Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI)

• ITF Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) – 14 & Under Development Programme

Through the National Associations, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) operates a number of programmes to assist member nations with tennis for junior players between the ages of 6 and 14.

The ITF believes that each nation should be focusing a great deal of their activities on this age group and over the past 10 years, has developed the following programmes that form part of the ITF Junior Tennis Initiative:

• The School Tennis Initiative (STI) – this initiative first started in 1996 aims to help nations introduce mini tennis in schools and clubs to children aged 6 – 11 years old. The programme has been very successful in Barbados and currently nearly 80 children from more than 30 schools attend coaching sessions at the National Tennis Centre on Monday. Wednesday and Friday evenings.
• The Performance Tennis Initiative (PTI) started by the ITF in 1999 encourages nations to focus on developing regular “performance training” for their best juniors in the 14 & Under age group at national level and depending on resources, at regional and club level also. In addition, The Performance Tennis Initiative also gives incentives to nations to establish new tournaments for the 14 & Under age group at national level. The PTI programme is run at the National Tennis Centre in Barbados on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings and currently attracts the 10 best juniors who have come through the STI programme.
• The Equipment Distribution Programme (EDP) – this ITF sponsored programme provides free equipment such as mini tennis bats, mini tennis nets, tennis rackets, transition/low compression balls, top grade balls, training balls and strings for use in the above programmes. The level of equipment provided depends on the projects being implemented by each nation and is based on recommendations and feedback from our Development Officers who visit the nations in their region on a regular basis.