64 delegates from 28 member nations attended the Tennis Europe Junior Tour & Pro Tennis Conference last week in Spain.
The event, which was held from 28th – 30th November at La Manga Club, saw two days of presentations, discussions and working groups focusing on contemporary topics concerning administrators and organisers of junior and professional tennis tournaments (see programme below).
Moderated by Regional Officiating Officer Anders Wennberg, the opening day’s combined session gave prominence to International Tennis Federation matters, with the player pathway forming the basis for the afternoon’s break out group discussions.
After a second combined session the next morning, day two saw the groups split for specialised key sessions. Following an introductory update on Tennis Europe’s junior activities, Junior Committee Chair Eva-Maria Schneider and Junior Tennis Manager Stephanie Kamberi led a key session focusing on best practices for tournament administrators. Meanwhile, Professional Tennis Committee Chair Allar Hint led his group through a series of presentations on topics relating to the ITF Pro Circuits and Beach Tennis.
The conference also saw meetings of Tennis Europe’s Junior and Professional Tennis Committees. The official dinner, hosted at the Hotel Principe Felipe, saw Russia awarded the Nation’s Trophy for the best overall performance by a nation at the 2017 European Junior Championships, while outgoing ITF/Tennis Europe Development Officer Hrvoje Zmajic was recognised for his long and outstanding contribution to the organisation.
2017 marked the third occasion that both Junior and Pro Tennis meetings had been combined, a move met with enthusiasm by the participants, who found that they shared many common experiences, goals and challenges. During their stay, the delegates were also able to enjoy the award-winning facilities on offer at La Manga Club, Tennis Europe’s Official Resort Partner.
Event Programme
La Manga Club Resort International Training Base: Lorenzo Martínez, Director of Tennis Centre, La Manga Club
State of Tennis in Europe: Edward Willis, Sports Business Manager, Sports Marketing Surveys Inc.
ITF Player Pathway – An overview / Technical Aspects: Andrew Moss, ITF Project Manager, Player Pathway
Player Education: Kris Dent, Senior Executive Director, Professional Tennis, Nicky Dunn, ITF Player Welfare Officer
The TIU: Protecting tennis and delivering a strategic vision for integrity education: Matthew Perry, Education and Training Manager, Tennis Integrity Unit
Security Measurements for Junior and Professional Tournaments: Helen McFetridge, ITF Manager, Juniors & Pro Circuits
ATP Challenger Tour Review: Joanna Langhorne, ATP Challenger Director
Teaching players and tournaments to reach out to the world: Eleanor Preston, The Emilia Group
ITF Junior Tennis Update: Helen McFetridge, ITF Manager, Juniors & Pro Circuits
Update on Tennis Europe Junior Tennis activities: Eva-Maria Schneider, Tennis Europe Junior Committee Chair, Stephanie Kamberi, Tennis Europe, Manager Junior Department
Tennis Europe Junior Tour – A Development Perspective: Hrvoje Zmajic, ITF/Tennis Europe Development Officer
18 & Under Competition Structure in France & the Future: Marion Hebert, Head of 18 & Under Events, Competitions Department, FFT
Jugend Cup Renningen/Rutesheim, A Success Story: Peter Rohsmann, Tournament Director, Tennis Europe Junior Tour
British Grass Court Series: George Donnelly, Tournament Lead, Lawn Tennis Association
Pro Circuit meets Transition Tour - prospects, challenges and concerns: Kirstin Krelle, Referatsleiterin Sport/Leistungssport, German Tennis Federation
ITF Pro Circuit – Strategy for the Future: Rui Machado, National Technical Coordinator, Portuguese Tennis Federation
Role of International Tournaments in Turkish Tennis System: Ozgur Erguden, General Coordinator, Turkish Tennis Federation
Safety and Security at French Pro Circuit Tournaments: François Pareau, Head of Pro Events, French Tennis Federation
Beach Tennis: Dmitry Vikharev, Vice President, Russian Tennis Federation