by norfolktennis | Jan 27, 2021 | News
Following on from the positive feedback from last month’s Coaches Coffee Morning we wanted to invite all coaches to another catch up on Friday 12th February (10am-11.30am), to book please use this link – CLICK HERE.
The agenda for this catch up is as follows:
- Intro & Welcome
- Norfolk Tennis Update
- Competition Update (inc County Closed)
- She Rallies Update
- LTA Regional Update
- Competition Support (inc World Tennis Number
- LTA Youth Schools Support (COVID Changes)
- Open Floor Discussion
- Wrap Up / Actions
We look forward to hopefully seeing you on the Zoom next week, if you have any items that you would like to add to the agenda then feel free to get in touch with me
Many Thanks
Reminder – see last meeting notes below and slides attached to recap
Josh Dashwood
Workforce Development Partner – Central & East Region
Norfolk Tennis Coach Networking Presentation
by norfolktennis | Jan 27, 2021 | News, Tennis in Schools
Dear Norfolk Clubs/Coaches,
It gives me great pleasure to write to you as the She Rallies ambassador for Norfolk.
One of my roles is to increase, improve and empower the female coaching workforce within the county.
Together with NLTA, we have put together a really great opportunity for all girls 14 years old and above to give them the ability and confidence to get involved in the coaching programmes that you offer at your venue. You may already have girls that are helping, and some who need a gentle nudge, to get involved. This programme is for all of them, no matter what their tennis ability.
We would like every club and coach to put forward a minimum of 2 girls (there is no upper limit, so look for as many as you can) from your programme who you feel could benefit from improving their skills like communication, organisation, confidence, etc. Every girl will gain a huge amount of skill from this programme. I say 2 girls as they will feel happier joining with a friend, rather than on their own.
This Personal Development Pathway (PDP) will start with a supervised experience zoom on Thursday 18th February. There will be a couple of time slots available 2-3pm or 5-6pm. At the zoom we will outline the PDP and get to know the girls so that we can challenge them at the correct level. They can join alone or with a parent.
After the zoom they will all be invited to an hour training on zoom, unless face to face is possible, late February/March. This will introduce them to some core skills they could try at their club or with their coach once tennis gets back on court.
From here those who are 15 years old will all be invited to join an Introduction to Level 1 coaching course, lasting 4 hours. This will be done on court. So we have to wait to set the date, but hope it will be late spring/summer sometime. Depending on numbers we may run 2 courses. Those who are not old enough will do a course next year, but will continue to be mentored via myself and their coach/club.
Any girls from this introduction to level 1 course who are 16 years old can then go onto the Level 1 course, again no set date but potentially end of summer/autumn this year.
We hope all the girls will feel inspired to do this course. Those not old enough will continue to be mentored via myself and coach/club until next year and they can do the course.
The cost for all this up to the full level 1 course is free. For the full level 1, there is a bursary if the girls have come through the above PDP and are then willing to continue their development helping out with county coaching and other county events.
Please can you let me know your nominated girls details (names, date of birth, and parents contact details, mobile number and email address) once you have confirmed with them, by 12th February. We must have the information by 12th please.
Please feel free to call me 07714474153 or email me donna@tennisforlife.co.uk if you require more information or have any questions, no matter how small. Also please pass on my details to any parents who may also have questions.
Thank you. I look forward to working with you to inspire the future.
Donna Andrews
She Rallies Ambassador
by norfolktennis | Jan 6, 2021 | Inclusive Tennis, News
Ben Bartram celebrates a new career landmark this week after the 15-year-old from Sprowston in Norfolk became the third player currently on the LTA’s World Class Wheelchair Tennis Performance Pathway, to attain the world No.1 spot in the junior boys’ ranking.
Bartram’s achievement comes as no surprise as he moved to No.2 in the ranking published by the International Tennis Federation in early December after reaching back-to-back junior singles finals in Turkey. However, with Dutch 18-year-old Niels Vink now too old for junior competition, as of 1
January, Bartram was still overwhelmed by seeing his name at the top of this week’s updated rankings.
One of four players on the LTA’s Wheelchair National Age Group Programme to have attained or equalled career highs inside the top 10 of the new junior rankings, he said: “Words cannot describe how happy I am right now. To have number one next to my name in the rankings is huge and to be able to go to future junior tournaments as number one seed is something I’m very proud of. Looking back five years ago when I first started playing I would not, in a million years, have thought I’d be where I am now. I’d like to say thank you to my coaches and everyone else who does an amazing job at the LTA.”
Bartram follows Rio 2016 gold and silver medallists Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett in attaining the top spot in the junior boys’ ranking, Reid having become the world No.1 ranked junior 12 years ago this week, with Hewett achieving the same at the start of 2013. 2 / 05/01/2021
After returning from Turkey in late November having won one of his two junior singles finals, as well as having produced some fine performances in senior competition, Bartram competed alongside and against the likes of Reid and Hewett at last month’s LTA Wheelchair Team Battle at the National Tennis Centre, winning four of the five singles and doubles matches he contested just before Christmas.
Among his victories at the NTC he beat two-time Paralympic bronze medallist Lucy Shuker 6-4, 6-2 in singles competition. While he lost to out to French Open and US Open champion Hewett 6-0, 6-2, he completed the event in fine style, partnering Reid to a 6-1, 6-3 doubles victory over Hewett
and world No.3 ranked junior Dahnon Ward in the last of 24 matches held over three days.Reflecting on the Wheelchair Team Battle, Bartram said:
“I think I played very well against Lucy and was very smart with my tennis, I knew when to play the right shots and it shows that all the hard work is paying off. I would say that’s one of my best wins because of how difficult it was and how I kept my head throughout the match and not let Lucy’s
style of play get to me. “When I was younger I looked up to Alfie a lot and still do, especially as we both come from Norfolk. It was great to play against one of my idols. The quality of his shots is just so more consistent, he moves the ball very well and gets me out of position very fast. in the second set I
was playing my own game more, being more aggressive and that ended up getting me two games,which I’m very happy about.”
With Hewett and Reid’s respective achievements as juniors including multiple victories in the annual Junior Masters in Tarbes, France and leading Great Britain teams to two Junior World Team Cup titles, Bartram hopes to continue to follow a similar trajectory. While both major events have been moved to September and October, respectively, for 2021, last year’s Junior Masters
semi-finalist Bartram, added: “I’m looking forward to hopefully just being able to play more tournaments this year and getting back out on court when we can. In terms of the Junior Masters, I definitely want to get to the finals
this year and, of course, I would love to win it, but there are a lot of good players out there. And an upgrade on the World Team Cup silver medal we won in 2019 would be great after last year’s event was cancelled.”
by norfolktennis | Dec 18, 2020 | Inclusive Tennis, News
Catch up with what happened in the Wheelchair Team Battle of the Brits at the NTC this week:
https://www.lta.org.uk/major-tennis-events/british-major-events/wheelchair-team-battle/news/inaugural-wheelchair-team-battle-ends-in-dramatic-12-12-draw/
Norfolk’s finest Alfie Hewett, Ruby Bishop and Ben Bartram supported by coaches Donna Andrews, Richard Bloomers and Ben Collingwood.
