Vinny Duddy – Avenue Head Coach
Personal Profile:
Basically a footballer turned tennis coach so that I could teach my daughter how to play properly and then have someone to play with.
I have always been interested in sport and was always keen to participate in any team or individual sport at school; I really don’t know why I didn’t become a PE teacher. I represented the school at most sports but was probably best known for my footballing ability being a member of the school, town and county team. I was offered an apprenticeship by Preston North End but turned it down to continue with my education at sixth form.
A year at college saw me play for the county and college teams but I lost my place at Preston and travelled to Blackburn for a few months but then got a better offer to see the world through the Royal Air Force and maybe become a Physical Training Instructor (PTi).
I joined the Royal Air Force and within three months of completing my initial admin training I was on a plane to Germany to compete in the Air Forces Inter Command Challenge Cup in Germany. I never really got the chance to play at this level again but had a great time and sporting life, learning to Ski, play squash, badminton, tennis, volleyball and basketball and never got the opportunity to become a PTi.
Although my next posting was to Canada I decided that after nine years of having a great life I had better grow up and get a real job, so I left the Airforce, got married, became a Company Accountant and played football until I nearly lost my leg in my very late 30’s from an infected haematoma.
However Tennis had took hold during my time in the Airforce in Belgium so when I left the Airforce I started playing for the Avenue Teams during the Summer and eventually found that Winter League wasn’t too bad to play in either.
I always had an interest in coaching from my school days and had done the normal route of an ageing footballer, helper, Captain, Manager, etc, etc. Steve Turnbull asked me to take on some coaching of the youngsters and convinced me to go and do my Tennis Assistants course, which eventually then led to the DCA, however the income for a qualified Company Accountant is much higher than a tennis coach so coaching became my weekend and night time pleasure.
In 2007 I was made redundant and thought that I would take the opportunity to become a pauper and start coaching as this is something that I really enjoy and am totally committed to – much to the aggravation of my wife – and I’m still doing it after nearly two years……… but watch this space………
Qualifications:
RPT Advanced Coach – October 2010
Lawn Tennis Association Club Coach – February 2010
Nike Community Coach – August 2009
Somerset Mens Over 45’s Captain
Lawn Tennis Association Development Coach – February 04
Chartered Management Accountant – Qualified November 94
Association of Accounting Technicians – Qualified June 90
Chartered Institute of Marketing (Case Study to complete)
Courses:
RPT Advanced Coaching course – Oct 10
LTA Club Coach Course – Feb 2010
Balanced Action Footwork – Feb 2010
LTA Advanced Mini Course – Apr/Jun 2007
First Aid at Work – Nov 06
Somerset Raw Tennis Workshop – Dec 05
LTA Doubles – Nov 05
LTA Coaching for Adults – Nov 05
LTA Coaches Conference – Aug 05
About me:
Racket – Prince EXO3 Red 105
Football Team – Celtic
Favourite Food – Crispy Aromatic Duck
Favourite Tennis Player – Yannick Noah (French man with lots of style and charisma and really competitive nature)
Most Embarrassing Moment – taking a threpenny bit to the head teacher of my infants school in Glasgow and in front of a whole class of 10 year olds telling him that I wanted to join the school fitbaw team – I was 5 at the time.
Proudest Moment – Reaching the semi final of the England Schoolboys Football Cup; although my wedding day and the birth of my daughter are up there too.
Lowest Moment – losing in the semi final of the England Schoolboys Football Cup.
