A couple of weeks ago, Loughborough played host to part of the National Talent ID Scheme aimed at finding Paralympic Tennis players for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
The search, run by the Tennis Foundation, the governing body for Disability Tennis in the UK, hopes not only to unearth previously unseen talent but to also raise the overall participation levels in the sport.
The day in Loughborough, run by local coaching group Inside Out Tennis, attracted 14 players from as far afield as Milton Keynes, Northampton, Warwickshire, Nottingham, Alfreton, Grantham and a number of players in attendance were from the Loughborough and Leicester areas as well. It was the largest attended ID day in the Britain and there were a number who showed real potential, with plenty who are now looking to increase the amount of tennis they play with an eye on qualifying for Tokyo.
Four time Paralympic Wheelchair Tennis Coach Martyn Whait, who led the Talent ID day, said "It was a fantastic turn out and a great day of tennis. We'd love to see some of the players reach a level where they could represent Paralympics GB at Tokyo 2020. We're looking forward to helping the newer players enjoy and develop in our sport and would." Alongside Martyn, running the day were two other Inside Out Tennis team members, Dawn Upton and Sam Haghighat, 2 time Paralympian Alex Jewitt and current World Number 8 Quad Division player Antony Cotterill.
A number of new players from the day are already signing up for wheelchair tennis coaching in group sessions run by Martyn in Loughborough, which is fast becoming a centre of excellence for wheelchair tennis. With a World Top 10 Quad Player, British Number 7 Quad Player and the British Number 9 Men's Open Division player currently training there, and 3 Paralympians, Alex Jewitt, Dave Phillipson and Jayant Mistry having also previously trained with Martyn, there is real hope that the growing base of players in Loughborough can yield even more success in the future and continue to attract new players into the sport.
Martyn currently runs wheelchair tennis sessions for players of all abilities, from social players to aspiring Paralympians, on a Tuesday from 4-5.30pm and 5.30-7pm at Loughborough University's Dan Maskell Tennis Centre. New players are always welcome to come and see what it's all about!
For more information, please contact Martyn on 07772 396181 or email martyn@insideouttennis.com