CHRISTOPHER Romaniuk will be watching Wimbledon this week.

The nine-year-old became interested in tennis through a promotion campaign by Heaton Tennis Club targeting primary schools.

After visiting his school, Harden Primary, he carried on and now plays for almost ten hours every week.

“I would love to have the skills to represent my county, then who knows? I would love to play at Wimbledon.”

Christopher was inspired by twice-Wimbledon champion Andy Murray. “He did not give up. Federer, Djokovic and Nadal were always winning everything at the expense of Murray. He never gave up and now it’s his turn to win. He works hard to be the best. And he is British.”

Tennis is not the easiest sport to pursue as a potential career. The sport can be costly, requiring coaching and training facilities as well as transport.

This year the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) is leading a £250m investment to improve grassroots facilities. The Transforming British Tennis Together initiative aims to make the sport more accessible.

Over the next decade it will raise the number of covered and floodlit courts by 50 per cent, refurbish facilities and make courts easier to book online. The LTA’s Alastair Marks said: “We’re focused on getting the next generation of players on court and having fun.”

Jayanne Palmer, 14, also plays at Heaton. “I went to watch my dad play and saw children playing, which made me want to join. My parents enrolled me aged five and I really enjoyed it.”

The North Halifax Grammar School pupil has represented Great Britain in the under 12 and under 14 age groups. She competes in international junior tournaments and is working towards becoming a professional.

Tennis Heaton has an extensive schools outreach programme with the aim of increasing participation at grass roots level but also to spot any talented children and invite them onto an LTA-supported programme.

Children can also attend a free trial session to give them a chance to see if they enjoy playing tennis Currently around 200 children attend weekly coaching, ranging from children as young as four, to juniors of 17.

“We have a younger squad of talented players who train with us five times a week,” says head coach Matt McTurk. “Some of them are among the best players in Yorkshire for their age.”

Young players face challenges to progress in tennis. “It does cost more than some other sports, although at Heaton we are one of only four performance centres in Yorkshire supported by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), so we are able to help subsidise player’s programmes to make it more affordable,” says Matt.

“Tennis teaches resilience and self-reliance which are great life skills and inevitably there are few players who break through to the top flight of world junior tennis. At Heaton we have had a number of players who have achieved international rankings and this is something we are very proud of.”

His advice to someone starting out would be to encourage them to have a go. “Regardless of what level a child reaches, it’s a great sport that can be fun. Tennis teaches life skills such as responsibility, work ethic and helps to build confidence as children improve. It’s also a great way to keep fit and it’s a sport which can be played by people well into their eighties.”

Haworth Tennis Club sees a rise in membership during Wimbledon fortnight. “We get a lot more joining,” says secretary and chairman Jens Hislop, “Tennis is a really good game for young people. People take part in ball games to play with the ball - in football there are 22 of you, and in cricket you only hit the ball when you are batting, but in tennis you are hitting the ball all the time.”

He adds: “We offer family membership, it is all very affordable.”

At Skipton Tennis Club a summer camp for youngsters of all abilities aged between four and 15 runs for six weeks from July 24. “It is very accessible and affordable,” says head coach Adam Cox. Affordability is key, with part-funded coaching programmes at the club proving popular.

The club has forged strong connections with local schools, visiting ten every week over 12 weeks. “We see around 600 children a week,” says Adam. “Our aim is to keep tennis fun, flexible and friendly.”

*To book a free trial session at Heaton email: info@tennisheaton.co.uk T: 07711181998

W: tennisheaton.co.uk *For information about Skipton email: adam@skiptontennis.com; 01756 796655 *Haworth Tennis Club T: 01535 644444