Congratulations to BVLTC’s Clare Bell who has just completed the LTA’s demanding training course to gain her Level 3 coaching qualification.

The Level 3 coach course took seven months to complete and involved hours on court with practical assessments for group and individual coaching plus extensive coursework.  This included a player development project designed to improve a player over an 8 week period, online learning and tests.

Clare began coaching at Bourton Tennis Club in January 2023 after moving to the village in 2017.  She has also been a key player in Bourton’s ladies’ A and mixed teams and currently plays in the over 35s and 40s county squads.

“I was introduced to tennis by my mum at the age of about three,” explains Clare.

“I started playing in my garden with a wooden cut down squash racket and went on to represent the region and county as a junior.”

More recently, Clare competed in the 2024 and 2025 ITF (International Tennis Federation) Masters Tour where she won two tournaments and was runner up in a third which resulted in her being ranked second in Great Britain for her age group.

Continuing in the family tradition, Clare’s elder son Will is a keen tennis player and represents Gloucestershire.  Younger brother Jacob is a keen golfer but still enjoys a hit with his brother and mum. 

“I enjoy coaching all ages and abilities whether it is individual or groups. I particularly enjoy delving into the tactical side of the game,” says Clare.

We are very lucky to have Clare on our coaching team headed by Kingsley Harris.  Both Kingsley and BVLTC have supported Clare on her coaching journey.  If you would like to book a private lesson with Clare please contact her on 07495767343 or clarebell.tennis@outlook.com to discuss times and prices.