24 potential Wimbledon stars of the future from South Somerset were whittled down from 450 young tennis enthusiasts last week to compete for the 2009 South Somerset Schools Mini Red Tennis champion title. The players, who represented primary schools in Wincanton, Ilchester, Yeovil, Keinton Mandeville, Shepton Beauchamp and Chard, played two hours of singles and doubles at the Mini Red Tennis Final, where Ilchester Primary School pipped Keinton Mandeville to the title by 1 point.
The final was the end of a tennis development programme supported by South Somerset District Council’s Sports Development team, which brought tennis coaching to 38 primary schools over the last 2 months. Those with a high level of commitment, enthusiasm and skill were selected to receive five weeks of further coaching, culminating in the final at Martock Tennis Club.
Jake Hannis, Senior Sports Development Officer for South Somerset District Council said, “It was a fantastic final and all the young people who took part played in such a wonderful spirit. This programme has made a fundamental step towards developing young tennis talent in the district, and will hopefully increase the junior membership of clubs across the area”.
Cllr Sylvia Seal, the district council’s Health and Well Being Portfolio Holder added, “South Somerset District Council aims to open up sporting opportunities for people of all ages and support the development of both players and local clubs. The local Tennis Development Group has come a long way and has encouraged many more people into the sport.”
Graham Norris, the Senior Competition Manager for Somerset, said, "It was great to see so many young people enjoying playing tennis at an appropriate level. This particular project has shown what can be achieved when schools, clubs, coaches, National Governing Bodies and Local Authority Officers all combine their resources and work together. The real success story is that many of the young people have joined local clubs and now have the opportunity to continue to develop their talent."