Question 1 - Andrew Smith - You are the club captain for Charnwood Tennis Clubs mens'' teams for the forthcoming season, what does this role involve?
Answer 1 - Dave Bond
• At the end of the previous season we need to decide how many men’s teams to enter into each competition for the following season (including over 40’s and over 60’s).
• Find Captains for each team in all Mens Competitions summer, winter and vets.
• Allocate squads for each team, in conjunction with the various Team Captains preferences.
• Liaise with the Clubs Match Secretary ahead of the league fixtures being compiled .
• Help co-ordinate alternative players when Captains are needing to fill teams.
• Ensure communication between the team captains so we can all see who has played or not and therefore who is tied to particular teams or not.
• Advise new Captains on the requirements for being a team Captain, helping them initially while they get used to the role.
• Look for prospective new team players via new attendees at club play, new members, coaching and any other source possible
Q2) (AS) Charnwood Tennis Club will be entering several teams, with the first team in The Premier Division, what are your aspirations for the season?
A2) (DB) Over recent years we have had some really great team performances with lots of promotions throughout the leagues year by year. We now have Mens teams in various divisions spanning from the very top Premier Division to the lowest Division, this span of teams enables us to include match players of all levels into our Team Structure.
A great season would be if all of our players enjoy playing in the teams and experience competitive tennis, if we then also see some of our teams promoted then so much the better.
Q3). (AS) You will be captain of the mens' fourth team, are you looking forward to this and are there any specific challenges for this team?
A3). (DB) I’m really looking forward to this year with the 4th team. Last year we gained promotion so will face a good challenge this year but we have a couple of new players in the squad and look forward to enjoying some competitive matches in division 3.
Q4). (AS) Are there any players we should be looking out for in the campaign?
A4). (DB) Most definitely. I always want to see the younger players advancing through our team structure and improving each year, we have a number of younger guys who will be playing at a higher level than last year so good luck to them all this season.
Q5). (AS) What is the format of the matches - how many players in a team and how long will the sets be played over?
A5). (DB) Each Team is made up of 6 players in 3 Doubles Pairings. Each pair plays all 3 of the opposition pairs for a set, which is the first to 8 games (rather than 6), with a tie break at 7 all. The matches usually take 2 to 3 hours.
Q6). (AS). So you have six players in a team, how will you select the three pairings?
A6 (DB) This depends upon the strength and weaknesses of the players available but most players tend to prefer to play on either the left or right side of the court, when playing doubles, this is a good starting point when looking at squad pairings.
Q7). (AS) Are there any particular fixtures that stand out and if so why?
A7). (DB) This varies by team as rivalries develop over the years but it is always fun to play other local teams from the Soar Valley area.
Q8). (AS) What advice and guidance would you offer players, especially those who haven't played many matches before?
A8). (DB) The most important thing is to enjoy the match regardless of the result. It will feel different to social play but try to relax, play your normal game and keep making the opposition play that extra shot!
Q9). (AS). Charnwood Tennis Club will be entering 13 teams (six men's and seven ladies). What does this say about the overall state of health of Charnwood Tennis Club?
A9). (DB) The club is doing really well and has gone from strength to strength in recent years. We have a great group of friendly members, who all enjoy their tennis and love to help new members find their feet. We also have the best courts in the local area with a choice of 3x Artificial Clay, 4 x Savanah and one hard court with 7 courts floodlit.
Q10). (AS) The season starts soon and runs until early July, with nine or ten fixtures per team. Are there any particular issues playing regular fixtures on a weekly basis?
A10). (DB) Sue Foreman is our wonderful Match Secretary, it’s a massive task but Sue does a fabulous job scheduling all of the matches and reserving the required courts whilst still ensuring that social play and coaching can also take place during the match season.
AS). Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions and best wishes for the forthcoming season