A Barry mum has been selected to train with Team GB David Cup Captain Leon Smith, to deliver free tennis sessions to local children.
Mum of 3, Penny Mickelsen, 40, of Clos yr Wylan, Barry Island, applied for the honour of delivering a series of coaching sessions for children brand new to tennis as part of the Davis Cup Legacy Programme. Having achieved the status of best men’s tennis team in the world last autumn by winning the coveted Davis Cup, British Tennis launched the Davis Cup Legacy Programme to attract new children to the sport, and sought the best coaches from around the country to deliver their bespoke courses. Penny, a development coach with Vale Tennis Academy (which delivers coaching across clubs and community venues throughout the Vale of Glamorgan), had to apply for the opportunity through written endorsement from her club (Barry Community Tennis Club, which operates at Millwood and Romilly Courts), a summary of her coaching experience and a video outlining the reasons why she wants to be part of the Davis Cup Legacy Programme [you can watch this video on my facebook page – please don’t include the link, but feel free to use quotes from the video]
As a successful applicant, Penny will now attend a day’s training with Leon Smith and receive Team GB kit to wear when delivering the sessions. The free sessions will be offered to up to 10 children free of charge for a 6 week course at the Millwood courts (multiple courses will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and only to children who have not previously participated in any of the club’s organised courses). The children who complete the course will receive a free tennis racquet from British Tennis, and receive incentives to continue their tennis journey with subsidised sessions on the club’s programme.
On hearing of her selection for the programme, Penny said: “For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a coach is introducing new families to our amazing sport, so being part of a high profile programme which offers that introduction free of charge to families who might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage in tennis, is amazing. I’m thrilled that British Tennis is reaching out to a new audience and excited to be a part of building the next generation of tennis players.”
For more information about this and other local tennis opportunities, check out Barry Community Tennis Club’s Facebook page, email info@barryctc.co.uk or take a look at www.valetennisacademy.co.uk