Players aged 9 and 10 from Cornwall and Devon who are at the top of their game were invited to take part in this year’s visit to the West Hants High Performance Centre in Bournemouth to enjoy 3 days of high intensity tennis. The trip gives the youngsters a taste of ‘being on tour’ by travelling away from home with coaches and teammates.
Lucie Ahl, former GB number 1 and TEAM Flybe coach said,” We had a fantastic trip to West Hants, all the players worked very hard and represented Flybe really well on and off court.
The camp was filled with lots of tennis, drilling, tactical work and match play. All the players loved the opportunity of playing on clay, learning how to move and slide. They also benefited from some strength and conditioning sessions in the gym. On the social side, a night out bowling was enjoyed by both TEAM Flybe and West Hants players!”
Lucie went on to say, “The players are so grateful to have the support of Flybe to give them the opportunity to go away as a team, and to practice and play against high level players. It's such a vital part of their development.”
One parent commented, “as a parent, I'll note how significant the trip was: a real demonstration of confidence in the children, allowing them to develop their tennis within an infrastructure which balances the 'independence' required by the sport with the great need for socialisation and comradery, especially amongst young players.”
The youngest member of The TEAM Flybe group that travelled, 9 year old Parker said, “Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to be part of TEAM Flybe and to go to West Hants. I learnt lots including: how to slide on clay properly, how to use my strength more, how to use the space on the court better (by doing angle and deep ball shots). I really enjoyed staying in the hotel and the coaching that I received, as well as being with my friends.”
This annual trip which culminates in a competition between the two teams was won this year by West Hants in a close run tie.
Our thanks to Debbie Hale, former LTA Performance Co-ordinator for Devon and Cornwall who, in her new role at West Hants, was instrumental in helping to arrange this trip. Debbie was delighted to see so many of the players she used to work with and enjoyed being on court with them again and seeing their continued development.
Note:
Flybe has been a sponsor of the Devon and Cornwall 10 & Under Competition circuit for several years. They have contributed many great prizes and opportunities for players of all abilities within the counties. With the Mini Masters well established, the logical next step was to offer our strongest, most committed players a further opportunity to develop as tennis players. This resulted in the creation of TEAM Flybe.
The TEAM Flybe programme gives players in Devon and Cornwall the opportunity to travel to High Performance Centres and Tournaments offering group coaching and tournament preparation. Players will be selected each season to travel and stay away at a High Performance Centre or Training Venue with Lucie Ahl and Adrian Williams. Trips away are independent of parents with a view to giving these aspiring players a taste of ‘being on tour’.