Make no mistake, County Tennis needs your support in 2026! I’ll explain why…

In Q4 2025, the LTA decided to make the 2025 Adult Winter County Cup the last ever staging of the event - a decision made by the LTA and one of their sub-committees without a meaningful consultation - and in 2026 they will launch a review into county competitions - it is like to include Junior County Cups and Summer County Week.

The power of County Tennis to bring communities together, initiate life long friendships and play a major role in the game development of players should never be under estimated.

So if you are passionate about County Tennis please take a listen to this podcast episode for my take on what has happened, what is likely to come next and how you can help!

And to kickstart showing your support for County Tennis, please join the Friends of County Cup and County Week Facebook group - together we are stronger. Here’s to 2026 — a year where County competitions are shaped with the community, not for it.

Music Credits

Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden

Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

When you think of the voice of tennis who do you think of? There are some great commentators / co-commentators out there from David Law to Annabel Croft but for me personally there is only one answer. I think of Russell Fuller.

When it comes to experiencing big tennis events and immersing myself in to them - my go to is not the TV it is most definitely the radio.

Russell Fuller is the BBC Tennis Correspondent and many of you will know his commentaries from Wimbledon and the other big tournaments.

Tennis Journeys take all sorts of different pathways. All sorts of different destinations. They can’t all lead to Wimbledon glory. But so many to lead to incredible adventures. Russell’s journey to BBC Tennis Correspondent is a compelling one and I hope you’ll enjoy hearing about it as much as I did…

Music Credits

Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden

Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Today’s guests Dr. Amanda Stanec and Richard Way are on a mission to protect the joy children get from sport!

After reading their book Protect The Joy and chatting with them on this episode it is a mission I am joining them on! And with as many as 70% of children quitting sport by the onset of adolescence, it’s a quest I hope you’ll support.

From burn out to early specialisation, an overwhelming focus on results to it just not being any fun anymore there’s loads of reasons why children quit sport. We dive deep into these areas in today’s episode and also look at ways that you can proactively help keep the joy.

Listen to today’s episode (and read Protect The Joy) and you’ll be onboard with why forward thinking governing bodies like Tennis Canada are championing Long Term Athlete Development.

You’ll understand why the way a competition system for juniors is designed can be responsible for the challenges you see in the actions of coaches and the behaviour of parents.

You’ll know why you should be championing task based goals and keeping away from solely focusing on ego based goals!

So what are you waiting for? Hit PLAY now!

About Dr. Amanda Stanec and Richard and the Protect The Joy Book

Amanda was born in Canada and is the founder of MoveLiveLearn, has a PhD in physical education, has played soccer at uni and is Mum to three sports playing daughters. Richard is also Canadian and is the founder of the Sport for Life society. He is a leading light in the field of Long Term Athlete Development. Richard is also Dad to three sports playing children.

Protect the Joy is available now and offers a fresh, positive approach to youth sports, helping parents, coaches and sports leaders create a supportive environment where children can thrive. With practical strategies for collaboration and empathy, this book ensures that sports remain fun and growth-focused, empowering kids to build confidence, resilience, and a lifelong love for physical activity.

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Music Credits

Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden

Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0