The first Aegon British Tennis Awards will reward the people and places driving participation in British Tennis. The Awards are a celebration of outstanding achievement and one way in which the LTA can say ‘thank you’. They also provide an opportunity to celebrate and champion the role of the volunteer, creating an opportunity to attract and recruit further volunteers into the sport.
The Awards are progressive – recognising great achievement at county, regional and national level.
The Norfolk awards will be presented at the NLTA AGM on monday 8th February, held at Easton College Conference Centre. LTA Chief Executive Micheal Downey will be hosting an open forum from 6pm, followed by AGM and award presentations from 7.30pm. (Refreshments 7pm, All welcome)
Prizes will be distributed to regional winners and a national awards ceremony will be held in June 2016 in London.
The 2016 Norfolk Award Winners are as follows:
Volunteer of the Year (and winner of the inaugural Jolyon Harris Award)
Keith and Sally Arnold
The Norfolk Award committee recognises the major contribution that Keith and Sally Arnold have made to tennis in the county through their many years of dedication to the Norfolk Winter Tennis Association. This association enables many clubs to take part in mixed gender competition throughout the winter, and their dedicated stewardship has enabled many people to keep competing throughout the Winter months. They have been prepared to make sensible changes to rules to allow more to enter, for example the admission of non LTA registered venues, and to develop access to reasonably priced indoor courts to play some fixtures. The Winter Tennis Association is an enduring success and also underlines the social side by holding an annual lunch at which trophies are presented”
Young Volunteer of the Year
Sam Alcock
Sam has been volunteering since he was 11 (now 14). Refereeing, coaching, mentoring, buddy hitting, open days - Sam helps at almost everything when he has the free time. Within the coached lessons he is an excellent assistant, only has to be told once what we are working on, and his contribution to the lessons is often complimented by parents. Of course he is also more popular than the coaches in charge with the little ones! Sam is a role model to the younger players on our programme and it is down to his enthusiasm to hit with everyone at all levels as well as the support he gives them at local events that makes him so popular. Unless Norwich City are playing at home you will find Sam helping to referee at our mini tennis events. The kids are genuinely excited to see him as they arrive from various clubs, and he often helps to warm players up before the event starts. At any open day/fete we are involved in Sam is first to volunteer. He is a great ambassador for our club and so mature for his age, able to approach and talk to children and adults about tennis and the benefits of getting involved. Just recently Sam assisted at a schools tennis event where 8 players turned up who had never actually played before. Rather than play them in the event, Sam put himself forward to coach the players along side the event (which he did for almost 2 hours solid!). By the end of the event the 8 players had all the basic knowledge they required to play a rally using FH & BH's and knew how to serve - the teaching staff from the schools were writing notes on how he delivered the session!
Young Volunteer Commendation: Ruhi Chitre
Ruhi has been a volunteer Tennis Leaders for 3 years. She has volunteered on Sunday mornings to help out with Junior players all that time, helping and encouraging them to improve. Attendance, puntuallity, dress are all impeccable. Ruhi helped this year with 2 junior tours to tournaments. Firstly with the U8 and U9’s (10 players) to Culford in February half term and then to the EATxSC open at Easter with the U8’s (5 players). During these events she also helped umpire some of the matches as well as supervising the children. For the Culford tournament she lead the players in a warm-up and then kept the U8’s playing on the outside courts at Culford while the U9’s were still playing inside, for 2 hours. Every player was involved and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Ruhi even directed a film of the mini bus journey which the players still talk about. Ruhi also assisted with this year’s Road to Wimbledon tournament acting as a courts supervisor. As well as encouraging and motivating everyone throughout the rain showers. Ruhi is a fantastic role model in her volunteering. She is excellent at following instructions and organising what needs to be done. She has got so good she manages to stay one step ahead of me. Most importantly she makes sure everyone is involved and no one is left out, or allowed to fall behind. She has a sharp eye for those that may need a little more time or encouragement. She is always first to volunteer to help and put herself forward to learn from every opportunity. Ruhi is involved in all the aspects of tennis, as a regular player, volunteer, fitness participant, and encompasses all that is great in tennis.
Club of the Year
Gt Massingham Tennis and Multi Sports Club
Five years ago the club had 35 members and little happening. Based in a rural village of 900 souls and 12 miles from the nearest towns, the club now has 190 members from 4 to 82 years and from all walks of life, a participation rate we understand is about 20 times the national average. How has this happened? We are safe, welcoming, inclusive and we have activities for everyone There's something on every day: three clubs sessions, Ladies Morning, Improvers group, two squad practice sessions, licensed coach-led Saturday morning junior club for yellow, orange and red, coaching for improvers and stronger players and individuals. Four teams in local leagues. Junior matches with local clubs . Wednesday school club. Tennis camps in Spring and Summer. Improvers matches with other clubs. Various open and fun tournaments. Exchanges with Sainte Genies de Fontedit, France and have played in Poznan. The Club has a very strong social life with pizza parties, BBQs, dinners every year and tea/coffee/ cake at every club session. We've just held a Murder Mystery evening in the Village Hall and raised £1006. The Youth Club use our courts in the winter. Five years ago we had to pick up broken bottles before play. Now the courts are unlocked and we leave balls and rackets out for youngsters to play with. We have just achieved Tennismark and expect Tennismark+ in the Spring. The Club is financially sound. We have plans to greatly improve our facilities. We have held two very successful Great British Tennis Weekends, one of which was used by Norfolk LTA as a model at local club forums. The Club has a constitution based on an LTA model and has all the policies that it should have. Seewww.clubspark.lta.org/greatmassinghamtennis.
Outstanding Achievement
Arthur Allen
Great Massingham Tennis and Multi-sports Club is based in a village of 900 people in rural Norfolk, some 12 miles from the nearest town. Five years ago the club had 35 members and little happening. We had to clear away broken bottles before we could play. There was no coaching, no links with other clubs or the local schools, no matches, no contact with the LTA, no social programme and only one committee member that actually played. Our achievement is creating a wonderful club and getting many people playing tennis. We now have 190 members with a population participation rate some 20 times the national average. The courts are unlocked; there are boxes of balls and rackets hanging on the fence for the youngsters. The Youth Club use the courts every week and the Club helps villages lads with five-a-side football. There's no vandalism. The Club is well integrated into the local community. We are safe, welcoming, inclusive. Three weekly clubs sessions, Ladies Morning, Improvers group, two squad practice sessions, licensed coach-led Saturday morning junior club for yellow, orange and red, coaching for improvers and stronger players and individuals. Four teams in local leagues. Junior matches with local clubs. Wednesday school club. Tennis camps in Spring and Summer. Improvers matches with other clubs. Various open and fun tournaments. Exchanges with Sainte Genies de Fontedit, France and have played in Poznan. We have Tennismark. GBTennis Weekends. The Club has a very strong social life with pizza parties, BBQs, dinners every year and tea/coffee/ cake at every club session. We've just held a Murder Mystery evening in the Village Hall and raised £1006. Seewww.clubspark.lta.org/greatmassinghamtennis. The driving force for all this change is Arthur Allen.
Coach of the Year
Chris Stocker
Chris has enthused, energised and developed pupils throughout our school and has put tennis on the map in a very deprived community. He has been very successful in spotting and developing talent creating a very effective pathway to success resulting in 10 players representing the county at various age groups as well as a 4 players being considered at regional level.
Chris has worked with us over the past 10 years,he has been developing the Tennis we offer at both grass roots level to working with gifted and talented groups within the school. His enthusiasm for developing tennis players at any standard is amazing and a real strength of Chris's. It is also fantastic to see the development of former pupils into coaches who also come to assist or take groups at the school. Chris has an all round approach to the development of the children he works with and it a pleasure to nominate him for the award.
In addition to his school work, Chris supports two clubs and has enhanced the quality of coaching at both, resulting in increased membership.
Disability Programme
Donna Andrews
Tennis coach, Donna Andrews has coached players with disabilities for several years, including GB wheelchair player, Alfie Hewitt to international standard. However, I am nominating Donna for her disability coaching at grassroots level. Since I became Disability coordinator for Norfolk Tennis, Donna has been the most cooperative, enthusiastic and passionate of all the coaches I have worked with. Despite her considerable experience coaching Alfie to GB level, Donna is always interested in learning about new avenues of disability tennis, whether starting up the Vi sessions with the NNAB, or the foundation learners at City College. She constantly asks about new training opportunities, so she can expand her knowledge and loves learning from other specialist coaches. Not just for her CPD, but to be able to offer more coaching opportunities to youngsters in particular. Despite her incredibly busy coaching programme, she will always try to help at any disability activity organised by Active Norfolk, like the Youth Games, Adult disability games etc. She really has a passion for disability tennis at grassroots level, and I am privileged to be able to work with her.
Education Venue
College of West Anglia
Tennis has grown rapidly since being a part of the LTA and Tennis Foundation’s key colleges on a number of fronts: Participation: Four years ago we were not in the position to provide tennis sessions either through enrichment or curriculum sessions. With their support we have now been able to turn this around and offer opportunities for our students and staff to play tennis. Over 1100 students have participated in a range of tennis activities including Timed Tennis, Tennis Xpress, Touch Tennis, Cardio Tennis, Just Play, tournaments or traditional tennis. Volunteering: Student Tennis Ambassadors have been appointed each year to promote tennis to the wider student body and deliver lunch-time clubs, sessions for local schools and support local events. Curriculum: LTA resources have been used as part of BTEC Sport programmes, Cardio Tennis has been delivered to fitness instructor students while coaching and activity leadership students have undertaken tennis leader training and worked with local schools on tennis specific delivery. 20 staff have undertaken Tennis Leader training from range of curriculum areas developing new skills they can use with students. Employability: Students have been given the opportunity to under Tennis Leaders Awards, Level 1 Coaching Awards and Cardio Tennis Instructing. Former student Ashley Keegan had no tennis experience before undertaking his level 1 coaching. He is now completing his level 3 and teaches the Tennis Leaders award on behalf of the LTA and works in a school delivering tennis. Sam Robinson has this year completed his coaching programme at college and with no tennis experience undertook the Tennis Leaders Award and Level 1 Coaching and has now been taken on as an Apprentice by the LTA. Overall, working with the LTA and Tennis Foundation has been extremely beneficial for students and staff at our college and we hope to continue developing the provision and our partnership.