Back in 2023, changes were made to LTA Junior County Cup 11U-14U that undoubtedly had good intentions but have resulted - I think - in a competition that just isn’t quite as good as it used to.

The objectives behind the changes were worthy but as I hope my original blog post on LTA County Cup 11U-14U shows the actions taken are not resulting in the objective being met.

I set out to find out if County Coaches and parents of players think the same way as I do or if they believe the changes are a good thing.

To do this I put a survey live with some questions and a section where people could add their thoughts and ideas. I’m delighted to be able to share the survey results with you alongside news of my meeting with a member of the LTA competitions team and what the next steps are.

A massive thanks to each and every person who took the time to share thoughts and ideas.

Suffice to say, I see this as the beginning of a campaign for change not the end of one.

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Do you ever read a book and love it so much that you go round telling people about it? Like everyone you meet. That’s exactly what happened with myself and Conor Niland’s book The Racket! From his experience as a junior on the tournament circuit (one I know a lot of tennis parents will recognise) to his days on a tennis scholarship in the US to the rollercoaster ride that is the Pro Tour, Conor’s book is a compelling read. If you are anything like me, you’ll finish it in a couple of sittings.

BUY THE RACKET BY CONOR NILAND HERE

https://amzn.to/3Cg6ZAQ

This is the first book review I’ve done on My Tennis Journey - and I hope it will be the first of many. It was inspired by my friends at Ashby Castle Tennis Club who when I went on about the book said we should start a Book Club. This podcast episode is dedicated to my friends at Ashby Castle and all the other friends I have made on the tournament circuit which Conor brings to life so eloquently in the book.

If you’re a player, coach or tennis fan I think you’ll devour this book. It’s no surprise to me that it has been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year for 2024. It would be a perfect Xmas present for you to give or receive!

The podcast episode is a short one - it gives you six reasons why I think you’ll love the book. Enjoy.

BUY THE RACKET BY CONOR NILAND HERE

https://amzn.to/3Cg6ZAQ

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Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden

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You might have heard of tennis coach Todd Larkham for a host of reasons.

It was Todd who spotted a young Nick Kyrgios and coached him through to the Pro Tour and beyond. It’s brilliant to hear about that journey on this episode. You may know Todd was some player reaching no.136 in the World and that he played at each and every Grand Slams. Or have you seen Todd is one of the Coaches who feature on the ace Coachlife website which brings hundreds of video lessons from the Junior Coaches of some of tennis’s greatest players? More on Coachlife below.

After listening to this episode, though, I believe you’ll know Todd for giving some of the BESTEST guidance EVER for parents and coaches of aspiring junior tennis players. That’s not a throw away line. I mean it. Todd speaks with experience and from the heart. Whether you are a parent or coach, I 110% believe Todd can help you. Let him just do that by listening now…

As I mentioned above, Todd is one of the coaches on the ace new Coachlife tennis coaching site. The site brings video lessons from the childhood coaches of Swiatek, Gauff, Fritz, Tiafoe and Jack Draper. The guidance dispensed is incredibly useful for parents and coaches. I really recommend you check it out and not just because there is a load more top guidance from Todd!

Visit the Coachlife site here for your free 7 day trial: https://coachlife.com/?ref=TOL

A big thanks to Peter Clarke who set up the Coachlife website and helped put me in touch with Todd.

MUSIC CREDITS

Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden

Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0