"Millennium Scroll" Administration Award 2018
The Wildmoor Tennis League for the South Warks Area presented a top Administration Award.
The trophy, the “Millennium Scroll” will be presented to the best individual Administrator of 2018 in the League. The League Secretary Corin Bishop’s personal choice was Neil Supperstone of Henley-in-Arden Tennis Club, to whom he awards this shield.
Neil has been the club Coach for Henley-in-Arden for 10 years and after a few years as Assistant Coach he took over the Head Coach role. Prior to coaching, he was a Tennis Development Officer for Birmingham City Council as well as working and coaching in Australia during his Gap Year. After 10 years at Henley Neil set up “Coolsportz” which is a tennis and sports coaching business across South Warwickshire. He and his team develop and manage tennis coaching programmes, run Holiday Clubs and Birthday parties. They also have “miniskillsz”, which is the pre-school arm of his company’s programme specialising in pre-school physical activity programmes within nurseries and community centres.
As a coach at Henley, he feels fortunate to play for the men’s A Team and was the A Team captain for this team in the Wildmoor Summer Tennis League for a few years. He remains the overall men’s captain for the club, helping to liaise with other team captains to ensure that the men’s teams are running smoothly and players are getting the most out of their game. They have a great mix of players at Henley including team players, social players and beginners so there is always an opportunity to help players develop their game from both a coaching and administration role. Nowadays as Sundays are his only day off and most matches are on a Sunday he often spends time with his family and so is unable to play many matches, but he does enjoy it when he gets the chance.
Henley were one of the 8 founding member teams which began playing in the inaugural season of the new South Warwickshire Summer League in 1990. They were Champions that year and for six of the next eight years, between 1990-1997 inclusive. The other two years they were runners-up in the league. They were Division Two winners in 2001 and then in 2008 and 2012 their Junior team were winners of the Junior Cup and were runners-up in 2013 and 2015. However, the crowning glory for Henley under Neil’s direction was when they were named the “Club of the Year” 2011.
Neil’s club have three men’s teams in the Wildmoor Summer League in the top team in the Premier Division, a B Team in Division Two and a C Team in Division Five. Henley also field two Junior teams which Neil coaches and is liaison officer for himself.
Finally, Neil was voted as Coach of the Year at the Stratford District Annual Sports Awards in 2011. His record this year and in previous years has been impeccable and he is thoroughly deserving of this”Millennium Scroll” award.
Wildmoor Tennis League – 2018-22
By Corin Bishop