Sports teach young athletes so much more than just the fundamentals of the game. They teach monumental life skills such as strength, character, grit, and commitment. However, young girls are dropping out of sports at an increasingly high rate. This dropout rate is even more staggering in the sport of tennis. Unfortunately, more than 70 percent of girls quit tennis before they reach age 17. Often times, the high drop-out rate in our sport can be attributed to a simple lack of understanding how to coach the female athlete. At the WTCA, we have set out to tackle this issue through proper education, so that we can keep more girls in tennis.
On May 25th and 26th, we will be presenting this world-class education on a global stage for our first annual WTCA Conference Paris. Located at the beautiful Lagardère Paris Racing in the heart of Bois de Boulogne, the practice venue of the Roland-Garros Main Draw players, conference attendees will have the opportunity to gain insight from a star-studded lineup of coaches and tennis legends. Keynote speakers include Magdalena Maleeva, Sven Gronefeld, Selima Sfar, and seven-time Grand Slam Champion and Olympic gold medalist Justine Henin. Additionally, our attendee coaches will have the chance to collaborate with other like-minded coaches. By sharing personal “game-changers” and coaching concepts, we can change the sport of women’s tennis, together!
While there is no magic formula when it comes to coaching a female tennis player, there are key steps a coach can take to generate a positive learning environment for their athlete. Women and young girls are seeking support and empowerment from their coaches, which is why fostering a positive learning environment, building trust, and forming unique relationships with each athlete is critical to keeping these girls and women in the game. Our goal for the WTCA Conference Paris is for our coaches and leaders to share useful tips and tricks for creating the ideal environment for each female tennis player.
If you are looking to make a difference in the sport of women’s tennis, the WTCA Conference Paris is the perfect starting point! Join forces with a global community of like-minded coaches to become an advocate for women’s tennis players everywhere. It is clear that change is needed to keep our girls in tennis. Change starts within each of us, and together we can make a difference in the sport of women’s tennis.