Morning:
8°c
Efforts to take tennis to the masses took some criticism from Australian legend Pat Cash yesterday when he claimed the sport was still restricted to the middle classes but James Ward is proof that Britain's talent is not restricted to the leafy shires.
Ward, who reached British No2 before glandular fever struck two months ago, is a native of Hendon and has seen dramatic change in the streets of north London where tennis was unknown at his school and exposure to the sport only came through his father's local club.
Ward, 22, never had the chance to play tennis at school and this glaring weakness in a British system former Wimbledon champion Cash regularly derides, has been targeted by the Lawn Tennis Association and their sponsors AEGON, who are pumping £30million into the sport.
The Lea Valley Primary School in Tottenham is a good example of how the AEGON Schools Tennis programme, run through the Tennis Foundation, is making a difference. The scheme is aiming to have 12,500 primary school teachers coaching tennis through a DVD-based system over three years.
Each teacher who takes up the challenge earns a £500 kit bag for their school, featuring 30 racquets, 60 tennis balls and a net to allow the game to be played indoors and 1,500 sets have already been handed out.
Another £1m is being earmarked for next year when secondary schools will be targeted through mini-tennis.
Pupils at Lea Valley who want to continue playing are invited to train at the White Hart Lane Tennis Club where coaches have focused on 14 local schools and have attracted more than 1,000 pupils to their courts. On top of this initiative, AEGON's parks scheme is aimed at upgrading 100 park tennis facilities by next year.
As Ward discovered when he visited Lea Valley, the success of world No4 Andy Murray is having an impact and with teenagers Laura Robson and Heather Watson winning junior Grand Slam girls' titles, they are proving younger role models for the sport.
Ward, who now lives in Euston, said: “Tennis in school didn't exist when I was studying and it came down to my Dad taking me to his club. Under this scheme you can do it twice a week in lesson time and if you want more tennis then there are links to local clubs.
“I started playing at around 10 because my Dad played some social tennis every weekend at Temple Fortune Club in Hendon. He enjoyed the sport and even though I was into football, I got into tennis and started to enjoy it and took some lessons which led to tournaments. There was more travelling around and I had to make a choice and went for tennis.
“Dad's club didn't have a junior programme and when you opt for a coach it costs money and that's why I only played once a week when I started. One of the key messages I wanted to get over on the schools visit was that you can become a professional tennis player from their background — I did it.
“My message to the school children was a simple one; if you don't work hard and dedicate yourself you won't be a top tennis player.”
Ward, who has dropped to British No3 due to his illness, is working with former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski and has benefited from the facilities at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton which is designed to be the focal point for new talent identified by the LTA schemes.
Ward wants to break into the top 100 next year and said: “I have been in the LTA system for the last two years after living in Spain for four-and-half years — from the age of 16 at the Juan Carlos Ferrero Academy in Valencia.
“I was offered some more financial support by the LTA under the Team AEGON backing and came to train at the National Tennis Centre where I have been receiving help from Greg.
“He has so much knowledge and enthusiasm, he is in every morning and checks out how I am. No one can fault what's happening at the NTC and having had glandular fever they have been really good at monitoring me.
“Of course, I don't want to be ill but it showed me we do have the best facilities in the world.”
