Tennis - General Information

The Racquets department here at Esporta Riverside Chiswick would like to offer you a warm welcome. The racquets team are here to help you on your way as you navigate your tennis journey.

Each new adult member is entitled to a free half-hour assessment by one of our LTA licensed tennis pros during which you will be given a provisional ITN (International Tennis Number). If you do not feel comfortable with our assessment procedure, it is possible for you to self-assess using the ITN ratings definitions card situated on the tennis notice-board.

How Do I Book A Complimentary Half-hour On Court Assessment?
Simply book in person or by phone at advanced reservations on 0208 987 1888.

What Is An ITN Number And Why Do I Need One?
The International Tennis Number (ITN) is an indication as to the playing standard of a particular player and is recognised worldwide by the ITF (International Tennis Federation). Once you have your ITN it is then possible for us to place you in the most suitable place in the tennis environment for individual lessons, adult group coaching programme, box leagues and other special events.

TENNIS FACILITIES
The Riverside club currently boasts 12 indoor cushioned acrylic, with a further 14 courts outdoors, 3 of which are covered by a bubble for 6 months of the year (October-March). We also have 3 different surfaces outdoors, 7 cushioned acrylic, 5 astro-turf and 2 clay courts.

COURT USAGE AND AVAILABILITY
Here at the Riverside Club, Chiswick we play host to an extensive junior and adult tennis programme, the bulk of which takes part during the off- peak time of the day and tails off at 630pm (Mon-Friday).

Court allocation for the coaching programme endeavours to take only 50% of the courts during those periods and less during peak periods for adult classes in the evening. The coaching programme at weekends wherever possible will take no more than 50% allocation of courts. With the addition of a further 3 covered courts in the winter months, our performance programme now trains in the bubble and on the clay courts, thus taking the pressure of indoor court availability.

JUNIOR ACADEMY
Our academy at Riverside Chiswick is the largest in the Esporta group and one of the biggest in Europe. The academy is split into 2 different sections, the first being development (3 levels, A4, A5, A6) and the second, performance (3 levels A1, A2, A3).

We cater for children from the ages of 3.5 years to 18 and although the first point of entry into the academy is age based, streaming is then based on playing standard.

From the age of 3.5 years up to 10 years, each child has the opportunity of completing various mini-tennis awards at Red, Orange and Green level, the colour coding refers to the different balls, together with the modified court that are used at the different levels.

Each award is a set of skills tests based around serve, return and playing points, ensuring the child is challenged at the appropriate level. Once the child has demonstrated over the course that they can achieve the set criteria they are awarded a certificate and then move on the next level of their tennis journey.

From the age of 10+, there are opportunities for children to progress their tennis by training more frequently and playing more appropriate matchplay both internally and externally and become Academy 4 players, the transitional level between development and performance.

PERFORMANCE ACADEMY
Our performance academy begins with early targeted athletes (ETAs), who are our most promising mini-tennis players from Red level (6 yrs) to Green level (10 and under). These players are committed to training at least twice a week and take part in a competitive schedule both internally and externally, according to their ability.

There are 3 levels of performance academy as follows:

• A1- Top 24 ranking, nationally in age group
• A2- 25-100 ranking, nationally in age group
• A3- 101-300 ranking, nationally in age group

For players under 12, playing standard is judged on LTA rating and playing assessment, together with players commitment to the training plan here at Riverside.

JUNIOR SPECIAL EVENTS
For all details of both the competitive and social opportunities for children, please view our tennis noticeboards and watch the special events on the home page.

JUNIOR TEAMS
There are also opportunities to represent Riverside teams along with Junior National Club League and Road to Wimbledon.

ADULT GROUP COURSES
We offer an extensive range of Adult group courses both during the day and evenings. All courses are graded according to the members playing standard, defined by their ITN number. All our courses run for the duration of the half-term and once booked are a commitment for the duration of the course.

For an up to date offering on our entire adult programme please visit the club website at www.riversidechiswick.co.uk.

ADULT WEEKLY SESSIONS
These sessions are book-able weekly (7 days in advance) and are suitable for players who are unable to commit to the adult group courses. Like adult courses, these are based around the ITN Number. All adult weekly sessions can be booked 7 days in advance either in person or by phone at advanced reservations on 0208 987 1888.

COMPLIMENTARY CLUB SESSIONS
As a commitment to our members we offer the following complimentary club weekly sessions to all different playing standards as follows:

• MONDAYS - Mens Night 730pm-9pm and 9pm-1030pm
• TUESDAYS - Ladies Mornings 930am-11am and 11-12.30pm
• WEDNESDAYS - Ladies Night 7-8.30pm and 8.30-10pm
• THURSDAYS - Club Morning 1130am-1pm
• FRIDAYS - Social Club Night 730pm-10pm

INDIVIDUAL LESSONS
We also offer both individual and private group coaching sessions.

These sessions can be booked at advanced reservations on 0208 987 1888.

For a comprehensive list of all tennis coaches, both development and performance please view them on the tennis noticeboards or for further details click on the tennis coaches icon on the tennis home page.

ADULT TENNIS TEAM PRACTICES
We currently have 5 mens and 4 ladies teams that compete in the Middlesex leagues and county cup competitions during both summer and winter.

Anyone interested in playing competitive team doubles should contact the racquets department on 0208 987 1816.

BOX LEAGUES (TENNIS JEANNIE)
All members interested in tennis should register at www.tennisjeannie.com, where members can opt for our find a partner service or for members with more competitive needs can register for our singles and mixed doubles box league competition. The idea of the box league competition is one where members can play other members on a round-robin basis according to their playing standard. The top two finishers in their box move up with the bottom two moving down at the end of each round. We also operate a grand prix competition with points awarded on results and participation, with the final end of year standings based upon an accumulation of points from all rounds.

MONTHLY ADULT TENNIS EVENTS
A full list of monthly tennis events and socials will be advertised in the newsletter, our internal noticeboards and on the club website.

COMPLIMENTARY BALL MACHINE USE
Looking to improve those shots you have learnt or simply do not have a playing partner, then here at the Riverside club, members can take the opportunity to pit their wits against the ball machine. This is a complimentary service to members and bookable at advanced reservations.

Members will be required to leave a deposit of £40 at reception, which is fully refundable on return of the ball hopper.

WALK ON COURTS
Here at the Riverside Club we have 2 courts that are set aside as a "walk on" facility every hour of the day. In the event that you were unable to book a court at a certain time of the day, then this is a second chance at claiming a court. The walk on facility means that it is possible to arrive a half an hour prior to the court booking you desire and claim a court on a first come first served basis. The walk-on courts here at the club are currently courts 11 & 12 in Hall 3.