Tennis Club at White Hart Lane Sports Centre
Tennis Club at White Hart Lane Sports Centre
Secondary school age pupils are able to take advantage of Tennis coaching sessions every Thursday evening between 4.00pm and 6.00pm.
The sessions are delivered by Haringey's Tennis Development Officer Siwan Stephens and her team of coaches, and are free to all students. The sessions have been funded by the School Sports Partnerships through KS4 Coaching money and, from September 2008, will be funded through Extending Activities money that comes into Haringey through Pro Active North London. Extending Activities funding is designed to do exactly what it says and provide opportunities for young people to take part in up 5 hours physical activity per week.
The tennis sessions take the youngsters through the basic shots and strokes and get them playing a game as quickly as possible. The full rules are introduced with youngsters then able to join White Hart Lane Community Lawn Tennis Club based at the sports centre. The club was formed in 2007 and is starting to make an impact in local schools providing taster sessions and signposting opportunities to the extended coaching and club sessions after school.
June 2008 saw two primary schools' tennis tournaments taking place at the White Hart Lane Community Sports Centre and Siwan is working with Competition Manager, Nicholas Nanikhan, to run a secondary schools' tournament in July 2008 and annually from now on.
Tennis courts traditionally get busy during Wimbledon fortnight before going quiet again for the remaining fifty weeks of the year. The White Hart Lane courts are now busy all year round and the Thursday evening session provides a focal point for youngsters in secondary schools wanting to improve or just play and enjoy their tennis.
The Lawn Tennis Association are seeking to make Haringey a Tennis 'Hot Spot' and Siwan will be starting after school coaching sessions in some of the parks in the borough with courts leading towards the White Hart Lane Community Lawn Tennis Club.
Details of Tennis coaching sessions and competitions are on the SchoolSports Partnerships' website, http://www.haringeysport.com/ and the Partnership Development Managers can point you in the direction of other tennis developments.
