Investing in Rackets Professionals (IRP)

From its origins as a sport played by 18th-century prisoners to its current status as a fast-paced game played by top students and elites, Rackets is known the world over for being one of the most exciting and skilled racquet sports on offer. The game is steeped in history and tradition, but its future is threatened by a shortage of Professionals and an age gap in participants.

In order to address these critical issues, the Tennis and Rackets Association, together with our T&RA Rackets Committee, has teamed up with the Rackets Professionals Association (RPA), the North American Rackets Association (NARA) and the Rackets World Championship Committee (RWCC) to launch an Investing in Professionals programme for the game.

IRP Goals

The vision of the IRP programme is to ensure that Rackets flourishes across all levels — from grassroots participation in schools to the elite game, in both the ladies’ and the men’s games. This vision focuses on: broadening access and increasing participation, attracting and retaining top talent, and recruitment and training of new Professionals. Of these three, the T&RA will be responsible for the latter — recruiting and training new Professionals who will enable the sport to continue.

With many in the current pool of Rackets Professionals set to retire in just a few short years, it’s more important than ever to attract apprentice Professionals into the game. But dwindling school funds for minor sports and competition from other more standard career paths that don't include some of the fulfilling and demanding aspects of a career as a Rackets professional for young athletes, present an immense challenge, which the T&RA is addressing with the launch of this programme.

‘Attract, Recruit, Train and Retain’

Structured similarly to our highly successful Investing in Real Tennis Professionalsprogramme, which has been recruiting, training and retaining apprentice Professionals since the 2020/21 season, the Investing in Rackets Professionals programme will focus on three main areas:

Professional Recruitment (“7 in 5”): Engagement with schools on recruitment, advertising and shaping the roles of the Professionals (typically via T&RA ambassadors, and the IRP programme). We aim to bring seven new Professionals to the game in five years.
Professional Training: Develop programs to train and certify Rackets Professionals (via the IRP programme). In due course provide training weekends for young / assistant Professionals to improve.
Assistant Professional Funding: Provide funding for schools and clubs to employ assistant Professionals. (Via the IRP programme)

How Do We Achieve This?

Through the IRP programme, the T&RA will be working closely with schools, including Masters In Charge, Directors of Sport, Heads and Bursars, to achieve the above three goals. We will also be appealing to our members for support, as we hope to raise considerable funds to closely match the investment the T&RA has committed. We are in the early stages of the IRP programme but, with your help, we hope to make major advancements in the upcoming Rackets season. More information to follow.