Roehampton lecturer partners with the Lawn Tennis Association for Parents in Sport Week

  • Friday, September 24, 2021

The University of Roehampton is supporting the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to deliver a series of talks to support parents of elite child tennis players, as part of their Parents in Sport Week.

Image - Roehampton lecturer partners with the Lawn Tennis Association for Parents in Sport Week

Running from 4 – 10 October 2021, the LTA will host a series of evening workshops to aid parents in supporting and encouraging their child on their journey into competitive sport. The sessions include a Competition Parenting Workshop, to help parents to optimally support their child at tennis competitions and The Science Behind the Strategy, giving a view into the science behind the LTA’s parent education and support strategy, including research into parent-child interactions during car journeys.

There will also be panel sessions where parents can hear from the parents of professional players, including Judy Murray, Carolyn Salisbury and Yvonne Burrage.

Dr Sam Thrower, a Chartered Psychologist from our School of Life and Health Sciences, is delivering a number of the talks. He added:

“I’m delighted to be an invited speaker at the Lawn Tennis Association’s Parents in Sport Week event this year. It is such an exciting time to be involved in British tennis and supporting parents is crucial in terms of maintaining the next generation of players’ enjoyment, motivation, and long-term development within the game.”

 “Professor Chris Harwood, from Loughborough University, and I have been working with the LTA on their proactive parent education and support strategy since 2017 and we have had over 2,000 parents attend the ‘Competition Parenting Workshop’. During this period, our evaluation research has shown the positive impact the workshop is having on parents’ confidence, goals, and emotions. Children have also reported positive changes in parents’ communication and behaviour before, during and after competition.”

Click here to find out more information on the LTA’s Parents in Sport Week, including how to join the sessions.