The popularity of playing tennis in Australia at every level has been increasing year on year and many programs such as the ANZ Hot Shots have been developed to assist new and younger players learn the game.
Because of the popularity of the sport, recognised clubs such as Tennis World Chatswood offer many coaching sessions and lessons. They also help club members who would like to develop their coaching skills on the road to success.
Tennis Australia has seen the need for a program designed to create future champions that have passed through the national academies and the AIS Pro Tour. And it has been designed to further expand and focus on the ongoing development of young Australian talent.
This is why the Talent Development program has been created.
What are Talent Development Coaches?
As part of the Project Talent, Tennis Australia will recognise excellent, passionate coaches who specialise in the development of under 12 year olds.
These coaches are a vital element in the athlete development pathway and now have the opportunity to be recognised as a Talent Development Coach.
The Criteria To Become A Talent Development Coach
To be recognised and gain access to the exclusive benefits, you will require the following criteria:
- Be a Tennis Australia Coach Member
- Hold a current TA/NCAS Club Professional, Level 3 or High Performance coaching badge.
- Have a proven history in the successful development of athletes.
Mentors
Tennis Australia has appointed four Talent Development Coach Mentors – Ian Barclay, Bill Bowery, Rob Kilderry and Gary Stickler.These mentors share their wealth of experience and provide support and assistance to all Talent Development Coaches.
The Benefits
There are a wide range of benefits exclusively available to Talent Development Coaches. You will become part of a nationwide team across Australia helping to develop a new generation of internationally competitive tennis players. These same youngsters will become Australia’s future champions.
Why Use Local Coaches
Tennis Australia believe that private coaches are a critical component of building a base to go forward for the future. It is Tennis Australia’s objective to increase the number of young athletes choosing tennis and, more importantly to provide them with a focused program for development.
Tennis Australia also recognises that by increasing the number of private coaches who will focus on developing the under 12 year olds, they will be able to provide more resources and create a more coordinated approach.
It seems that this structured and planned strategy is a win win situation for both the coaches and more importantly for young tennis players.
It also will give a coach the potential attributes to grow their skills and to develop new coaching techniques and methods. This will only give a broader platform and experience to take their coaching to even higher levels.