Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1524501
2023 ITF Annual Review 15 Ge ng more people playing tennis is central to the ITF's mission to grow the game. We work with our member na ons around the world to introduce children and adults to tennis for the first me or to get them playing again. In 2023, the ITF supported interna onal grassroots tennis development in a variety of ways. Junior Tennis Ini a ve (JTI) The Junior Tennis Ini a ve (JTI) is the ITF's global programme that introduces children aged 14 and younger to tennis and supports na onal junior development. It provides opportuni es for kids to play for the first me, or return to the sport, and offers compe on for emerging talent. The JTI is the launchpad for many promising girls and boys who can then progress along the player pathway. In 2023, a record 146 na ons were part of the JTI, with new joiners Guinea Conakry and Poland demonstra ng the range and variety of the na ons involved. A total of 258,331 children were introduced to tennis at primary schools or tennis clubs, 3% more than in 2022. There were nearly half a million JTI compe on entries (see right). organised by tennis coaches and school teachers at the local level. It stands as a digital snapshot of grassroots ac vi es which can be analysed to guide progress, and works as a database for each JTI na on. Our Development Officers support Na onal JTI Coordinators with regular mee ngs, and mandatory training modules are provided on the ITF Academy. Ahead of the 2023 ITF World Coaches Conference in Bogota, Colombia, we hosted an in-person JTI Coordinator Global Workshop with 38 coordinators a ending. The ITF provides funding to subsidise Na onal JTI Coordinators in countries taking part in the JTI, and donates rackets, balls and net equipment. We offer Na onal JTI Coordinators an ITF toolkit to get started, access to the ITF Academy educa on pla orm, and guidance from the ITF Development Officer who oversees their region. We have an online repor ng pla orm where Na onal JTI Coordinators detail all their ac vi es – crucial for measuring the impact of the programme, and also as a comprehensive record of all JTI ac vi es and tournaments 2023 ITF Junior Tennis Ini a ve in numbers 258,331 CHILDREN INTRODUCED TO TENNIS UP 3% ON 2022 CUMULATIVE TOTAL OF 480,335 COMPETITION ENTRIES PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES AT 1,781 PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND TENNIS CLUBS 146 ACTIVE JTI NATIONS A RECORD 1,974 SCHOOL TEACHERS AND TENNIS COACHES DELIVERED SESSIONS PARTICIPATION THE JUNIOR TENNIS INITIATIVE IS THE ITF'S GLOBAL PROGRAMME THAT INTRODUCES CHILDREN AGED 14 AND YOUNGER TO TENNIS AND SUPPORTS NATIONAL JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT.