The Avenue Junior Tennis Academy players and some other promising junior tennis players at the club competed in the Xmas Academy Tournament 2009 which was held during the evenings of 14^th – 17^th Dec..  The winner of the event was Sam Stead, second was Will Jones with Tom Cashmore coming in third.  The event started with 14 players, all of whom were to play the best of three sets of seven games against each other which would have meant a potential total of  39 sets or 273 games.  Unfortunately a sickness bug and some last minute homework assignments meant 4 players were unable to complete the tournament. 

Head Coach, Vinny Duddy and Trainee Coach, Craig Phillips ran the event and were really pleased with the efforts made but were surprised with some of the results.  Both thought that the event gave the players a good insight into what qualities were needed to compete against other players in a tournament.  Both Duddy and Phillips were particularly grateful to the parents who brought their children to the club and thanked them for their support.

Pictured below are the players who competed in the event (Left to Right – Rob Horler, Will Jones, Tom Holder, Stu Kilmartin, Brad, Craig Phillips, Heather Duddy, Jessica Griffiths, Tom Cashmore, Billy May and Sam Stead in the forefront with his Babolat 12 racket bag that he won for winning the event).

Coaching at the Avenue will recommence in the New Year with Saturday Pay and Play from 9:00 in the morning, through the various ages groups until 2:30 in the afternoon.  Junior Academy and Squad Group Coaching will start on Monday 11^th January.  Adults intermediate and beginner classes will restart on Thursday 14^th Jan and Friday 15^th respectively. New Year is normally a time for sporting resolutions; so why not come the Tennis Club and give tennis a go; for those of you like a good work out but don’t particularly want to play a lot of tennis why not come down on a Thursday evening to the Cardio Sessions which will have you doing lots of hard work intermingled with hitting lots of tennis balls from 6:00 till 7:00pm.

The first social event of the New Year 2010 will be a Rabbie Burns night which will be held at the Tennis Club on Saturday 30^th January.  For those that do not like Haggis there will be a lovely Scottish Stew.  The three course Scottish meal will cost adults £7.50 and children £3.50; bookings can be made on the listing in the clubhouse foyer notice board.

Details of these events and tennis coaching courses held at the Avenue Tennis Club can be obtained from the office (01278 782758) or from the club website (www.avenuetennis.com