TALENT SPOTTING – SEPTEMBER 2007


With over 50 rackets and new coaching equipment, Coach Noah, myself and other tennis volunteers Rob Sadler, Joe Page and Ed Banks suggested the idea of getting a new generation of tennis players at the academy.















So... we arranged with the local school on the campus ‘University Practice Junior Secondary School’ to go and visit the school’s Headmaster and discussed the opportunity of allocating a period in the pupils timetable to come to the Academy for talentspotting clinics.


Back to school.....been a while


















We did 3 days of spotting clinics with children aged 8 – 12 years taking 50 children each clinic. We first split them into numbered groups and allocated them to a tennis volunteer. We all had designated activities we would do on our court and rotated the groups amongst the coaches every 20 minutes, noting which students showed possible potential. The activites included teamwork, co-ordination, movement, speed, physical conditioning and basic tennis skills with the sports equipment and rackets we had donated - all good fun!















































Future Ghana Tennis Stars

Out of the children who participated in the tennis clinics, we selected 25 and invited them to come to daily training after school to encourage a new generation of young tennis players. They used the donated rackets and some were so keen they would be waiting with a huge smile at the tennis courts a few hours before!


WINNEBLEDON – JUNIOR TOURNAMENT FOR THE NEW GENERATION


16 – 18 OCTOBER 2007

To encourage healthy competition between the new players, we organised a Junior tournament at the National Sports College and named it ‘Winnebledon’ for Boys and Girls Under 12. We were interviewed about this on
Winneba's biggest Radio Station 'Radio Peace' in a 30 minute live slot. Tennis volunteer Kate Leafe brought some sweets so we used them as prizes with certificates for the winners. Ace!




































New Kids on The Block.....