To describe the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) as “venerable” would be something of an understatement: the governing body of the sport in Great Britain was founded back in 1888, with Wimbledon champion (and owner of a fine set of moustaches) William Renshaw as its first president.
Since then, the LTA has been a tireless supporter of grassroots tennis around the country, training coaches and encouraging youngsters to aim high. As you’d expect, therefore, there are plenty of benefits involved in becoming a fully paid-up member of the organisation – even if you’re not part of an LTA-supported club.
Here’s how to sign up to either of the two membership tiers (“Team” and “Lite”), along with the features you’ll enjoy afterwards.
Team Membership
For the princely sum of £30 per year – or £20 if you’re a member of an LTA-registered venue – you can make the most of a wide range of perks, including priority access to an obscure grass tournament in southwest London. Moreover, the Team Membership is open to absolutely anyone: from seasoned veterans to people who picked up a racket for the first time an hour ago. Here’s what you get for your 3,000 pennies:
- Exclusive priority access to tickets for The Queen’s Club Championships, Open Nottingham, Classic Birmingham and International Eastbourne before they go on general sale.
- A coveted place in the central ballot for Wimbledon tickets. Once you’ve become a Team member, “opt-in” via the online portal before 23 February for a chance to attend the world’s most famous tennis competition (sorry, Maidstone Open Championships).
- Priority access to Davis and Fed Cup tickets – a perfect excuse to “improve your game” by following the Great Britain team around the world.
- A 10% discount on ATP Finals tickets.
- Monthly competitions with once-in-a-lifetime prizes such as a doubles masterclass with a certain Mr Jamie Murray and a chat with British No.1 Johanna Konta.
- A welcome pack that includes a swish membership card (which you can flash FBI-style when heading to a tournament), racket dampener and sticker for your car.
- Discounted Wimbledon tours (the stadiums are a lot bigger in real life).
- One of the best benefits is personal accident insurance, provided by Aviva. The package includes £250 of physiotherapy so you can get back up and hitting as soon as possible.
- British tennis news sent straight to your email inbox – but without the wit, charm and je ne sais quoi of Tennis Talent…
- Entry into LTA competitions around the country.
Have you been won over? Well, signing up couldn’t be easier: follow this link and, if you’re a student, provide your NUS number to get a decent 10% discount. Welcome to the club!
Lite Membership
There is another kind of LTA membership, which is slightly more exclusive but also not as feature-rich. The “Lite” (a word that conjures up images of very watery beer) tier is only available if you belong to an LTA-registered venue. There are currently 2,700 of these around the country and the list includes tennis clubs, parks, leisure centres, colleges and schools.
The big bonus of Lite Membership is that it’s completely free. The big downside is that the list of benefits is rather meagre:
- Entry into a club ballot for Wimbledon tickets. Again, you have to “opt-in” via the online portal for an opportunity to buy.
- Entry into LTA competitions around the country.
- The latest tennis news sent directly to you.
- A £10 saving when you upgrade to Team Membership.
Still, as the strange saying goes, never look a gift horse in the mouth. If you’re a member of a tennis club, you’d be missing out by not becoming an LTA member – so follow this link to sign up. Having said that, we’d strongly recommend splashing out on Team Membership. After all, it’s only the price of dinner and a couple of pints in London per year…
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