Abstract
Tennis is a global sport with effective coaches being essential to the continued appeal, therefore the work of the coach developers within the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is crucial. This research examined the work and aspirations of coach developers in tennis using in-depth interviews with 10 ITF coach developers. Subsequently, we developed detailed pen portraits of two ITF coach developers at different levels of experience and engagement in order to highlight any differences in work, objectives or ambition. Findings from coach developers revealed three themes: support from ITF; barriers to learning; making learning less traditional. The pen portraits added further detail in the themes of the knowledge and skills required for the role; importance of adaptive expertise and; aspirations for coach development in tennis. There is clear evidence of evolution of the work of the coach developer in the ITF with the role embedded within practice and valued by all involved.
Recommended Citation
, M., , R., & , C. (2026). Challenges and innovations in tennis coach development: International insights from practitioners across continents. Journal of Coach Development, 1(1). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/jcoachdev/vol1/iss1/5
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