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LTA Coach Development Centre

LTA Coach Development Centre

LTA Coach Development Centre

The University of Exeter is one of only nine LTA Accredited Coach Development Centre’s in the UK.

Coach Development Centres (CDCs) deliver coaching qualifications and continued professional development (CPD) to coaches in a learning orientated environment.

The network of CDCs sits at the heart of a new delivery model for tennis coach education that has been in place since 2021. The new model enables greater quality control, deliver consistency in coach education and makes best use of expertise in local environments across the country.

Each CDC has exclusive responsibility to service a cluster of counties in England in delivering LTA Qualifications and LTA CPD, with Tennis Wales and Tennis Scotland delivering coach education in their respective devolved nation, allowing the development of needs based, robust, and localised workforce development plans. They will operate a ‘Hub & Satellite’ structure of venues across their area of responsibility, providing dedicated support to service the needs of the local workforce, and enable closer links to deployment opportunities at a regional level. 

The new delivery model for coach education forms part of the LTA’s Coach Development and Support strategy, which aims to engage coaches with world class development and support opportunities, so they can achieve their potential as a coach, and deliver enjoyable on-court experiences for all. It supports the LTA’s vision to open tennis up to many more people and its work to make tennis relevant, accessible, welcoming and enjoyable to anyone.

Information on The LTA Coaching Qualifications Pathway

As a tennis or padel coach, every day is a new challenge, from young children picking up a racket for the first time through to developing players to an elite standard to compete internationally.

If you’d like to take that first step on your tennis or padel coaching journey, the qualification pathway can guide you through a coaching career, beginning at Assistant level all the way to Master Coach. 

For more informaiton, please head to the LTA website.

Qualifications we offer:

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:

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

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

Courses: 

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.

To find our more about our upcoming courses, please head to the LTA Website or conversely, please contact our LTA Coach Development Centre Co-ordinator Ann Williams.

Email: a.williams5@exeter.ac.uk

Phone: 07944317547

Information on Inclusion Initiatives and Grants

We want to make sure our qualifications are welcoming and accessible to all, so that anyone can take their first steps on our Coaching Qualifications Pathway

For information around the inititives and grants, please click here.

Tutors:

Lorraine Ristic

Lorraine is an LTA Level 5 Performance Coach and also a highly experienced LTA Master Coach Education Tutor and has been tutoring for the LTA for over twenty years at all levels.

She has also been a tennis coach for over 30 years and was the head coach at the East Gloucestershire Tennis Club for 19 of them where she ran the very successful Lorraine Ristic School of Tennis before moving to Painswick Lawn Tennis Club where she established the Painswick Tennis Academy. There she produced players of all levels including most notably Alicia Barnett. She maintains very passionately that it is important to coach and teach our wonderful game alongside tutoring as there is always still so much to learn and it is this on court work that keeps her fresh and open to new ideas.

Prior to her coaching and coach education Lorraine played tennis professionally from the age of 21 and retired at 26 but continued to play to a high level since then and has represented Great Britain at all age groups in the Seniors World Team Championships from 35 to 55.

Guy Leverton

Guy started playing tennis at the age of 7. As a junior, he trained and competed in the UK and France before turning Pro at 18. He has been coaching for over 30 years and during this time has travelled extensively and worked across all aspects of the industry.

Isla Smith

Isla is a Coach Education Tutor and Assessor and has worked in Tennis & Fitness for over 20 years. Soon after qualifying as a tutor she became a Cardio Tennis Global Trainer and has recently certified as one of 3 Racquet Fit practitioners in the UK (tennis specific screening system).

As a tutor Isla has been involved in many exciting projects and opportunities including delivering qualifications 1, 2 and 3, Tennis For Kids campaigns, LTA coach forums, LTA Youth trainings days and webinars and Ball Kid training for the ATP Finals. She has also written Yogi Tennis and more recently been commissioned to contribute her knowledge towards the LTA coach education pathway. Over the years Isla has also presented at both the LTA National Coaches Conference and the Devon and Cornwall Coaches Conference.

Alongside this Isla also works for Les Mills (World leading Group Fitness organisation) as an Elite instructor, Assessor and Internal Quality Assurer.

Isla has a huge passion for yoga and is a qualified teacher in 4 different styles. Her main interest lies within the benefits of yoga for athletes and coaches alike.

When Isla’s not on the tennis court she will be spending time with her family and husky. Most likely on the beach and if the conditions are good, on her SUP.

Ashley Neaves

Ashley is an LTA Senior Performance Coach, currently running a coaching programme at The Avenue Lawn Tennis Club in Havant. Since playing tennis full time and competing on the British Tour Circuit and in Junior ITF events, Ashley has been a coach for over 15 years. He has taken players from the age of 5 to become National Champions and has worked with players of every age and stage including National VI tennis players.

In 2010, Ashley won the Darren Toop UK Young Coach of the Year award. In 2017, he won the LTA UK Coach of the Year and in 2020 the Peter Grinyer Innovation Award for keeping tennis players active through lockdown with ‘The Tennis Mentor’ social media channels.

Simon Takel - First Aid

My background is in the sport and leisure industry, where I have over 10 years' experience in supervisory and managerial roles. Whilst working in the Sports Department at the University of Exeter, I became a Trainer/Assessor for the Royal Lifesaving Society, which meant that I could train and assess various First Aid and lifesaving qualifications and also deliver staff training.

Since 2016, I have been a lecturer at Exeter College; where I lecture on Leadership and Management courses. I have maintained my interest in First Aid provision and in addition to my role at Exeter College, I run my own business teaching and assessing First Aid and lifesaving and regularly deliver courses for the University of Exeter.

Julie Jones

Julie Jones has extensive playing, coaching and tutoring experience across the tennis landscape. She was a national junior player and is currently an L5 LTA Accredited+ coach, LTA Tutor and Mentor. She works full time for the LTA but previously coached and travelled extensively with county, regional and national standard players. She also managed and captained the GB National Deaf Tennis Team for 10 years.