Ash Smith, the Tennis Foundation's Disability Performance Development Coach, has been named Coach of the Year in the Get Berkshire Active Participation and Inspirations Awards.
The Awards recognise the contribution local people have made to inspiring others to take up physical activity, as well as individual and team excellence in sport.
Smith has been working with many of Britain's up and coming young wheelchair tennis players since 2011 and enjoyed great success in 2013 after guiding Alfie Hewett to his second successive boys' singles and doubles titles at the Cruyff Foundation Junior Masters in Tarbes, France.
He was then Captain of the GB Junior Team that won the junior event at last May's BNP Paribas World Team Cup, the Davis and Fed Cups of wheelchair tennis. Hewett, Lauren Jones and Luz Esperanza Merry were all among the GB team that beat Spain in a deciding doubles rubber in the final in Antalya, Turkey, while Hewett and Jones started 2013 by becoming the world No. 1 ranked junior players. In her first year as a wheelchair tennis player Merry also ended 2013 in the top 10 of the junior rankings.
"I'm very honoured to have been named Berkshire Coach of the year and it was a lovely surprise on the night," said Smith, who has been a tennis coach for the last 18 years and is currently on the UK Sport Elite Coaching Apprenticeship Programme.
"It's great recognition for disability tennis and after a very successful few years I look forward continuing to work with the players on the Tennis Foundation's Wheelchair Tennis Performance Programme and aiding in the search for new players to help them reach their full potential. Tennis is a great, fun sport, whatever level you play at."
Image by Rob Pugh, Get Berkshire Active.
L-R Ash Smith, Amanda Foister, Councillor Jennis McCracken
Share