Tealby tennis leader, Jonathan Purkiss is the first in Lincolnshire to achieve the 200 hour milestone.
Jonathan, pictured receiving a certificate to mark his outstanding achievement, is one of more than thirty teenagers that have been trained by Joy Purkiss on the Tennis leaders programme over the last 3 years.
The programme involves 10 separate hours of tuition and an additional 10 hours on court assistance. The culmination of the programme is that the Leaders organise and run the whole of our Primary Schools Mini Tennis Festival involving over 60 young children.
Those that attended the 2007/8 courses have now completed just short of 1000 volunteer hours on court assisting with the junior programme.
Out of the 19 from the Club 13 have at least gained their 25 hour certificates and some, like Jonathan, have clocked up many more hours than that.
The Club does not pay them, but in addition to the LTA certificates, the Club awards a Club "Green Jacket" at 100 hours(exclusive to the coaching team) and a sports voucher at 200 hours. The club also looks to support them to take the Level 1 Coaching Assistant Course (7 are taking Level 1 this year and 1 Level 2)
This small 3 court club relies heavily on input from the Tennis Leaders as there is only one DCA coach. Joy Purkiss, with a team of 10 leaders, will take about 30 beginner mini red players on 1 1/2 courts for an hour on Saturday morning!
John Purkiss said ‘We have found the course gives the Leaders a sense of team work and loyalty to the Club as several recently helped at our Club maintenance day and are always on hand to help at extra sessions and officiate at tournaments. It has also no doubt maintained their interest in tennis as we have a strong teenage section for a small rural Club.’