One of our commitments at Tennis Ireland is to make sure that all our stakeholders are kept up to date with what’s current in the world game, and what’s coming down the track. One way of achieving this is to ensure that we are represented at all major tennis conferences, where issues are discussed and decisions made that impact the game worldwide.
We recently asked one of our most experienced coaches, Peter Farrell, to represent Tennis Ireland at the 2024 Tennis Europe Coaches Conference, held in Cyprus from October 31st to November 3rd. This event saw many of the world’s top coaches, as well as Executives from the International Tennis Federation, Tennis Europe and many National Governing Bodies gather, to inform each other of new developments and share information.
Peter’s presentation to the group focused on the Tennis Ireland Coach Education system, which closely follows the template developed by the International Tennis Federation, with some adaptations to make it specific to the circumstances of Irish tennis. The Tennis Ireland Coach Training system currently holds a ‘Gold Status’ award from the ITF (this is the highest category of recognition possible).
Peter’s detailed report has now been received by Tennis Ireland. Here are a few points we’d like to share with our different stakeholders.
CLUBS
- Tennis is the third biggest sport in the world, and the most popular individual sport.
- The ITF is planning a ‘World Tennis Week’ – details TBA.
- Team Tennis is a very important concept in our sport.
- Coaches play a significant role in the game.
PLAYERS
- The World Tennis Number will become more and more important in the future. It will soon be the criteria for selections and talent ID.
- Many players and parents of players now use the ITF Academy – a free educational resource containing definitive information – sign up at https://www.itf-academy.com.
COACHES
- Question to Marcos Baghdatis: What characteristics do you look for in a promising player? Answer – Intensity on every ball, open mindset (willing to learn), commitment, consistent approach to the game, self-discipline (diet/sleep).
- Being in/on a team fosters a sense of community and shared objectives which can enhance a player’s performance. Israel has players ranked 300-600 ATP, yet by building great team atmosphere and cohesion, manages to produce excellent results against higher-ranked teams.
