Charlotte Gibbons - AEGON Coach of the Month
Charlotte Gibbons from Letchworth Tennis Club and Batchwood Tennis Centre has won AEGON Coach of the Month Award for July 2012.
After a four year stint at an American University, Charlotte has been working at Letchworth Sports and Tennis Club and Batchwood Tennis Centre for the last 12 months, in which time she has worked through the Level 2 and Level 3 Coaching Qualification.
Charlotte teaches on tennis programmes as well as taking individual lessons, focusing primarily on mini tennis players. She has actively been involved in membership and listened to the requirements of each tennis venue; which included setting up a ladies tournament where she managed to successfully recruit 32 ladies playing in a timed tennis format, with prizes and lunch included.
Charlotte volunteers her time to social events and is a member of the social committee. She also produces a monthly newsletter that has been a major communication boost to the membership. On top of all this, Charlotte was also actively involved in National Mini Tennis Week, bringing a group of young players to The Queen's Club to be part of the AEGON Championship event.
Charlotte said: "Winning the award is not just a positive for myself, but a positive to all female coaches out there. It is great to see more female coaches in the field as they are strong role models for the up and coming players. On a personal note I am extremely pleased to receive this award and proves that hardwork does get noticed which is a tribute to myself, my players and my club.
"Over the past year Letchworth Sports and Tennis Club has gone from strength to strength. Its membership base has increased not only in the Minis but also in the adults. Our priority at the club is not just to produce players but to offer our members as many benefits as possible. To aid this I have been initiating social events, tournaments and leagues, as well as opening communication channels between the club and its members. I have also been helping with the new Visually Impaired group now running at the club. I believe it is important that hard work doesn't always happen on court; it's what happens behind the scenes which develops players, clubs and a strong work ethic. In addition to my work at Letchworth I have been working at Batchwood High Performance Centre, helping to develop players who are in the performance setup and those just staring their performance journey.
"The thing I enjoy most about coaching is seeing how I can improve a player. Whether they are a mini or an adult; seeing even a small improvement is the most rewarding thing. I also enjoy being a part of the performance setup and watching those players work hard but also enjoy every minute they are on court."