Tennis club to train 10 underrepresented coaches

Infinity Tennis is offering to train ten coaches from underrepresented backgrounds

An East Kent tennis club has secured £10,800 funding to train 10 coaches from underrepresented backgrounds for free.

Infinity Tennis's programme Break Point: Coaching without Barriers aims to train people from disadvantaged and LGBTQ+ communities, women and disabled people up to LTA Level 1 or 2.

The club, which offers lessons in six venues across East Kent, said it is trying to create more role models to encourage younger players into the sport.

Infinity Tennis founder and lead coach Gavid Vickers said: "Tennis is literally for everybody."

"We're trying to overcome the negative perceptions around tennis, such as it's expensive or it's for posh people", he added.

The funding has come from Active Kent and Medway, the TASSO Foundation and Infinity Tennis.

It will pay for all training as well as DBS checks, first aid certificate and mentoring opportunities which cost £1,000 per trainee coach.

Mr Vickers said he wanted his coaching team to be more representative of the local communities.

He said: "Our coaching team in made up of white males and there is a real lack of female coaches, and I see that as an important gap to fill"

"We have LGBTQ+ communities engaged with tennis locally with no representatives on the coaching team either."

Infinity Tennis holds lessons in Margate, Broadstairs, Herne Bay, Faversham, Ramsgate and Whitstable.

Infinity Tennis and Net Gain Communities CIC already run regular tennis lessons and are supported by Pride in Tennis and LTA Youth Girls.