More Retirements ?

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

RE: More Retirements ?

indiana · Tennis legend

I would imagine that the average ( mean ) LTA salary is very much pushed up by the really high earners. The middle ( median ) salary will be much less.

But I have no ideas in what areas and salary ranges savings could be reasonably made.

indiana · Tennis legend

i.e. as CD said re salaries ...

A1 tennis academy · Satellite level

Coup Droit wrote:
I noticed that too. Huge money currently being put into marketing to 'make people aware' of tennis blah blah blah

Given Wimbledon, how can people NOT be aware of tennis? And what's the point of being aware if there's nothing really to do once you get there?

(The 49k is probably a reasonable average, after all, you only need a few 600ks to bump up the average).

Eg today spending hours with Marcus planning his funding to end of 2016 . It just seems ridiculous to me that the no9 in GB in GB can not survive without funding in addition to prize money . Hopefully improved prize money next year will make a difference without my help Marcus would not be able to continue we need more funding for GB players ranked No3-12

paulisi · Tennis legend

Not just 3-12 - anyone who is trying to play the tour full time and has the potential to improve their ranking significantly.

I can only see the following GB men playing the tour full time:

Murray - self sufficient
J Ward - self sufficient
Edmund - LTA funded
Broady
Klein
Corrie
Cox
A Ward
Willis
Milton
Smethurst
Rice
Gabb
Ward-Hibbert
Bambridge(?) - not seemingly travelling as much this year so far.
Pauffley
Marsalek
Martin
Salisbury
Bettles
Clayton
Ridout
Hoyt

Just 23 men playing full time on tour - by that I mean travelling to multiple tournaments overseas as well as playing domestic events. I may have missed a couple plus the doubles specialists.

huntley93 · Strong Club Player

bruce strachan too (got funding from the paul lawrie foundation

Oakland2002 · All-time great

So isn't Liam getting any funding at all?

BeefyDeedz · Pro player

I was under the impression that Liam Broady was LTA funded, but that may have changed.

EddietheEagle · County player

Coup Droit wrote:
(The 49k is probably a reasonable average, after all, you only need a few 600ks to bump up the average).

Anyone would think the country had never heard of tennis.

The figure given in the 2013 accounts of £16.9 million excluded directors fees. Directors added a further £1.05 million to LTA costs in 2013.

There were more LTA employees in 2013 (324) than 2012 (311) despite the world credit crisis and and a sport in decline. Direct staff costs of £16.9 million included wages, salaries, social security (presumably national insurance) and pension contributions. Get rid of half that lot, capable people though they may be,and you also reduce your indirect overhead considerably too.

The LTA needs to rebuild trust with those who play and help run the sport. Paying high salaries and running a lavish head office operation while expecting the mug punters at the bottom, (on whom any sport depends) to give their time for free is a losing strategy. People see those topline figures or paid junkets to the Australian Open (wives and pets included) and end up voting with their feet.

The current incumbent seems too think UK tennis salvation lies in local authority parks. To build a great tournament structure with playing opportunity for all he has to do that mainly with the clubs because in the main clubs have better, more concentrated facilities and infrastructure. That means devolving power, responsibility and money, once the general plan is decided. One simple incentive is to match the money the clubs raise in tournament prizes. But let the members run those tournaments, for good or bad. Eventually things will work out and the process improves by trial and error. The main thing is to get on with it.

indiana · Tennis legend

I certainly assumed that Liam was LTA funded. If not, why not ??

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Completely agree, Eddie.

All this 'tennis in the parks' stuff is fine for as far as it goes. Which is NOT very far at all. Almost insulting really.

The clubs are the centre of tennis in the UK. And, yet, as the President I mentioned a few days ago was saying, they are completely out of the loop in terms of strategy, feedback, planning. No connection with the LTA at all. No communication. It's like running an education policy from Whitehall and ignoring the fact that there are schools out there.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

As I understand it, the bulk of the cash for the Tennis In The Parks initiative has been taken from the budget of Aegon Team Tennis. Somehow I think the latter may have been more cost effective in terms of getting people playing competitive matches than the former is likely to be.

paulisi · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
I certainly assumed that Liam was LTA funded. If not, why not ??

He definitely had his funding cut last year and I thought with the changes he had it removed, but I may be wrong. He has Dave Sammel, Mark Hilton seemingly exclusively now and a fitness coach. Not sure where the funding is coming from either LTA or private funding.

Dave Sammel seemed to come aboard when he was released by the LTA in the summer.

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

Got a flyer in my inbox today for havilandtennisacademy.com in South Carolina. The coaching bios include James Turbervill, Ashley Hewitt and George Morgan. Looks like they've all ended up in a very nice spot!

Happycynic · Pro player

I've been to tennis in the parks, with small daughter. I'm well off, but live in one of the uk's most deprived postcodes, ch42. Titp works in that the people going wouldn't go to a club. They do go to their parks, and titp gets a good number of local kids, and quite a lot of 40-60s who have never picked up a racket/put it down years ago, and are doing exercise and enjoying it. It may not generate future stars, but is professionally done with a smile and inclusiveness, and is getting kids and adults active. Good job being done imho.