Wimbledon Stories: The Club PT 2

Welcome everyone ?? ??

This is the 2nd Edition of the “Wimbledon Stories by Edem Spio” newsletter. Every week I’ll share stories of the many aspects of the Greatest Tennis Grand Slam in the world as a build up to this year’s The Championships! For fellow Tennis lovers as myself, I hope you end up loving Wimbledon – if you already haven’t – as you interact with these stories. For non-tennis fans, I hope you enjoy my weekly pieces!

P.S. As you can clearly tell (from the newsletter photo), I am a massive Federer fan. I’ve been following him actively since childhood and he’s one of the inspirations behind this newsletter - let him know!. Roger is and will always be the Tennis GOAT!

Let’s begin!

“THE CLUB PT 2”

MISSION

There are three guiding principles that the AELTC abides by. These strong and purposeful statements are deeply rooted in the DNA of the Club. They are:

·?????To enhance the unique quality, character and image of the Club and The Championships.

·?????To foster the best interests of tennis, both nationally and internationally.

·?????To maintain The Championships as the premier tennis tournament in the world – and on grass.

As far as I’m concerned, the Club has done a fantastic job over the years to keep the Wimbledon Grand Slam as the “crème de la crème” of all Tennis Grand Slam. What’s not to love about how prestigiously exclusive the Club is! Over the years, the Club has continued to morph itself with societal developments in sports, technology, broadcasting and professionalism to continue to deliver a high-end sporting event.

As a passionate tennis fan whose favorite Grand Slam is Wimbledon , I would really love to see more international initiatives from the Club - especially for its African audience. Millions of people around the globe tune in to watch The Championships yearly. Thus, it will be great to have activations in other regions of the globe to bring fans together and for greater fan engagement.

I must say, the Club is doing a truly fantastic job when it comes to growing tennis nationally. All funds made during The Championships (after tax) are used by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to develop tennis in Great Britain. An agreement for the LTA to benefit from 90% of any distributable revenue earned during The Championships up until 2053 was agreed by the Club and the LTA in December 2008.

COMMUNITY

Both the AELTC and The Championships are actively dedicated to the development of its local community through investments in the form of charitable contributions, job opportunities, education opportunities, donations and much more (talk about an organization “by the people for the people”). The London boroughs of Merton and Wandsworth have benefited from many initiative of such sort.

If you know me, you’ll know I’m obsessively passionate about grassroots sports. Having had the opportunity to play sports during my childhood and early youth, I know the importance, value and potential of dedicating so much to grassroots sports. In 2001, the Club launched the Wimbledon Junior Tennis Initiative (WJTI). This initiative – run by the Club in collaboration with two local authorities – aims to expand grassroots tennis and increase talent development opportunities for young people. It happens via regular visits to local schools by the Club’s coaching team. The coaches deliver tennis lessons as well as invite juniors to the Community Tennis Centre, Raynes Park, for free tennis coaching sessions. The lessons are structured to foster a greater understanding of good sporting habits. Children learn not only how to play tennis but the life-skills and values sport brings such as teamwork, discipline and fairness.

About 65 state primary schools in Merton and Wandsworth are visited yearly. 205k+ children from local schools have received a free tennis coaching session since 2001. Across 45+ weekends per year, about 300 children attend free tennis coaching sessions. This developmental scheme aspires to amplify the potential of its members - tennis players and young people - while showing the direct impact playing sports has on growing one’s life skills, providing excellent opportunities for going pro.

That's all for now folks! Make sure to tune in next week for more Wimbledon stories. Don't forget to like, comment, share and subscribe to the newsletter! Wishing you a Championship Point week!