Course for tennis parents now available on ITF Academy

A course designed for the parents of beginner tennis players is the latest offering on the ITF Academy, the ITF’s online learning platform which is available to access for free during the global shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Launched last week and already proving popular among ITF Academy users, the ‘Parents of Beginner Players – Introduction to Tennis’ course details the benefits of children participating in tennis, covers the roles and responsibilities of a supportive tennis parent, and offers tips on selecting and developing positive relationships with tennis coaches.

In addition to the online aspect of the course, face-to-face workshops will be offered when restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic have been lifted. Work is also currently taking place on a follow-up course for tennis parents.

The course content has been produced in collaboration with Loughborough University, with academics Professor Chris Harwood and Dr Sam Thrower assisting in the creation of the course.

Professor Harwood is a leading sport psychologist in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences at Loughborough, whose research focuses on the psychological roles of coaches and parents in the development of young athletes. He is also a former national-standard tennis player and coach.

Dr Thrower is lecturer in sport and exercise psychology at the University of Roehampton, whose main research interests lie in the area of youth sport and specifically the psychosocial development of young athletes.

Luca Santilli, the ITF’s Executive Director for Tennis Development, said: “Since we announced that the ITF Education package has been made available for free through the ITF Academy during the current shutdown, we have been delighted to see a huge number of individuals using those resources to further educate themselves about the game. The involvement of supportive parents is very important for junior tennis, and we are thrilled that this new course for parents has already proved extremely popular.”

Professor Chris Harwood added: “Parents are key stakeholders in junior tennis with an active investment in the game and in their child’s happiness, well-being and development. As sport scientists and organisations who have a strong command of both the challenges and the benefits of tennis, I believe that it is vital that we share our knowledge with parents and help them to thrive in support roles to their children.”

You can register for ITF Academy here.

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