Hours and payment

The role involves an average of 15 hours per week, 45 weeks per year, however, there is the possibility of increased or full-time hours, if an additional administrative role is fulfilled (see below).

Hours can be flexible, however, a significant priority for this role will be to visit coaching programmes and tournaments, which usually take place during evenings and weekends.

For a self-employed role, the hourly rate is £20, which is then equalised to a monthly payment of £1,125. Out-of-pocket travel expenses will be paid additionally. Hampshire & IOW Tennis (HIOWT) would also be happy to provide an employed role, including paid holiday.

The role is flexible and is partly home-based and at the county office (David Lloyd, Nursling, Southampton). Attendance is required occasionally at meetings, whilst visits to venues, coaching programmes, competitions and events around Hampshire & IOW (H&IOW) are required.

General Responsibilities

1.work closely with the County Performance Manager, appointing coaches, assistants and captains where appropriate, ensuring that they are safe to practice, and that LTA safeguarding procedures are followed at all times
2.support the implementation of the HIOWT 10U Performance Pathway
3.select players for county training using the 10U LTA player framework
4.attend / deliver county training where appropriate
5.link with venues and coaches within H&IOW that offer strong 10-and-under programmes.
6.liaise with the LTA’s performance department / 10U National Coach
7.support and attend the LTA’s Regional Performance Camp programme
8.support coaches and captains of the 8U, 9U & 10U county teams, including regular phone calls and meetings
9.support with selection of players for the 8U, 9U and 10U County Cups
10.support captains in arranging inter-county friendly matches
11.support with the delivery of HIOWT inter-club team competitions
12.support with the running of the Junior County Championships during the last week in August
13.visit tournaments to observe players and meet coaches / parents, including attendance at key graded LTA competitions
14.help talented players within smaller programmes to access additional county opportunities
15.liaise with parents of 8U, 9U and 10U players, explaining the county pathway
16.consider and respond to data within the 6-monhtly County Performance Dashboard
17.develop and deliver 10U priorities as part of the County Performance Action Plan
18.advocate and follow LTA procedures for reporting safeguarding concerns or incidents
19.attend relevant HIOWT meetings

Specific targets

Utilising data from our Performance Dashboard, HIOWT has highlighted a significant opportunity to grow participation within the 8U age group. By building on existing strong relationships with local venues and coaches, it is felt that HIOWT can offer (or facilitate via venue / coach support) increased opportunities to this age, e.g. friendly informal competition, team events and festival days. The 10U Performance Lead role therefore includes a number of specific targets within the 8U age group:

1.establish, promote and run at least two 8U county open days (festivals) per annum
2.increase the number of 8U players represented at the annual Junior County Championships (JCC)
3.support venues and coaches to offer competitive opportunities to 8U players, e.g. Grade 7 matchplays
4.develop competitive opportunities for 8U county players, e.g. arranging inter-county friendlies
5.develop of a programme (“circuit”) of 8U competitions, e.g. Grade 5 matchplays
6.liaise with and visit key venues and coaches that develop 8U players

Key relationships

1.County Performance Manager
2.Charity Manager
3.Administrative Manager
4.Competition Lead
5.Chair of the Trustees

Additional administrative role

For applicants looking for more security and / or extra hours, an additional role is available, providing administrative support for HIOWT in the areas of performance and competition. These duties could be added to the 10U Performance Coordinator position to create a full-time role, or to increase the number of hours per week to a level that the succesful applicant is comfortable with. It is however possible to simply fulfill the U10 lead role.

Hampshire & IOW Tennis (HIOWT) is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation and a member organisation of the LTA. HIOWT’s core strategic purpose is: working together to develop tennis in Hampshire & IOW, by supporting those who play, organise, govern, coach and officiate. One of the key areas of HIOWT activity is the provision of junior teams for inter-county events (County Cup) and the relevant activity that results from this, e.g. county training and competitions.

1.minimum Level 3 (ideally aspiring Level 4) coach and Accredited (would consider Accredited+)
2.experience of running competitions, e.g. a qualified / accredited official
3.strong understanding of 10U player standards, including the LTA player framework
4.demonstrable experience of working with the 8U age group
5.passionate about county tennis and maximising the performance of players and teams
6.full driving licence and access to a vehicle
7.able to work independently, reliably and flexibly
8.able to communicate with coaches, clubs and parents in a credible, balanced and informed way

If a particular applicant does not fulfill all of these specifications, we are still interested in hearing from them, should they believe that they are still suitable for the role.

It is desirable that the postholder is independent of any particular Hampshire & IOW venue or coaching programme. As a minimum, the postholder must demonstrate the ability to act fairly and make decisions neutrally, taking into account the best interests of all stakeholders within the Hampshire & IOW tennis family.