The Chief Executive’s Report

Chris Davies, Chief Executive and Secretary

As I reflect on the season which (for most players) didn’t take place, it is more interesting to focus on what did happen. Although the vast majority of members haven’t been able to play much at all, our schools (and under 18s) have enjoyed a renaissance.

Thanks to some careful planning (and rescheduling), a handful of competitions have taken place, including the National Junior Open, testament to Paul Weaver’s determination.

This has also proved to be a perfect opportunity to progress a number of important (and overdue) projects. Although we haven’t been able to meet in person, the use of video conferencing has boomed meaning than key decisions can be made to ensure we emerge into the 2021/22 season in good shape. Regular Board and Committee Meetings have facilitated numerous initiatives, which have continued to gain traction.

Investing in Professionals is covered in detail elsewhere; however, it is not possible to summarise the last twelve months without making special reference to significant number of volunteers who have made this happen, with 40+ contributing in one way or another, facilitated by John Whiting. The programme is now live and run by a smaller team, with one apprentice working at Middlesex and two more starting shortly at Wellington and Cambridge, trailblazers for the future. The aim is to safeguard the future of Real Tennis by providing a long-term career pathway for professionals, through recruitment, personal development and accreditation. Our partnership with Sport Structures has been a pivotal part of this new process. The next challenge is to extend the programme to Rackets and work with schools to establish how they see this role developing. Bringing new professionals into both games is a key enabler for the future.

We recently commenced the first phase of redesigning RealTennisOnline (RTO) and are making extremely good progress. RTO has not had coordinated updates in many years and consequently both the functionality and the technical design are overdue a substantial overhaul. The first phase has concentrated on the technical aspects such as the underlying code and technical architecture, and users will see little change in their day to day interactions. The second phase is concerned with user functionality and the look and feel of RTO, and will involve users from the Tennis community to represent the views and ideas of players. There is no intention to lose any of the features our members enjoy, including the On-line Booking and the Rackets Ranking System. My thanks to Chris Lintott and Owen Saunders for their long hours and dedication. The T&RA has also worked its way through a rebranding programme to make the association more focussed on the needs of a modern digital world, juxtaposed with the requirement to serve our membership. We have been well supported by the effervescent Oli Harris and Jamie Craven and their free thinking. This will pull through onto the website and the social media outlets, harnessing the fabulous work that many members already do in this area. You’ll see the updated logo on the front of the Annual Report as just one of the new transformations, as well as the branding message that our future is built on our history. The idea is to create a sustainable and vibrant future for Real Tennis and Rackets; and this will involve a new, attractive landing area for the website, in particular for those new to the games. Enabled by progressive governance, innovation and a genuine passion for the sports, the T&RA is dedicated to a long future for our games, to match their illustrious history. In short, we promise to protect the games we all love and believe in the power of Tennis and Rackets to engage and entertain. Whether playing or watching, our community become brand advocates, and our biggest asset.

While we have navigated this very strange year, which has seen Lockdowns, Tiers (and Tears), then Steps, the resilience of our members has never ceased to amaze me. Many of you have joined the campaign to try and inform our government, writing to your local MPs in order to educate them that all sports are not the same. Some disappointing responses in the main, but we did win the occasional concession. If you win enough skirmishes, you will ultimately win the war! I have been doing exactly the same, in conjunction with Sport England and other National Governing Bodies, so your invaluable help and support is greatly appreciated. My thanks also to Tim Harper for the crossword puzzles and the limerick challenge (aided and abetted by James McDermott), which kept everybody sane and thinking of the future. All in all, the world of Tennis and Rackets adapted and overcame.

We are at the cusp of a new season and fresh challenges for the next twelve months. A very different world for the small T&RA team of myself, Andrina, Olga and Jemima, as we navigate the tasks ahead; and also, co-editor Tory for the Annual Report. The never-ending work of Howard Angus very much makes him one of the team, for which I am especially grateful. This is also the perfect time to rekindle our relationship with our sponsors, Brown Advisory, Pol Roger and Play Brave, as well as our generous Patrons and Benefactors.

.....as well as the branding message that our future is built on our history. The idea is to create a sustainable and vibrant future for Real Tennis and Rackets’