Coaching

I hope you all enjoyed the half term holiday, which is a welcome break from what is a very busy school term.

Just a reminder that coaching restarts on Wednesday, 4 November 2009, with the Red and Orange Groups going indoors at Treorci Boys Club.

There’s no choice for the Green, Teen and Adult sessions but to brave the elements and attend the sessions at the Club Courts in Ystradfechan Park. If only we had indoor courts – but I’m repeating myself.

Following this year’s Club Tournament, we have a new Men’s Singles Champion in Kieron Lewis, who at 16 years of age is the youngest singles champion in the Club’s history! He follows in the footsteps of his sister, Sarah, who won the Ladies Singles Championship two years ago. Both of them had taken advantage of the Club Coaching programme over the years. Sarah has played for our Ladies 1^st team and is now in university, whilst Kieron who is also in college is playing for our Men’s 1^st team. I wonder if or when their tournament records will be broken! Who’s up for the challenge?

I know there are other sports which are beckoning at this time of year and that some of you are working towards exams. However, please try to support the Club’s coaching programme and if possible, bring a friend. There’s a welcome for all.

I have to let you know that since next week, Monday 25th May – Friday 29^th May, is the Summer Half Term holiday for local schools, there won’t be any tennis coaching next Wednesday evening. This is usual during holiday periods since a number go away on trips or holidays.

However, there will in its place be a TENNIS CAMP for different age groups on Thursday and Friday, 28^th and 29^th May. There will be a session for the RED and ORANGE Groups (5 – 9 year olds) from 10.00 a.m. – 12.00 mid-day. After a break for lunch, there will be session for the GREEN and TEEN Groups from 1.00 p.m. until 3.00 p.m. The Fee for taking part is £5.00 per 2 hour session for Members and £6.00 for Non-members. All that’s required is that you have suitable footwear. Tennis rackets etc. will be supplied by the Tennis Club for those who are without.

Tennis Camp is lots of fun, so why not come along and share the enjoyment. It would be a great help to have an idea of how many will be coming along, so if you are tempted, please let me know by e- mail. If you have any friends who would like to come along as well, they will be welcome. If you would like more information from Sena, you can contact him on: 07855495025

Coach: Sena Tengey, the Diamond Tennis Academy, who holds the LTA CCA Coaching Award.

Since I won’t have an opportunity next week, I would like to draw attention once again to the fact that Tennis Coaching has restarted as from 6^th May 2009, sessions now being held at the Club courts at Ystradfechan Park with our new coach Sena.

Our first evening was rather disappointing because of the lack of support for all the age groups, apart from the very youngest, which had the best attendance. This was due to a number of reasons including my apparent failure to make it clear that sessions at the Boys’ Club had finished and would be at the Club courts during the summer. I apologise for not having made that clear to everyone and crave your forgiveness for any disappointment caused! (I am grovelling!!)

It was a squally evening with a light drizzle, which may have deterred some. Perhaps we should establish from the outset that coaching will go ahead in such conditions. Please don’t be put off by thinking of hanging around in the open air, for parents, if they wish, can retire to the Club house for the duration. We were also competing against Chelsea v Barcelona and Blues v Dragons on tv which may have been a temptation for some. However, the children are not subjected to Drogba outbursts nor manager tantrums etc. at our Club coaching sessions! Then again, other children were revising for tests / exams or else recovering from representing their school in other sporting activities. I simply hope that there will be an increase in numbers as from next week, so that our coach, Sena, may be able to get to know everyone and to arrange the children into appropriate groups, according to the standard they have achieved. Some have already earned “promotion”. I shan’t be there myself, but will have my spies out (!) and look forward to hearing some good news about better attendance which will bode well for a full, exciting, busy summer programme at the Club. We have also frozen our fees in order to keep the sessions within everyone’s reach; but the programme has to be viable. I simply hope that as the evenings get brighter and warmer that the “swallows” will return!!

There are some for whom I don’t have a contact e-mail address or ‘phone number, so please advertise the coaching and if you can bring someone new along, all the better.

With thanks for your continuing support.

Sincerely,

Huw Williams
(Club Chairman)