Students from Gosforth East Middle School and RGS Newcastle recently travelled to London to represent Newcastle United Foundation in a national Tennis Tournment.
Isaac Douch, Katie Barker, Sonny Overton (Gosforth East Middle School) and Hannah Lee (RGS Newcastle) had all participated in weekly Premier League 4 Sport (PL4S) KickServe sessions since September 2016.
The students, who were selected to attend the event due to their dedication and ability, made it to the Semi Finals of the tournament, which was held at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, but were beaten by Blackburn Rovers in a tight match.
A total of 15 clubs took part in the day from the Premier League and Football League with the Foundation beating teams from Wigan Athletic, Middlesbrough, Swansea City and Derby County en route to the Semi Final.
After the tournament the group was given the chance to visit Wimbledon where they got to watch some fantastic tennis, as well as taking the opportunity to sit on Murray Mound to watch Johanna Konta face Venus Williams in the Ladies Semi Final.
Katie Barker, from Gosforth East Middle School, said: “I really enjoyed the trip to London. I enjoyed playing tennis against other football clubs at a very nice facility. I was also very proud to represent Newcastle United. It was a great experience watching tennis at Wimbledon and something I thought I would never get the chance to do.”
Mrs Hadfield, Learning Support Assistant at GEMS who travelled to London with the team, added: “The trip has been an amazing experience for the children, giving them the opportunity to play tennis against a number of football clubs from around the country. The trip to Wimbledon was an experience of a lifetime for all of us and without PL4S and Newcastle United Foundation this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Emma Overton, mother of Sonny, commented: “Our son came back from his trip to Wimbledon full of excitement and pride. What an amazing opportunity he was given and one which we are sure he will remember for the rest of his life, this trip has inspired him to become a professional tennis player.”