Roles in tennis
There are a lot more ways to be a part of tennis than just playing.
If you love the game and want to help more people pick up a racket and play – then we can help you get involved in any of the various tennis jobs we have to offer.
These include:
- Volunteers
- Activators
- Coaches
- Officials
Take a look at each role below and find out how you can get involved – who knows, you might discover a new role for life.
Without our volunteers, tennis in Britain wouldn’t be what it is today.
Whether you’re helping out at an event or encouraging new players to get down to your courts – there’s many different ways you can volunteer in tennis.
Clubs and venues are always on the lookout for enthusiastic people to get stuck in and help out. Even if you aren’t a tennis player or a member – find your nearest venue and get in touch to see how you can support.
But, why should you get involved? Well, volunteering is a brilliant way to give back to the community and can be highly rewarding. Maybe you want to meet new people, feel part of a team or even gain new skills – volunteering could be just for you!
Want to get involved as a volunteer? Find out how you can below:
Don’t forget, every year we celebrate the contributions of all our volunteers at the annual LTA Awards – even more reason to start volunteering today!
Taking tennis to people and places where it’s never been before – tennis Activators play a huge role in growing our sport in Britain.
Activators work with community groups and venues - such as parks and leisure centres - to get more people playing tennis and get them started on their tennis journey.
Anyone can become an Activator – even if you’ve never played before!
We have Activators for several of our programmes, including:
- LTA SERVES (our programme helping children from underserved communities benefit from tennis)
- LTA Youth Go! (our community-based programme offering kids aged 4-18 an introduction into tennis)
- Free Park Tennis (facilitate fun, social tennis sessions at a local park court near you)
Looking for a career where you can impact people’s lives every single day?
Well, a tennis coaching role could be just the thing for you. From teaching young kids the basics with LTA Youth to helping pros perfect their game – no day is ever the same, but they are always rewarding.
If you want to take your first steps towards a career in tennis coaching then we have everything you need.
Coaching Pathway
Our coaching pathway is designed to guide you through your career from starting out as an assistant, all the way through to being a fully qualified tennis coach.
To become a coach on our pathway you will need to have a certain ITF World Tennis Number to show you have a basic level of ability. If you don’t have a Number, you can sign up to Advantage to get yours, or you might consider becoming an activator or volunteer.
Find out more and start your journey on our Coaching Qualifications Pathway.
Coach Accreditation
Once you start gaining your qualifications, you can do the LTA Coach Accreditation – a membership scheme for coaches, with a range of benefits to help support your career.
Check out our Coach Accreditation page to find out about all the perks on offer and how you can sign-up.
Learn something new every day with our Coach Development Courses – take a look at all the resources we have on offer to help you improve your coaching skills.
Want to be at the centre of tennis events across Britain? Then why not think about becoming an Official.
Officials are the lifeblood of all our events – from LTA Youth tournaments all the way up to our professional competitions – without them, these simply couldn’t happen.
There are four different types of Official roles:
- Line or Chair Umpire – the people on court calling the lines and upholding the rules in matches
- Referee – the people who look after all the players at a competition
- Competition Organiser – the people who organise and run competitions
- Court Supervisor – the people who support referees in making sure all play runs smoothly
Find out how you can become a tennis Official.
Want to get into tennis coaching, develop new skills or help support your local venue? Our LTA Youth Tennis Leaders programme could be just for you.
If you’re aged between 11-18, the programme is a fantastic way to learn new skills both on and off the court. It doesn’t matter if you already play tennis or not and best of all, it’s free to join.