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SPORT / TENNIS
BRIDGE TENNIS CLUB An easily accessible club with fl oodlights and clubhouse. It also invites the public to a Great British Tennis Weekend event on 18th June from 10am to 3pm. A warm welcome awaits and courts will be available for adults, children and families to ‘have a go’ at mini tennis, cardio and much more. All equipment is provided. “You just need a pair
WEST BEACH, WHITSTABLE On Saturday mornings it has a mini tennis programme for juniors catering for U4s to age 11-plus. Adult beginner and improver classes run alongside at £5 per session, with an early keep fi t cardio session on Wednesday mornings at 9.30am. Private coaching is available and holiday tennis camps too. • Email
westbeachtennisclub@hotmail.com
RURAL TENNIS AT BARHAM There’s no clubhouse at Barham, but the courts are modern and the views are splendid. There’s even a park for the kids. Club contact Simon Cavalier explains that whilst regular courses are run for children, the ethos of the club is to be friendly and get people playing – which is why they keep fees as low as they can. Fees £60 for a family, £35 single, £45 double, £15 under 18. • Visit
www.socialtennis.com (choose Barham).
of trainers,” says dedicated Head Coach Stewart Bristow, who is also running free courses for the Davis Cup Legacy initiative and is keen to motivate a new generation. “Even if you’ve never held a racket in your life, come down and have some fun.” • Visit
www.bridgetennisclub.co.uk
APPETI TENNIS With few ‘pay to play’ facilities in the area, Appeti offers both indoor and outdoor courts for hire, enabling access for more people to join in. This mirrors the aim of founder Eb Appeti to get young people involved and to develop as players. In 2013 the club opened its Tennis School in partnership with The Canterbury Academy, with which it shares a site. From next term, seven player/pupils will mix their education with a programme of tennis as they look forward to a career linked to the game. Presently two players are in the top three for their age in Kent, with one in the top 50 nationally. • Visit
www.appeti.com
generation: the benefi ts of starting young
Duncan Prior is Senior Coach at Polo Farm. He believes that coaching is more than just learning tennis. It is also about social and life skills and the satisfaction of developing as a player, which impacts on other areas.
But can you start too young? “The club takes tots from 3 plus,” says Duncan, “and the earlier you start the better your coordination. The brain at a young age is able to take on many new skills and there’s a theory that the neural pathways are set by age nine. Even with ability it is said to take 10,000 hours of quality training to become a high level player. Tennis is a highly complex game, one of the few sports involving many aspects of fi tness and skill. You have to be very engaged.” Simon Cavalier of Barham Tennis Club believes that kids benefi t from having rules to learn and follow, and that playing builds a transferable discipline: “It’s really important for hand/eye coordination and the fact that it’s great fun and excellent exercise is as important as the ability to play.”
Inspiring a
The Canterbury INDEX
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