Newquay's Heron Tennis Centre and Cornwall College, based in St. Austell, have teamed up in a bid to get more college age students (typically 16 yrs - 19yrs) playing and loving our sport of tennis!
Heron is offering "taster" sessions for groups of students, many of whom have never tried tennis before or received any professional coaching. In line with the LTA's efforts to use Cardio Tennis and Mini Tennis as means to better engage beginner players in "playing the game from the word go", Heron is using the high tempo, fitness based Cardio practices, plus Mini Tennis drills, matches and fun games in its sessions. In both the Cardio and Mini Tennis exercises, smaller rackets, shortened courts and softer balls (e.g. sponge and mini orange balls) are used. The main idea being that by using Cardio and Mini Tennis for beginner level students and adults, they will be able to achieve success in hitting, rallying, and learning the sport from the start, enjoy the game, plus improve their fitness levels. In years gone by, beginners would have used full size rackets, played on full size courts and asked to play a game that regular competing players admit takes years to learn to be able to have fun playing.
Students from Cornwall College, which has seven campuses dotted around Cornwall, will be accessing sessions as part of their college NVQ, diploma and degree courses, many of which have components that focus on coaching and teaching PE, plus team players will have the opportunity to receive a high level of coaching expertise with the aim of improving their successes in college competitions.
For more information about tennis sesssions at the Heron Tennis Centre or if you are a Cornwall College student who is keen to get get involved, please contact Heron's Steven Askey (01637 877555).