Hrvoje Zmajic ITF/ European tennis development officer joined Robert Tarpey, Course Tutor, to assist The Malta Tennis Federation in its continuing coaches education programme.

The Malta Tennis Federation is currently holding a National Level 1 ITF coaches’ course at Marsa Sports Club. The course which is being held over four weeks, is divided into a two-day mini-tennis course and a seven-day tennis coaching course.

The goal of the Level 1 course is to give candidates the skills required to introduce people to tennis through mini-tennis, to coach players up to junior competition level and also to promote tennis at a grass-roots level.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate a minimum level of play (e.g. ability to rally / demonstrate basic strokes / feed balls to student) and undertake several exams including an individual lesson test, a group lesson test, a tennis playing / demonstration test and a written theory test.

Fourteen coaches from Malta’s largest tennis clubs are currently following the course. Malta Tennis Federation President Dr. David Farrugia Sacco said that this is the first in a series of Level 1 courses since it is essential that in a short time period all coaches recognised by the federation will be qualified.

Among the participants are former national team players Esther Muscat, Claire Arrigo and Mark Gatt.