding of the standards required from coaches and players, the principles that underpin performance coaching, and the drills top British players use.

Course Details

This course will expand coaches’ understanding of the specific elements that make coaching ‘performance coaching’.

Coaches will enhance their knowledge and skills, both theoretically and practically, across the following areas:

• Learn the standards to set on court with players across all areas of the performance coaching principles
• Explore the routes to becoming an elite player and how to keep all options open for your players on their journey
• Understand and practice fundamental coaching principles that underpin performance coaching
• Learn and practice the go-to drills that top British players, like Cam Norrie and Emma Raducanu, use to develop their own games

This level 3 Emergency First Aid at Work course will provide the knowledge and confidence to administer First Aid. This First Aid course designed for anyone looking to be a qualified Emergency First Aider.

Ideal for low-risk sectors (offices, shops), this First Aid course will help to bring you or your staff to the level recommended by the HSE, and as a regulated qualification removes the need for you to undertake further due diligence as to the quality of your training provider. It provides training for a wide range of scenarios and by the end of this course you will have the knowledge, ability, and confidence to administer First Aid.

The RLSS course we deliver is LTA Approved.

2023 Dates

• 27th May, 9am-4pm
• 24th June, 9am-4pm
• 29th July, 9am-4pm

LTA Youth is the flagship coaching programme for junior players aged 4 – 18. Building on the success of Tennis for Kids, LTA Youth is a fresh, modern and comprehensive coaching programme, offering Coaches world class content, via a suite of videos and session plans for all stages of player development. The learning outcomes for this course are:

• Understand the over-arching coaching principles for LTA Youth
• Increase knowledge of the LTA Youth competencies across tactical, technical, physical, mental, competition and social domains
• Understand the skill acquisition and learning principles that underpin LTA Youth, which develop skills in a more robust way and provide children with a stronger sense of ongoing progression and challenge.
• Be able to deliver a range of new fun and dynamic group exercises and sessions. In this foundation course, a small range of exercises from blue stage to green are covered.

Online training supplement
This practical face to face course is complemented by an online LTA Youth Module. The online unit covers off-court information in detail. To be able to deliver LTA Youth and advertise your LTA Youth sessions on the LTA’s national campaign website, coaches are required to undertake both elements of the training.

Please be aware that LTA Coach Qualification and CPD courses use a learning management system (LTA Learn) that you may be required to access for course resources and/or online coursework. By enrolling onto one of these courses, your first name and last name will be visible to other learners on the course. No contact information is shared.

LTA Youth is the flagship coaching programme for junior players aged 4 – 18. Building on the success of Tennis for Kids, LTA Youth is a fresh, modern, and comprehensive coaching programme, offering Coaches world class content, via a suite of videos and session plans for all stages of player development. The learning outcomes for this course are:

• Understand the over-arching coaching principles for LTA Youth
• Increase knowledge of the LTA Youth competencies across tactical, technical, physical, mental, competition and social domains
• Understand the skill acquisition and learning principles that underpin LTA Youth, which develop skills in a more robust way and provide children with a stronger sense of ongoing progression and challenge
• Be able to deliver a range of new fun and dynamic group exercises and sessions, written specifically for players in the orange and green stages

Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are available. Please contact Ann Williams a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk at the time of booking so that they can support these.

This is an elective module for the LTA Instructor coaching qualification.

2023 Dates

• 05 November 2023, 10:00am

The course is designed to bring fun, inspiration, and coaching expertise to large numbers’ sessions. Developed in collaboration with Judy Murray and a former schoolteacher, the learning outcomes for this course are:

• Understand the school sport landscape, including the challenges and opportunities it brings as a coach
• Be able to deliver high intensity, fun, and engaging coaching sessions for large numbers
• Acquire lots of new drills, skills, and activities to animate camps and group lessons
• Develop excellence in differentiation skills across varied environments and populations

Reasonable adjustments are available. Please contact Ann Williams a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk at the time of booking so that we can support these.

This is an elective module for the LTA Instructor coaching qualification.

Why should I become a Cardio Tennis instructor?

Cardio Tennis will help you attract more adults into your programme by offering a fun, social, high energy group fitness session. As opposed to focusing on technique and tactics Cardio Tennis is about getting your players heart rate up, enabling them to burn calories and hit loads of balls. Cardio Tennis combines music and cardiovascular fitness with tennis adding variety to your programme and improving your coaching skills.

Who can deliver Cardio Tennis?

For insurance and quality purposes, coaches who would like to deliver LTA Cardio Tennis, must complete both the face-to-face and online supplementary unit.

In order to book on to the workshop you must be an LTA Accredited Level 2 Coaching Assistant or above.

This course is ideal for Coaches with an interest in using psychological principles to maximise player motivation, development and retention.

This workshop will provide Coaches with a foundational understanding of applied sports psychology. It will teach Coaches how to use evidence-based psychological principles in their daily coaching practice. The learning outcomes for this course are:

+ Understand the basics of motivational theory and how they work practically on-court.

+ Be able to optimize the ‘motivational climate’ and environment for players during training.

+ Maximise player development by applying other key psychological principles to learning.

Coaches will benefit from this CPD by being able to better develop and retain players in their coaching sessions. The psychological coaching principles learned in the workshop will serve all coaching environments, e.g., clubs, communities, and schools, and with players of any age or stage.

This course is ideal for Coaches who deliver recreational doubles sessions as part of their weekly coaching and are looking for lots of new exercises and drills, alongside core coaching skills that result in quality doubles training. 4 LTA credits. 

2023 Dates

• 23 July 2023, 10:00am 

This 3 hour course will run in a virtual environment using Zoom. The course covers how to safeguard children and adults at risk by enabling delegates to recognize, respond, refer and record concerns in a tennis environment. 3 coach and official credits.