Club Night Returns in September

Junior Club Night has finished for the holidays but will be back between September and October half term.  There are still plenty of opportunities to play tennis though with both our tennis camps and for those of you in the coaching programme, extra squad camps. 

Match Results

A number of you ratings have gone up, so well done to you.  I have heard of the following improvements: Jack Leary goes to 9.2, Josh Sutton to 9.1, Ben Race to 10.1 and James Kerr to 9.2 – James also won the U12 Boys’ Singles at Mold a few weeks ago which is a great achievement.

Our girls’ U14 team have won their Division of Aegon Tennis, so congratulations to all of them.

Tennis Camps

Summer holiday camps now open for bookings – dates, booking forms and more information available on the website www.nestontennis.co.uk/tenniscamps.aspx  If you attend coaching you should have received information from Dan on the squad camps that are available to you. Get in touch if you need more information.

Fundraising

The last boot sale was a great success, our next sale is August 14^th. 

The Tesco/Sainsbury voucher schemes have now ended, thank you to everyone that gave their vouchers to the section.  We have ‘banked’ some to save towards projects next year and ‘bought’ some rounders equipment for use at tennis camps and other occasions.

Fixtures

See www.nestontennis.co.uk/dates.aspx for information.

14^th August next Car Boot Sale

10^th September Club Night re-commences

Enjoy your tennis!

• 29th June

Family Fun Day

Is this Sunday 4^th July – lots of great activities for all ages, starting at 1pm. Entrance is free this year so why not bring a few friends down? The fun includes loads of kids’ activities from Parkgate pre-school, a bouncy castle, a hog roast, bbq and various sporting offerings. Wimbledon finals will be on the big screens too. Our section will be offering cream teas and cakes.  As all profits from this will go straight into section funds it would be great if any bakers amongst you could offer to make cakes to sell – please contact Carole Leary - mgyv38@dsl.pipex.com or 353 8510 – if you can help.

Match Results

Some Junior Wirral League results are now online here: http://www.wirraltennisleague.org/11.html ; our Under 14 team are looking very handy at the top of their division and some creditable results from the Under 18s. Results from U10s/U12s seem to be missing at the moment!

Lara Wedd achieved another 3^rd place in a mini red tournament, this time at Neston; Mum Paula said ‘she loved playing on her home turf and played 7 matches to achieve this richly deserved result. That's 3 medals positions from in the last 3 tournaments she has played’ Absolutely brilliant, well done Lara!

Ratings: if you have been playing well and recording winning matches, your rating will be improving and you should receive notification of that from British Tennis – do let me know how you are getting on.  If you haven’t got a rating and would like one, you just need to sign up to British Tennis (it’s free and only takes a minute), more information here http://nestontennis.co.uk/britishtennis.aspx

Tennis Camps

Summer holiday camps now open for bookings – dates, booking forms and more information available on the website www.nestontennis.co.uk/tenniscamps.aspx

Fundraising

As well as making cakes for the fun day on Sunday, our next boot sale is on Saturday 10^th July.  Please let me know if you can offer your help with any of the following:

• Put up posters around Neston and local area the week beforehand

• Help set up between 7am and 8am

• Man (woman?!) the bbq/refreshments in one of 2 shifts, 8am to 9.30am or 9.30am to 11am

• Help clear away at 11am

If we are to have any hope of getting new floodlights this year, we need to keep running the boot sales, but we will not be able to carry on without YOUR help.  Thank you.

Fixtures

See www.nestontennis.co.uk/dates.aspx for information.

4^th July – Family Fun Day

10^th July next Car Boot Sale

Enjoy your tennis!

• 18th June

New Junior Cardio Tennis

6pm Wednesday evenings – an hour of hard hitting tennis fitness.  No need to book, so why not give it a try? The session costs £5.

Match Results

Ryan Leary reached the final of the U14 tournament at Heswall – great comeback after a break due to injury Ryan.

Lara Wedd achieved 3^rd place in a mini red tournament a few weeks ago, but last week reached the final of an  event at Oxton a fantastic achievement, well done Lara!

Remember to let me know how you are all doing and if you would like to find more competitions in the area visit the LTA website http://www.lta.org.uk/In-Your-Area/Cheshire/competitions/ for more information.

Box Leagues

If you haven’t started your matches yet – check the board in the pavilion and get playing while the sun shines!

Fundraising

Congratulations to Ian Ewing, our latest 50/50 draw winner.  If you would like to take part in the draw a standing order form is attached – just £2 a month gives you a chance to win a minimum of £50 each month.

Hitting Sessions

As well as the squads run by our coaches, if you need additional practice, then hitting sessions from one of our tennis assistants could be for you – just £5 an hour. Alternatively for mini tennis players, some of our tennis leaders will hit with you for £2.50 for a 45 minute session, though parents please note that you must stay too for these. If you are interested, please get in touch.

Fixtures

26^th June – Talent/Tournament Session 4.30pm to 6pm, free to all juniors in current squads.

4^th July – Family Fun Day

10^th July next Car Boot Sale

Enjoy your tennis!

• 7th June

Squads re-start

Squad sessions and Club Night are all back this week. Some sessions have been changed - see http://nestontennis.co.uk/CoachingProgramme.aspx for full details - and Junior Cardio Tennis has been introduced on Wednesdays at 6pm, a great way to improve your fitness.  You don’t need to book and it costs £5 per player.

Match Results

The Sutton brothers, Josh and Elliot, played some great tennis in a tournament this weekend, with Elliot winning the U14 consolation singles and Josh reaching the semi-finals of the U12, while Fin Robinson reached the finals of both the U14 and U16 events – fantastic results all round. Both Elliot and Fin have reached the top ten rankings for U14s, brilliant!

Box Leagues

New box leagues have been set up by Dan and are up in the pavilion. Check who your opponents are and get playing!

Fundraising

Another successful car boot took place on Saturday – we have pledged funds raised this year from these sales to go towards new floodlights.  We do need your support to do this: our next sale is on Saturday 10^th July and we need volunteers to help run the morning.  Can you: help set up between 7am and 7.30am/man the barbecue in one of 2 shifts 8am to 9.30 am or 9.30am to 11am/ or help clear away at 11am? If so please get in touch.

Remember to drop off any last Tesco/Sainsbury’s vouchers please - to a committee member, coach, or the envelope behind the bar. Thanks.

Wimbledon Tickets

Are available for collection from 6pm to 7pm in the bar (must be signed for by an adult) on Friday – other times by arrangement, please get in touch if you can’t collect then.

Fixtures

11^th June Grand Slam Disco – parents of juniors welcome, starts at 8pm, tickets just £5 including food, just e-mail for more info.

26^th June – Talent/Tournament Session 4.30pm to 6pm, free to all juniors in current squads.

10^th July next Car Boot Sale

Enjoy your tennis!

• 25th May

More Wimbledon Tickets

We have been offered three more pairs of Wimbledon tickets:

• Centre court   Tuesday   22^nd June (£82 for the pair)

• No 2 court      Thursday  24^th June (£82 for the pair)

• No 1 court      Friday       25^th June (£112 for the pair)

If you would like to be entered into a mini draw for these tickets please e-mail me your name, British Tennis number and preferred date(s), plus mobile phone number by the evening of Wednesday 26^th May.  Terms and conditions apply – see http://nestontennis.co.uk/wimbledondraw.aspx for full details.   Tickets will be issued on Friday 11^th June and you must have the permission of and attend with an adult. – I will be in the bar from 6pm – for these and the tickets from the previous draw.

Earring Found

An earring was found recently on court 1 and has been handed in to Andy Woolley.

Fundraising

Remember to drop off any last Tesco/Sainsbury’s vouchers please - to a coach, committee member or the envelope behind the bar. Thanks.

Match Results

Road To Wimbledon: the boys’ tournament was won by Elliot Sutton and the girls by Fin Robinson. Very well done to both of you.

Mini Tennis: Lara Wedd was third in a mini-tennis event at Heswall this weekend, a great result Lara.

Half Term

There is no club night during half term week, ie Friday 4^th June, nor squads, but there is a tennis camp from 2^nd to 4^th June – see the tennis camp page of the website for more details www.nestontennis.co.uk/tenniscamps.aspx there are still some places available.

Junior of the Month

Due to continued good efforts, the winners of Junior/Mini of the Month were unchanged for April ie James Kerr and Alice Goldstraw.  Come on the rest of you, we’d like to see new winners for May!

Fixtures

29^th May Abba/80s Band Night

2^nd 3^rd and 4^th June – Tennis Camp 9am to 3pm

5^th June – Car Boot Sale

11^th June Grand Slam Disco

16^th June – Shrimp Cup

Enjoy your tennis!

• 17th May

Girls’ Road To Wimbledon

The girls’ competition in this prestigious tournament takes place at 5pm this Friday 21st May (postponed from last Friday): to enter just reply to this e-mail with your details. There is no entrance fee, you just need to supply some balls to play with and the event is open to all junior tennis members aged 10 to 14 ie born 1996 or earlier. More information about the tournament can be found here: http://hsbcroadtowimbledon.com/  Some 20,000 young players from 850 clubs compete each year and the National Finals, with 64 boys and 64 girls, made up of the 44 County winners and 20 best runners-up are due to be held on Wimbledon's Championship grass courts in August.  You must have signed up by Thursday 20^th May to take part.

Club night will take part as usual.

Fundraising

The most recent winner of our 50:50 draw was Michaela Halfhead.  Just £2 a month for a chance to win £50, and help the section (club membership only covers the court surface and clubhouse, not the nets, lights or pavilion).

The recent boot sale raised over £500 – all boot sale money this year will be put towards new lights for the top courts. If you can offer to help out one Saturday morning, please get in touch. The next sale is June 5^th.

The ‘Rag Bag’ collection was a great success raising nearly £200. We intend to do this again in September so keep hold of any old clothes etc (sorry, we can’t store them in the pavilion until then). We have ordered some new benches with this money.

Remember to drop off any last Tesco/Sainsbury’s vouchers too!

Fixtures

Coming Up

Road to Wimbledon Tournament –  Girls’ draw 21^st  May

23^rd May President’s Spring Party

29^th May Abba/80s Band Night

Whitsun Tennis Camp – 2^nd to 4^th June

5^th June Car Boot Sale

11^th June Grand Slam Disco

Enjoy your tennis!

• 4th May

Road To Wimbledon

The boys’ competition in this prestigious tournament takes place at 5pm this Friday 7^th May: there are sign up sheets in the pavilion or reply to this e-mail with your details. There is no entrance fee, you just need to supply some balls to play with and the event is open to all junior tennis members aged 10 to 14 ie born 1996 or earlier. More information about the tournament can be found here: http://hsbcroadtowimbledon.com/  Some 20,000 young players from 850 clubs compete each year and the National Finals, with 64 boys and 64 girls, made up of the 44 County winners and 20 best runners-up are due to be held on Wimbledon's Championship grass courts in August.  You must have signed up by Thursday 6^th May to take part.

Junior Doubles Winners

Our junior double league that ran over the winter was won by James Kerr and Luke Davies-Foo, very well done to both of you.  Details of the new box leagues are being finalised  for the summer.

Fundraising

Our next car boot sale is on Saturday 8^th May – there are only a few pitches left if you were thinking of doing a little fundraising of your own, or come down anyway to see what it’s all about and support the section. Volunteers to help man the refreshment stall are always welcome too.  We’re still collecting Tesco/Sainsbury’s vouchers too!

Events

Please contact me to buy tickets for the Race Night on Saturday 19^th May or the Abba/80’s night on 29^th May as the section then benefits!

Registration Forms

Just a reminder that any junior attending any squad or tennis event MUST have handed in a registration form – attached.

Fixtures

Monday:        Coaching until 8pm, 2 courts

Tuesday:       Coaching until 6pm, 2 courts

                      Match night  6.15pm 8 courts

Wednesday : Coaching until 7.30pm, 2 courts

                      Junior Wirral League Matches 4.30pm until 8pm, none this week

Thursday:      Coaching until6.30pm, 2 courts

                        Junior Wirral League Matches 4.30pm until 6pm, none this week

                      Men’s Wirral League Matches: home to Bertram, 2 courts

                      Mixed Friendly Match 6.15pm: home to Bertram 4 courts

Friday:           Junior Club Night until 7pm (5pm Rd to Wimbledon)

                        Social Tennis 7pm onwards –  Mixed Doubles informal event

Saturday:      Coaching until 12.30pm 2 courts

                        Ladies’ Social Tennis 10am to 12pm 3 courts

                        1pm Aegon U14 girls v Stockton Heath 4 courts 

Coaching 4.30pm to 6pm 2 courts

                        Men’s Neston Doubles League final 6pm

Sunday:         Coaching 9.45am to 11.20 am 3 to 4 courts

                     10.30am to 2pm Cheshire Shield Ladies' Vets 2 courts

                      2pm Aegon U18 boys v Hoole 4 courts 

Coming Up

Road to Wimbledon Tournament – Boys’ draw 7^th May, Girls’ draw 14^th May

8^th May – Boot Sale 8am

16^th May  Pentathlon – see www.nswhc.co.uk for details

15^th May – 8pm Race Night, tickets £5

29^th May Abba/80s Band Night

Whitsun Tennis Camp – 2^nd to 4^th June

11^th June Grand Slam Disco

Enjoy your tennis!

• 27th April

Last Few Wimbledon Tickets

Following last week’s draw, there are now 2 spare pairs of tickets: for Monday 28^th June, No 1 court (£104 for the pair) and Friday 2^nd July No 1 court (£62 for the pair).  If you would like to be entered into a mini draw for these tickets please let me know, by this evening, by sending me your name and British Tennis number. Terms and conditions are on the tennis website.

Fundraising

Thanks for all your donations of items for our ‘Ragbags’ weekend – we’ve got a second pick up now next Monday, so there’s still time to drop off any more bags. I’ll let you know how much we have raised shortly.  We’re still collecting Tesco/Sainsbury’s vouchers too!

Fixtures

There are no fixture booklets for this season, but you should be able to find all the information you need on the website.  The court schedule - http://nestontennis.co.uk/courts.aspx has all the regular events and the ‘dates’ page has the additional events that are booked in.  With the courts getting busier every day, I will also try and send out a weekly fixture list to keep you informed, if you think this is helpful (do give me feedback please!)

Monday:        Coaching until 8pm, 2 courts

Tuesday:       Coaching until 6pm, 2 courts

                      Match night  6.15pm 8 courts

Wednesday : Coaching until 7.30pm, 2 courts

                      Junior Wirral League Matches 4.30pm until 8pm, none this week

Thursday:      Coaching until6.30pm, 2 courts

                        Junior Wirral League Matches 4.30pm until 6pm, none this week

                      Men’s Wirral League Matches: none this week

                      Mixed Friendly Match 6.15pm: 4 courts

Friday:           Junior Club Night until 7pm

                        Social Tennis 7pm onwards – turn up and play! Men’s Neston League final.

Saturday:      Coaching until 12.30pm 2 courts

                        Ladies’ Social Tennis 10am to 12pm 3 courts

                        Coaching 4.30pm to 6pm 2 courts

                        Men’s Neston Doubles League final 6pm

Sunday:         Coaching 9.45am to 11.20 am 3 to 4 courts

                        Junior Aegon match 12.30pm 4 courts

Coming Up

Road to Wimbledon Tournament – Boys’ draw 7^th May, Girls’ draw 14^th May

8^th May – Boot Sale 8am

16^th May  Pentathlon – see www.nswhc.co.uk for details

29^th May Abba/80s Band Night

Whitsun Tennis Camp – 2^nd to 4^th June

11^th June Grand Slam Disco

Enjoy your tennis!

• 22nd April 2010

• 14th April 2010

Club Night Reminder!

Our junior club night recommences this Friday (16^th April) and all juniors aged 5 and over are welcome to attend. Our fundraising efforts mean that this session remains free.  For those of you who haven’t tried it before it’s a chance to play some supervised tennis, get some tips on your game and have fun with friends, but it is not a coaching session: if you want to make improvements to your game you’ll need some more focused lessons - see the tennis website for more details. Refreshments will be available!

Club night times are:

4pm Ages 5 to 10 (Mini Tennis)

5pm Ages 10 to 12

6pm Ages 12 to 18

If you are unsure which session to come to please get in touch, and please remember your registration form for 2010 (attached) This is now the same as the squad registration form, so you don’t need to complete another if you have already done one this year.   If you haven’t already done so please also sign up for British Tennis here (it’s free!) https://www2.lta.org.uk/Membership/Join/

Junior of the Month

Junior of the Month is James Kerr. Dan says: "James continues to show a high intensity on court and a real determination to succeed. It is great to see a player take pride in their performance and strive to improve their standard. I have also been pleased with the desire to get out there & compete in tournaments as this is a sign of a committed, & competitive junior. 
Good stuff James:-) "

Mini of the Month is Alice Goldsraw. Dan says:   “Alice has worked fantastically well in recent sessions and set a really good example for others in her group to follow.
Her understanding of racket techniques & court positioning have vastly improved and Alice is

starting to progress her skills as a result. Well done Alice:)”    
 Very well done Alice and James!   

Mini Matchplay

Takes place this Saturday (April 18^th), red ball players from 1pm until 2pm, and orange/green ball players from 1pm until 3pm.  Again there is no charge for this as it is led by volunteers, but if parents can stay to help score the matches, that is much appreciated.

Coming up

Wimbledon Ticket Draw – Tuesday 20^th April, 8pm

Road to Wimbledon Tournament – Boys’ draw 7^th May, Girls’ draw 14^th May

Whitsun Tennis Camp – 2^nd to 4^th June

Marquee Week (flyer attached) including Family Fun Day 4^th July

50:50 Club

Our most recent winner was Ali Smith: if you would like to take part in our draw for the chance to win a minimum of £50 each month and help with our fundraising, just complete and return the attached standing order, thanks!

Vouchers

Remember to keep collecting Tesco School and Club and Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers – hand in to the bar or give to a coach or committee member, thank you.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 7th April 2010

Wimbledon Wimbledon!

Do you dream of playing at Wimbledon? If you are 14 or under (ie born 1996 or later) then why not enter our prestigious Road to Wimbledon Tournament?  The boys’ competition will take place at the club on Friday 7^th May at 5pm, the girls’ on Friday 14^th May at 5pm.  Winners will go through to the County Final on 3^rd/4^th July and County winners get to play in a special tournament at Wimbledon itself!  Sign up sheets will be on the club noticeboard shortly – or e-mail max@nestontennis.co.uk to enter.  You must be a member of British Tennis to take part.

Wimbledon Draw

Sign up sheets for this are now in the clubhouse for the draw which takes place on Tuesday 20^th April at 8pm in the tearoom. To take part you must:

-           be a member of the club aged 9 or over and

-           be a member of British Tennis and

-           attend the draw in person, or send a proxy on your behalf. (Your proxy must also be a club member and can only represent one member in the ballot; if using a proxy, please provide their name in advance.)

Full details of available tickets, prices, terms and conditions can be found on www.nestontennis.co.uk/wimbledondraw.aspx. To sign up for the draw, either e-mail jo@nestontennis.co.uk or fill in your details on the sign up sheet.

Club Night

Will restart on Friday 16^th April – please remember your registration form for 2010 (attached). If you are unsure which session to come to please get in touch, times remain the same as last year:   4pm Ages 5 to 10 (Mini Tennis)

5pm Ages 10 to 12

6pm Ages 12 to 18

Box Leagues

All squad players will be entered into a singles box league this summer; if you aren’t currently in the coaching programme but would like to play in a box league, please let me know.

Car Boot Sales

Our fundraising season is also about to start, with the first sale on Saturday 10^th April at 8am. The remaining sale dates are 8^th May, 5^th June, 10^th July, 14^th August, 4^th September and 9^th October.  We will have a small stall to sell any items you would like to donate – just bring them down to the club on Friday evening and leave in the pavilion, thanks. We are also collecting old clothes – bags for these are in the pavilion.

Sport Relief Update

We had a great turn out for the Sainsbury’s Sport Relief Mile with over 200 runners at the club.  A straw poll suggested average sponsorship was around £100 a runner which means a potential £20k was raised for a very good cause.  Well done all those of you who took part and a big thank you to all our volunteers especially Max Hardy who organised the event.

Vouchers

Remember to keep collecting Tesco School and Club and Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers – hand in to the bar or give to a coach or committee member, thanks.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 18th March 2010

Players of the Month! 

Our February Junior Player Of the month;
 
Emily McBurney 
Dan says “Emily has worked really hard in all sessions and the recent improvement has been fantastic.
She is now demonstrating much better technical and tactical knowledge on court and using this to her advantage. 
You deserve this for what has been a very strong period:-) 
Well done!” 
 
Our February Mini Player of month; 
Harry McMaster 
Dan says “A double award for Harry and every bit deserved! Performances on court have been outstanding and the progress made in such a short space of time has been brilliant to see. Harry is a perfect role-model to all Neston Mini Tennis players in the way he behaves and strives to be the best he can be. 
Well done Harry, keep it up:-)”

Congratulations to both players!

Sport Relief

Our races on Sunday are all full now, but if you would like to come down to cheer your friends on please walk not drive as the car park will be very full! Dan is running a tennis open day too, so you can introduce your friends to tennis too!

The action all kicks off at 2pm this Sunday 

Wirral Open

Good luck to all our juniors who have entered in the Wirral Open over Easter – remember to let us know how you get on!

Club Night

This will restart again on Fridays after Easter.  A registration form is attached which should be completed and either e-mailed to me or brought along to the first session.

Wimbledon Draw

Juniors aged 9 and over who are also members of British Tennis are eligible to take part in the Wimbledon draw. The draw will take place on Tuesday 20^th April in the Tea Room.  Sign up sheets will go up shortly on the Tennis Noticeboard in the Clubhouse. You must comply with the terms and conditions, details of which can be found on the website here:

http://nestontennis.co.uk/wimbledondraw.aspx

Reminders

Please collect any Tesco or Sainsbury Vouchers as we can use them towards sporting equipment – just give to your coach or drop off in the bar, thank you. Our Easter Tennis Camp runs from Wednesday April 7^th to Friday April 9^th; full details and an application form can be found on the website.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 5th March 2010

Mini Tennis News!

Mini matchplay

The next mini matchplay is tomorrow, Saturday 6^th March, at 1pm. Parents are kindly requested to stay with their children to help them score the games. Mini matchplay is free and open to all mini tennis players. Remember our mini tennis zone on the website as well: http://nestontennis.co.uk/MINIZone.aspx   

Mini Tennis Balls

To encourage you mini tennis players to practice correctly, we now have red, orange and green mini tennis balls for sale at cost price, £5 for 4 balls in a net carry bag. Ask Dan if you would like to purchase some.

Easter Tennis Camp

This will run from Wednesday April 7^th to Friday April 9^th; great fun for those of you aged 5 to 12. Remember you don’t have to be a member to take part, so why not ask a friend to join you? Full details and an application form can be found on the website.

Other News

Entries are coming in thick and fast for the run for Sports Relief on March 21^st – well over 100 at the last count, but it’s not too late to join in and raise money which goes to help vulnerable people all over the world. If you would like to take part then visit http://www.sportrelief.com/the-mile/neston-cricket-tennis-club-mile to sign up today.

We are now eligible to collect Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers towards sporting equipment. If you would like to pass on your vouchers to the club, then please leave behind the bar, or pop in an envelope under the bar door if it’s closed.

Are you an inventor?  I have been approached by a company who is making a new science and inventions series for CBBC called ‘This Kid Could Change the World’. The series celebrates the imagination and ideas of children between the ages of 9 and 12 and encourages them to generate inventions or ideas which they think could have a positive impact on the world around us. No idea or concept is too big, too small or too strange; the company simply want to hear any and all ideas. A final selection will make it through to appear on the show where children will have the opportunity to develop their concept from its inception to its possible practical application. If anyone would like me to put their name forward, please get in touch, they are in the initial stages of casting and would like contact as many children as we possibly can to see if they have an idea, no matter how big or small, and would like to be considered for the show. The deadline for applications is 19^th March 2010 and filming will commence April/May time.

Finally it’s a bit late notice, for which my apologies, but the hockey section takes place tonight and is open to all members.  Years 3 to 6 are welcome from 6.30pm to 8pm, admission on the door is £3 to members, £4 to non-members (max 2 per member) and there will be a snack bar selling refresments.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 11th February 2010

Lots of News!

At last the sun is shining, it’s nearly half term, so it must be time to play more tennis!

Squads:

There is a junior tennis squad camp planned for Monday 15^th and Tuesday 16^th February costing £20 a day or £25 for both days; the next ‘Talent/Tournament’ session for junior players is on Sunday 21^st February from 4pm to 5.30pm – there is no extra charge for this if you attend coaching and squads themselves re-start Monday 22^nd February.

Full details of all coaching available can be found here:

 http://nestontennis.co.uk/CoachingProgramme.aspx

Competition

Teams for Aegon and Wirral Leagues are currently being selected, details of our mini matchplay programme are attached and those of you in the doubles league should be well underway with your matches. Look out for our new mini zone page on the website –

http://nestontennis.co.uk/MINIZone.aspx

Junior of the Month

Our high-achieving juniors for January are:

Mini of the month – Harry McMaster. Dan says: "Great effort and determination displayed in recent sessions. Harry is an absolute pleasure to have on court as he never gives less than 100%.
As his technical skills develop over time, confidence will grow and I think we will have a promising tennis player in Harry McMaster! Well done Harry:-)" 

 
Junior of the month – Fin Robinson. Dan says: "A really solid month's tennis for Fin. Trains hard in all coaching sessions attended, and gives everything she has in order to succeed on court. Something which has impressed me greatly has been the new-found desire to really challenge herself and step up to the mark in tournaments. Fin is a good role-model to any wannabe tennis players. 
Well done Fin:-)"

Mini Tennis Balls

To encourage you mini tennis players to practice correctly, we now have red, orange and green mini tennis balls for sale at cost price, £5 for 4 balls in a net carry bag. Ask Dan if you would like to purchase some.

Easter Tennis Camp

This will run from Wednesday April 7^th to Friday April 9^th; great fun for those of you aged 5 to 12. Remember you don’t have to be a member to take part, so why not ask a friend to join you? Full details and an application form can be found on the website.

Other News

We have been accepted to host an event for Sports Relief on March 21^st – you can run 1 mile, 3 or 6 to raise money which goes to help vulnerable people all over the world. If you would like to take part then visit http://www.sportrelief.com/the-mile/neston-cricket-tennis-club-mile to sign up today.

We are now eligible to collect Sainsbury’s Active Kids vouchers towards sporting equipment. If you would like to pass on your vouchers to the club, then please leave behind the bar, or pop in an envelope under the bar door if it’s closed.

The winner of last month’s 50/50 draw was Mike Merry – if you would like a chance to win at least £50 each month and help raise funds for the section, a standing order form is attached.

And finally, a reminder that the last few tickets for the band night on Saturday 20^th February are still available to purchase from the bar.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 6th January 2010

Happy New Year!

Hope you’ve all had a good holiday and are looking forward to playing some tennis – although that could be a bit tricky in current conditions! With snow lying on the courts, sessions cannot go ahead, but keep an eye on the weather and hopefully a thaw will see everyone back in action soon.

Hockey Junior Disco

If you are in need of a bit of fun to cheer you up, then how about the Hockey Junior Disco this Friday?  All juniors will be welcome in the tea room; there are two age groups, 7-11 (Y3 to Y6) from 6.00-7.30 and 12-16 (Y7-Y11) from 8.00-9.30. The events will be open to members and non-members, (max 2 non-members with each member) and tickets are just £3 for members, £4 for non-members no need to book, just pay on the door.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 15th December 2009

Players of the Month

Our winning juniors for November are:

Junior of the Month – Amy Hayward

Dan says “Amy has put in 100% effort during the last month and has made good progress as a result. Amy has a fantastic attitude and it is a pleasure to have her on court. Always turns up to sessions raring to go, showing genuine enthusiasm every time, and more recently, a great determination to succeed technically. I have been really pleased with the performances I have witnessed. Well done Amy, you deserve this!!”

Mini of the Month – Thomas Jones

Dan says “Fantastic effort and determination shown in all sessions. I am very pleased with Thom's Mini Green tournament performance and it is great to see this new-found competitive edge appearing in his play!”

Congratulations to both of you.

Turkey and Tennis

Sunday December 20^th sees the festive return of this fun tournament that pairs adults and juniors together. Sign up sheets are in the pavilion – you don’t need a partner to enter, Dan will find a suitable one for you. Entry of just £5 includes some very seasonal grub!

Talent Tournament

All mini tennis squad players are welcome to the end of term Talent Tournament Session on Saturday 19^th December from 2pm to 3.30pm; afterwards Maxine is organising a small tea party in the pavilion until 4pm(no charge for either the tennis or the tea party!).

50:50 Winner

November’s winner was Ibby Robinson - lucky Ibby wins £50.

Coming up

More matchplay opportunities for juniors of all standards!

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, but above all….

Enjoy your tennis!

• 18th November 2009

Players of the Month

Our winning juniors for October are:

Junior of the Month – Fin Robinson

Dan says “a very solid month's performance from Fin, demonstrating some very sound ball-striking. Fin has shown a great intensity & commitment to her tennis & has really shone over the last month. You go girl!!”

Mini of the Month – Ewan Pakula

Dan says “Ewan is now showing that he is understanding the techniques involved in the game of tennis. His groundstrokes have improved a lot over the last month because of this. In addition, it is fantastic to see him down with friends practicing what he is taught in lessons. Well done Ewan!!”

Very well done to both of you.

Tennis Leaders

Over half term several of our older juniors attended a ‘Tennis Leaders’ course and are now helping out at several mini tennis sessions. Both the mini junior players and our Tennis Leaders, will, we hope, enjoy the experience! Thank you to Ben, Luke, Ryan, Fin and Elliot and also to James who is doing his volunteer work for his Duke of Edinburgh award with us.

Court Lights

If you are playing under our floodlights, please remember to use them properly:

-                     Check the timer before you start playing if the lights are already on, as you must NEVER put the lights straight back on if they go out; the mechanism needs 15 minutes to cool down.

-                     If you put the lights on for too much time, please ask the bar staff to turn them out for you.

-                     Only switch the lights that you need on for the time you need them.   

Hitting Sessions

Sam Davies and Jack Rowland are now level 1 Tennis Assistants – congratulations! – and are offering hitting sessions to juniors who would like some extra practice between squads.  Sessions are just £5 an hour. Contact Sam on 0796 056 1667 or Jack on 0779 246 1592 to make arrangements.

Junior Doubles League

Results are coming in – see here http://nestontennis.co.uk/JuniorDoublesLeague.aspx

Enjoy your tennis!

• 5th November 2009

New Coaching Programme

The weather may be rotten, but that doesn’t stop us from playing tennis!  The new programme started on from Monday 7^th November – full details on the website http://nestontennis.co.uk/CoachingProgramme.aspx Once again there is some indoor tennis available, at the Rec on a Friday for mini tennis players and at Bidston on a Sunday afternoon for the juniors (details of these sessions will be confirmed shortly).

British Tennis

A reminder that you should be a member of British Tennis if you are taking part in any kind of tennis activity. It’s free, and only takes a minute to organise, just follow the link: https://www2.lta.org.uk/Membership/Join/

Junior Doubles League

This is now up and running – the draw can be found here: http://nestontennis.co.uk/JuniorDoublesLeague.aspx . If your name is down, but you haven’t had the details from Max, please contact her asap – max@nestontennis.co.uk and remember to return your permission slip so you can start arranging matches.  Now that club night has finished, why not play your games on a Friday after school?

Tournaments

If you feel like trying some new opponents out, why not enter a competition yourself?  Details of all the opportunities in the area can be found on the LTA website here: http://www.lta.org.uk/In-Your-Area/Cheshire/competitions/  then click on the link to download the brochure. Ask Dan for help if you’re not sure about what competitions would be best for you – and if you enter anything, let us know how you get on! We are hosting an orange mini tennis tournament on Sunday 15^th  November at 3pm.

Congratulations

To our U16 boys, who played a friendly match against Upton on Friday and won without dropping a single set! Well done Elliot, Jake, Luke and Ryan.  

New Junior Committee

We have formed a new committee just to look at issues that involve juniors. The committee members are Max Hardy, our junior co-ordinator, Carole Leary, who will be organising the league matches next year, Irene Davies-Foo, who will become our volunteer co-ordinator and myself.

If there are any matters that you would like to bring to our attention, or if you can help in any way, please get in touch.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 22nd October 2009

Last Club Night of the Season!

This Friday will be the last Club Night until the new season starts next Easter.  But that doesn’t mean the tennis will stop, there’s still so much going on:

Half Term Tennis Camps

Monday and Tuesday are for those who do medal squads, £20 per day or just £25 for 2 days.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the main tennis camp days, full details on www.nestontennis.co.uk/tenniscamps.aspx .

Winter Programme

Coaching continues all year round and the new programme will be announced shortly. It will offer indoor mini tennis at the Rec and junior indoor tennis at Bidston as well as sessions for all abilities at the club, plus cardio tennis for juniors.

Other Tennis Opportunities

-         The new junior doubles league starts shortly for those of you who have signed up.

-         All squad players will be automatically entered into a box league, where you play others of a similar standard.  If you are not currently in a squad but would like to join in, please send your details to max@nestontennis.co.uk

-         The next Talent/Tournament for squad players is due to take place on Sunday 25^th October from 12.30 to 2.30pm. No need to book.

-         On Sunday November 1^st at 1pm there will be a fun adults and juniors tournament, more details and sign up sheets at the club.

We would like you to sign up to British Tennis to take part in any tennis activity now – it’s free to all members and helps us monitor your progress. Just follow the link: https://www2.lta.org.uk/Membership/Join/

Junior Presentation Evening

Thanks to all those of you who came along and well done to everyone who took part in competitive tennis this year. Particular congratulations to our U14 and U12 teams who won their respective leagues. I hope to have a slide show of photos up on the website later today.

Sweatshirts

These are finally available! To collect yours please phone Mel on 336 1515 or collect at Club Night this week.

I have attached the adult newsletter that went out yesterday for those interested in changes to committee etc.

Enjoy your tennis!

• 5th October 2009

Time to Celebrate!

It’s our junior presentation evening this Friday – after Club Night at 7pm in the tea room – and there’s lots to celebrate! We have entered teams this year in the Aegon Tennis League (it was called the National Junior Club League last year), the Wirral League and the Monkhouse Shield, as well as held Road to Wimbledon and various box leagues and ladders.

Well done to everyone who has taken part in any competition, big or small, we hope you have enjoyed your tennis, win or lose.

All juniors are invited to join us for the evening – just £1 on the door; there’ll be a few snacks and a fun quiz as well as the award of trophies and certificates.

Juniors of the Month

September Junior of the Month is Hannah Lea-Swain, but it was a tough decision as both James Kerr and Rachel Schofield were also outstanding.

Mini of the Month is Cameron Wedd.  Well done to all of you!

Doubles Ladder And Box Leagues

A brand new junior doubles ladder is to start shortly – sign up sheets are in the pavilion; you don’t need a partner, Dan will match you up. All squad players will be automatically entered into a box league to play over the winter, but any junior is welcome to join in; both are  great ways of meeting new people to play and getting some matches played with others of a suitable standard.  If you are not in a squad and would like to be included, please let me know in the next few days.

Sponsorship Reminder

I know many of you have already brought in your forms and money (thank you very much!), but please hand in by Friday if possible.

Tennis Camp – October Half Term

Our next camp takes place on Wednesday 28^th, Thursday 29^th and Friday 30^th October. Full details and a booking form can be found here www.nestontennis.co.uk/tenniscamps.co.uk .

Coaching Changes

We will be saying goodbye to mini tennis coach, Laura Pearce, at half term. We wish her well.

50:50 Draw

This month’s lucky winner of £50 is Steve Race.

• 23rd September 2009

Well Done!

A very big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who took part in our 24 hour fundraising – from Club President, Andy Wallis, to our youngest mini tennis players. I hope you all enjoyed the experience. Special thanks go to those who played the ‘graveyard’ shift in the dead of night and also to the mainstays of the organising, Mel and Max.

How Much Did We Raise?

We don’t know the final figure as all the sponsorship money isn’t in yet.  Please could you e-mail Mel how much you think you will be collecting (melsophie1@hotmail.co.uk) to give her an idea, and then drop the funds and sponsorship form off either at Club Night on Friday or directly to Mel – her address is

I will say that the car boot sale was our busiest yet and we hope to be well into 4 figures.

The option to make an online donation is still available, just follow this link:

http://www.clubcharity.co.uk/donate/index.cfm?&Groupcode=1700NTC

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Parents - be part of the world’s biggest coffee morning on Friday 25^th September.  Just drop in any time between 10am and noon to the tea room for coffee. There will also be a raffle, cake stall and hand-made jewellery and cards for sale.

Club Night

We are concerned about the amount of traffic on the club driveway especially during Club Night so we are transferring the sessions to the lower courts.  Please ensure that you drop off and collect your child(ren) safely.

If the weather is good, there will be another barbecue this Friday as we have a surplus of food in the freezer from the weekend.

Lost Property

There is a substantial amount of abandoned children’s clothing in the pavilion – do check if something has been lost, as it will all be going to the charity shops in a week’s time!

Enjoy your tennis!

• 18th September 2009

FUNdraising day has arrived! 

This time tomorrow our 24 hour sponsored marathon of tennis will be well underway with Club President, Andy Wallis, striking the first ball in our historic game tonight at 6pm. I did invite Andy Murray, but he said he was busy elsewhere! Thank you to everyone taking part, and I hope you have great fun doing your ‘Mini Run and Fun’ – remember there is no actual Club Night tonight. 

Head Coach Dan is offering you the chance to take him on - £1 buys you 3 points to try and ‘Beat the Coach’ from 6pm to 7pm on Friday. (For ages 11 and over.)

The car boot is a sell out, great news, but come down early (8am onwards), enjoy breakfast by the Pavilion and grab some bargains. We will also be running our own table so if you have any items to donate to help raise funds please bring them down to the club tomorrow. 

If you can’t come down and enjoy the fun with us, please support us by asking your parents to donate online and if you are a UK tax payer we can claim gift aid, every little helps – just follow the link from the website      www.nestontennis.co.uk  

We also have some new Neston Tennis Sweatshirts; Tobe Uniform in Neston have offered us a special deal to assist our fundraising so if you would like your very own Neston Tennis top, please complete and return the attached order form.

The barbecue will be running from 4pm onwards until tomorrow evening, plus there will be a tuck shop and cake sale for the juniors – any cake donations gratefully received.

We’re trying to put the FUN into fundraising, so come down and really enjoy yourselves!

            Hope to see you later!

• 15th September 2009

Only 3 days to go!

Yes, at 6pm on Friday the first balls will be struck in our 24 hour tennis-a-thon; we just have a few spaces available on the Saturday morning if you would like to take part:

8am to 9am

9am to 10am

Mel is co-ordinating this, so please get in touch with her on 336 1515 or melsophie1@hotmail.co.uk  as soon as possible!