BLTC Newsletter: Summer 2003
Contents
Forthcoming Events
Club Tournament
The next tournament will run from the end of November through to the finals on 28th and 29th March. There will be the usual five events with a progressive draw so that players of a similar standard will be matched initially. All members (including juniors and social players) are encouraged to enter. Forms need to be returned by 30th September.
American Tournament and Barbecue
On Saturday August 23rd we are organising an American tournament and barbecue. This will start at 4pm and will cost £2 per head, including food. If you wish to play, please add your name to the list in the pavilion.
Race Night
Full details are still to be finalised, but it will take place on Saturday 4th
October in Bredon Bushley Village Hall. Previous race nights have been very entertaining
evenings, so don't miss out on the fun. To book tickets or for more information,
contact Jackie.
Chairman's Report
After writing team reports for this newsletter for many years it seems strange preparing the chairman's report for the first time.
First, I would like to thank Jim Mckay for the work that he did in his role as chairman for the last five years. Although retired for most of that period, he seemed to be busier than ever, and we all appreciated the time that he committed to the club. Also, a little belatedly as the league season is nearing its end, I wish the new men's team captains, Lee Sharpe, Tim Troughton, and Ron Loxley the best of luck in organising their teams.
Over the last few years Bredon Tennis Club has built itself a good reputation amongst local tennis clubs. We now have some of the best facilities in the area. In 2002, we had the third largest membership in the Gloucestershire league, which included 150 juniors. We have a good coaching structure with junior coaching continuing throughout the year. Finally we have far more scope for social tennis than practically any other club in the area.
When telling potential new members about Bredon Tennis Club, one of our strong points is the fact that social tennis (where people can just turn up and play without having to organise a group) is available on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. It is therefore worrying to see the attendance figures dropping, particularly on the weekday evenings. Once the attendance drops below eight people then those remaining will soon lose interest if they are not getting guaranteed doubles tennis. So if you fancy a game of tennis on a Monday or Thursday night, grab your racket and get down to the club where you will be made very welcome.
You may have noticed how courts 1 and 2 are deteriorating. This will be rectified at the end of August when the courts will be resurfaced. Unfortunately this means that they will be unavailable during September. The loss of two courts for a month is unfortunate but essential if we want to keep the facilities at Bredon in first class condition. Once the work is complete we will be offering free floodlights during club nights throughout October.
Junior Tournament Report
A successful junior singles tournament for club members took place on Saturday 5th July. Fifteen boys enjoyed round robin matches in two age groups. Next time we hope that some of the girls will enter! The eventual winners were:
- U12: Jamie Annand (runner-up David Higdon)
- U14: Kevin Wilkins (runner-up Jonathan Lamley)
Team News
Adult Teams - Latest Results
| Team | Played | W | D | L | U | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's A | 9 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 13 |
| Men's B | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 21 |
| Men's C | 11 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 21 |
| Ladies' A | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 34 |
| Ladies' B | 12 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 1 | 12 |
| Ladies' C | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 18 |
Junior Teams
Bredon entered two boys' teams in this summer's Gloucestershire Junior League, 13 & Under (Division 3) and 15 & Under (Division 2A); the team members were:
- 13&U: James Barker, Tom Kelly, Thomas Wade, Adam Dziamarski.
- 15&U: Alex Barker, Kristian McQuillan, Tristan Buckley, Dan Cotterell, Ben Ellis.
Both teams did fantastically well again this year, each winning all their matches bar one, with several being played in the sweltering heat. All the team members were a credit to themselves and the club - thank you and well done, boys! Many thanks too to parents for their support and help with transport.
Coaching Information
Au Revoir...
...to Neil Dawson, who will be taking a place at Birmingham University in September for a PGCE. We are very sorry indeed to lose Neil, but wish him well in his future career in teaching. Neil hopes to help with coaching during the holidays and to play team tennis for Bredon next summer. Neil has expanded the coaching programme over the last sixteen months and more children than ever before are taking advantage of lessons. His work in schools in Tewkesbury has resulted in several new junior members. We are indebted for all his hard work. We are fortunate that Jamie Davies is willing to take over the coaching and are confident that he will continue to develop even further, the excellent programme Neil initiated. We also welcome the on-court help of Kristian McQuillan.
Junior Squads
We have had eight squads taking place during the week for all ages and abilities. We have one Mini Red (4-7yrs) group which is growing all the time and is due for expansion, four Mini Orange (6-9yrs) groups, two performance squads, and one advanced squad. We are also looking to redevelop the Mini Green (8yrs+) group, with some of the promising Mini Orange players being promoted. Players from both the Mini Red and Mini Orange squads have taken part in county run tournaments.
Coaching in Schools
Coaching sessions in Bredon Hancock's and Overbury Schools have been very successful again and there are plans to link with another school next year.
Ongoing Coaching Programme
Coaching will resume after the summer during the week beginning 8th September. For more information or to book a place, contact Jamie. There may also be some places on the summer holiday coaching sessions. Contact Jamie for 18th 19th and 28th August and Neil for 21st, 22nd and 29th August.