portugal case study of tennis play and stay

Portugal was one of the first nations to launch Play and Stay, coinciding with the ITF's official launch in June 2007. They are uniquely positioned to present the highs and the lows of introducing the campaign nationally, and can serve as a good teacher to many nations who are introducing the campaign today.

Federação Portuguesa de Ténis

On the 21st of June 2008, the Portuguese Tennis Federation (FPT) celebrated the first year of the implementation of the “Play and Stay” program, commemorating the simultaneous launch with the ITF the 21st of June 2007. The event took place in the National Stadium, Lisbon, same site where the launch was held in 2007.

With this event, the FPT entered the phase 2 of the program in Portugal. Victor Cabral, Head of Coaches Education and National Coordinator of the Program, explains: “The first stage was a time of passing the message to the coaches; the Education Department of the FPT (Departamento de Formação) integrated the “Play and Stay” concept in most of its teaching events; in 2007 alone, the Education Department organized five level 1 Coach Courses, two level 2 and one level 3, where the coaches experienced the concept; one of the courses was in Angola, where the program was the main event; also “Play and Stay” was the main topic in different level 11 Coach Update events (mandatory, in the Portuguese system of Coaches Education); School Tennis was also a priority, with 8 events based totally in the “Play and Stay” concept; the Iberian Tennis Symposium, organized in conjunction with the Spanish Tennis Federation (RFET), was dedicated to “Play and Stay”; already, in 2008, we have organized seven Coaches Courses and seven Coaches Updates, along with four School Tennis Events.”

To read a report detailing Portugal's first year in Play and Stay, please click here.