THIS week living rooms across the country will be filled with the sounds of Wimbledon.

That familiar opening theme music, cheers from the crowd, calls of “Out!” and the sound of balls rocketing back and forth.

The annual tournament inspires children from across the country to pick up a racquet.

Across Bradford there are many opportunities to learn and play the game. Coaches from Heaton Tennis Club visit primary schools and offer children free coaching sessions to give them a taste of the sport and see if they enjoy it.

“We start children at age four, but they can start at any age as with the right coaching children can pick it up quite quickly,” says head coach Matt McTurk.

“We offer coaching programmes for all ages and ability levels. We run a mini tennis programme for children aged under ten.”

The mini tennis programme follows the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) red, orange and green traffic light system which works through different levels to build up skills.

Children can have a free introductory lesson before they sign up to the programme, then lessons cost around £6 per week.

This year the club, in Highgate, is among many across the UK that are hosting Tennis Tuesdays - an initiative run by the LTA in partnership with Nike that encourages women to pick up a racquet. The courses run each week, focusing on a different area of the game.

Former professional player Matt believes that Wimbledon and the achievements of Andy Murray inspires youngsters.

“Although I think they should show more tennis on terrestrial TV to reach a wide audience and inspire even more people.”

Among the rising stars at Heaton is Jayanne Palma, who joined the club aged five and recently represented Great Britain in the under 14 age group.

“We also have a number of talented juniors attending regular coaching on our performance programme,” says Matt.

Beckfoot Tennis Club was established in 1946 and merged with Bingley Tennis Club - formerly Bailey Hills - in 2013 to form Beckfoot and Bingley Tennis Club.

Sited in Beckfoot Lane, Bingley, it operates a sport development plan to encourage youngsters aged four and over through coaching and other activities.

“However we did not receive a grant from Sport England as they want to encourage those aged from 14-30 who tend to live a more sedentary lifestyle,” says club secretary Solna Burnham.

Older children from Parkside School in nearby Cullingworth - with which Solna has a connection - play at the club, and others come along with their parents.

“We offer individual coaching but most of the group coaching in the area is at larger clubs with indoor facilities. Children are accepted free of charge if their parent is a member - if not we charge £10 a year,” she says.

“There is always a surge in interest when Andy Murray or another British player does well and also when Wimbledon is on TV every day - although this year it will be in competition with Euro 2016.

“Children also get a chance to watch very reasonably priced top quality tennis at Ilkley Aegon Challenger Tournament held at Ilkley Tennis Club, which runs at the same time as the Queen’s Club tournament in London.”

She adds: “I think the problems getting children to start playing tennis are the lack of facilities at some of the local schools and the weather.”

For those who want to progress, funding can be a problem - covering the cost of travel to tournaments and other expenses.

Jens Hislop, chairman of Haworth Tennis Club, says the club does not run a programme of coaching but its facilities allow people to play at an affordable price. “We have two courts that we rent from Bradford Council - we don’t charge much, £20 a year for adults and £10 for juniors.

“We see families coming down to play, and, of course, we see a lot of interest during Wimbledon - that’s when many people join or renew their membership.”

He adds: “There are many clubs throughout the district that offer coaching, if someone wants to further improve their game.”

  • Heaton Tennis & Squash Club, Highgate, Heaton BD9 5PH: To book a free trial session or to enquire about coaching for children or adults, visit tennisheaton.co.uk; email info@tennisheaton.co.uk or call 07711181998. You can also search 'Tennis Heaton' on Facebook.
  • Beckfoot & Bingley Tennis Club, Beckfoot Lane, Bingley BD16 1LX: Visit bingleytennisclub.co.uk or call Solna Burnham on 01535 273120.
  • Haworth Tennis Club, Rawdon Road, Haworth: Search 'Haworth Tennis Club' on Facebook or call 01535 644444.