Question 1).  Andrew Smith -  You are the club captain for Charnwood Tennis Club ladies' teams for the forthcoming season, what does this role involve?

Answer 1).   Caroline Wilkinson  - As ladies captain I am responsible for arranging captains for all our teams, 7 summer league, 4 over 40s and 5 winter league. We all then meet to discuss the relevant squads to ensure that all players get optimum opportunities to play competitive tennis at appropriate levels. This is very important in encouraging players of all levels to enjoy their tennis experiences. I am forever grateful to all our volunteer captains.
 

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) (CW)  As I just said we have many teams across all levels and so I hope that all players feel comfortable in their squads to enable them to enjoy their fixtures. We have made some changes to our first team this year and I hope that the new players settle in well to gain experience at that level to provide the Club with sound foundations for years to come.
 

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).   (CW)   As a senior player at the Club, I am really looking forward to leading the second team this year. My main challenge is to try to ensure that the players within the squad feel that, if they perform at their best, they will get opportunities to step up to have chances to play in the first team.

Q4).  (AS)   Are there any players we should be looking out for in the campaign? 

A4).  (CW)   We have always, as a Club, had a very inclusive approach and so it would be inappropriate to specify particular players. Everyone is an important member of a team. 
 

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).  (CW)   For the summer league we have 3 pairs per team so all matches are doubles.

Every pair plays each pair from our opponents in mini matches with the first pair to win 8 games being the winners. Matches can go on for up three to four hours so stamina is key.

Q6).  (AS).  So you have six players in a team, how will you select the three pairings?

A6)  (CW). Choosing pairings is always a tricky one. 

Sometimes it is just chosen on friendship but more often it depends on preferred receiving sides and/or a player's strength, for example a strong net player ideally plays with a partner who has strong ground strokes. For new players in teams it is important to pair them with a more experienced player to help guide them through the learning experience of match play. 

Q7).  (AS)  Are there any particular fixtures that stand out and if so why?

A7).  (CW)   A stand out fixture for my 2nd team is our last one, against Carisbrooke who were very unlucky to have been relegated from the Premier league last year. They have some very talented players so will provide a tough test for us all.

Q8).  (AS)   What advice and guidance would you offer players, especially those who haven't played many matches before?

A8).   (CW)    My advice to new match play players is to go out and enjoy the experience and try not to be too set on actual results. Learning to play matches takes time and experience cannot be rushed.

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). (CW).   Charnwood tennis club has one of the highest number of teams entered out of all clubs over Leicestershire. This is a great achievement and reward for those willing volunteers who run teams over the months. Having so many teams enables players at all levels to gain experience of playing matches as the teams stretch across all divisions.

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).  (CW)   I find that, once the season starts, players are very committed to their weekly matches and thrive on the regularity of competition. Occasionally we seem to have a date where, for some reason, a team may be short of players but this is not a general rule.
 

Thank you for taking the time and trouble to answer these questions and best wishes for the campaign.