Rise Up Racket Sports

More Than Coaching. A Place to Rise.

Rise Up Racket Sports was founded on the belief that sport can change lives—not just by building physical skill, but by shaping confidence, resilience, and self-belief.

For us, coaching is about more than technique. It’s about helping every child, every player, and every family feel seen, supported, and capable of rising—on court and in life.

Our Story

I’m Edd Whetton, the founder of Rise Up Racket Sports.

My journey with sport has not been straightforward—but it has shaped everything Rise Up stands for.

At the age of five, I was diagnosed with Perthes Disease, a childhood condition where the blood supply to the hip joint is disrupted, causing the bone to weaken. I spent 18 months in a wheelchair and another 18 months on crutches. By the age of eight, I had to learn how to walk again.

Growing up with three older siblings who were all active and sporty, I was determined to join in. Sport became my escape, my motivation, and eventually my passion. I discovered tennis at a young age, and it quickly became my true love. By the age of ten, I was competing regularly and representing my club and Leicestershire at county level.

But my challenges weren’t over.

As I got older, the damage caused by Perthes began to catch up with me. Between the ages of 18 and 22, I underwent five major operations and spent long periods bed-bound. Yet each time, as soon as I was physically able, I returned to the tennis court.

At 23, I became Head Coach at Syston Northfields Tennis Club—just a year after starting my coaching career. I loved every minute of it, even though I was often coaching through pain. Eventually, I required both hips to be replaced. After my second replacement, I developed sepsis and needed life-saving surgery, spending days in intensive care.

The long-term effects of years of joint issues also led to chronic spinal degeneration and severe jaw arthritis.

Through all of this, sport—and tennis in particular—gave me something powerful: purpose, belief, and a reason to keep rising.

That is why Rise Up Racket Sports exists.