Behind the scenes with the team delivering British tennis’s highest coaching award
I had the pleasure of running two pre-application webinars this week for the brand-new LTA Level 5 Director of Tennis qualification — and what a turnout. Over 100 coaches joined us live to learn more about this ambitious, industry-leading course.
We’ve been developing this for months now, and it’s been a privilege to work alongside such a sharp, committed team: Luke House, Becca Strelzyn, and myself are leading the design and delivery of this course, with support from Danny McArdle and the wider LTA workforce team.
This isn’t just a course. It’s a professional transformation.
The Director of Tennis qualification is designed for coaches who want to:
- Lead with purpose
- Influence others
- Shape the future of the game
- Expand their on-court expertise with leadership, mentoring and programme design
- And define their own professional philosophy
We’ve brought in global experts in coaching, business, education and performance. We’re talking specialists in corporate training, high-performance team leadership, venue operations, and international best practice.
The structure reflects our ambition:
- 8 immersive modules spread over two years
- A powerful international trip to Valencia to explore environments, relationships and team culture
- Project-based learning designed to have real-world impact in the coach’s venue or business
- And a specialism pathway, including article publication and CPD resource creation
It’s an intense course. 24 contact days. Multiple projects. High-level mentoring.
But it’s also the most exciting coach education opportunity in the UK right now.
We’re not just awarding a qualification — we’re building leaders for the next era of the sport.
📌 Key Dates:
- Applications open: Monday 7th July 2025
- Close: Friday 8th August 2025
- Places: 18 total
- First module: 17th–19th November 2025
- Location: Nottingham, plus Valencia in March 2026
Final Word
A huge thank you to everyone who joined the webinars — and to the team around me for making this such an inspiring start to what will be an unforgettable programme.
If you’re a coach who’s ready to lead, influence, and innovate — we hope to see your application soon.
Nick Williams
Lead Tutor – LTA Director of Tennis (Level 5)