ITF tackles poor kids development in tennis, educates 30 Nigerian tennis coaches

The participants receiving lectures from the tennis trainer

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has broaden the horizon of 30 Nigerian tennis coaches who registered for the National level 1 coaches course held at the National Stadium, Lagos.

According to ITF trainer, Mr. Rotimi Akinloye, he said the training which was meant as an entry level to earn a coaching career was organized in conjunction with the Nigeria Tennis Federation (NTF) to teach them how tennis ought to be introduce to young ones who want to learn.

"They want to be certified as national level one coach brought by ITF in collaboration with NTF. It is an entry level to coaching, so they have to know the rudiment in how to introduce tennis to people of both young and adult.

"It is just for you to realise the way you introduce tennis to kids and the way you can stabilize the kids that you have trained whether they are beginners, advanced beginners and some of the top Juniors." He said.

He added that the training will help to salvage the dearth of talents, saying that it will bring about using the modern teaching methodologies that will help bring out the skill in kids and nurture them.

"It has a huge impart and that is the belief of the federation that we have to get it right from the onset so that our players will bring quality."He said.

He dropped the hint that the federation has the plan to open regional training centre where talents could be nurtured.

"It is the plan of the federation to have regional training centres where our players will be monitored and be developed to a point where they will be at the national training centre. It is in the pipeline and that is the way to go."He said.

Akinloye urged the participants to utilize teachings of the training, saying that value chain from the coach to the players and their performances will improve.

"The coaches to practise what they preach, they should use the information they get now, it will make them better coaches and it will make them produce better players. And Nigeria stand to gain from it. And apart from their personal games, the players will gain from it."He said.

Asked what they have gained from the training, one of the participants, the Proprietor, First Shot Tennis Academy Mr. Olaniyan Adeyemi, he said the training was an eye opener and it will impart positively to the kids in his academy.

"This ITF level one course has exposed me to so many things, in fact it shows how the game of tennis is revolving. I have to keep myself up to date. I learnt the play and stay for kids and Juniors.

"Definitely when I get back home, I pray God gives the enablement and support to get the training material that I need to bring the best in this kids. We have been taught so many things and I see that technology is taking a great place in coaching, so I pray for the support to get those little things so that I can impart the lives of those little kids."He said.

Also to Miss Patience Onebamhoin who works with International Tennis Academy, she said the training has added more knowledge to her, adding that she will teach her students using the modern tennis methodologies.

"To me personnel because I am still an active national player, it has added extra to what I need to work on concerning my own game personally, then to the academy I am working  with, I want to go back there and put in every thing that I have learnt so far."She said.

To Mr. Daniel Chijioke, he said that he learnt that he has to adopt pratical approach rather than theory to teach his kids. 

"I have learnt a lot, let me start from the kids the mini court and the mini tennis. When you want to play with your kids, you will not just keep talking, you must show more practical.

"It will help me to take my students higher and improve them."He said.