Welcome to the Spring issue of the newsletter. With the weather getting warmer and the league season around the corner, in this issue we share dates for the coming season and we feature the improver’s group that has been going from strength to strength.

A profile on the improver’s group

My tennis journey through the club by Sarah Brockless

Session leader Ali Hysom, with volunteers and the improvers.

Since October 2022, tennis playing member, Ali Hysom, has set up and organised a free weekly Improver Club Session on Saturdays from 11.30am until 12.30pm. Ali, with her team of volunteers, are all experienced tennis playing members, with a fair few trophies between them all! Have a look in the trophy cabinet when you womble past next time!  

The aim of the session is to support and encourage members that are fairly new to tennis to come along and play in a friendly, fun atmosphere. It isn't just about trying to hit the ball consistently over the net, it is also about learning where to stand during doubles play, how to score, the system and rules followed in Club sessions and matches, court etiquette and also in my case, forming new friendships. 

Joining a tennis club can be daunting, particularly if you are not an experienced player or you are coming along by yourself. The standard Club sessions are very popular with playing members, and whilst they exhibit a wide range of abilities and techniques, initially I didn't feel confident enough in my own ability or understanding of the game to join in. 

In the Improver Club session, everyone starts with the all important warm up and practise, followed by playing four games of doubles, where everyone gets a turn to serve. You don't play with the same individuals for the whole session, because after four games, both pairs split and mix with another court, rotating everyone around. This is not only very sociable, but it allows you to practise with a variety of players, all of which play slightly differently, building up that all important playing experience. This is exactly the same as the other Club sessions, but in this one, you get to ask questions and are guided by the volunteers. They even fetch the balls for you! 

I have always had a group lesson with Tom Perry, the Club's long-standing coach, on Friday evenings, and so the Improver session also enabled me to practice my technique or try out shots I had learnt the evening before. The old phrase, 'practice makes perfect' doesn't quite summarise my play........I'm not quite ready for Wimbledon Seniors yet, but I found myself gradually improving over the months with the regular practice and support. 

Last year, having joined the tennis committee (not compulsory for Improvers, but welcomed if you want to be involved) I decided to build upon Ali's Improvers sessions, with the introduction of Improver tournaments. These were run in the same way as the other Club tournaments, on the same day, just at a different time. There are no knock out rules, each player accumulates their own score based upon the number of games won with each rotated doubles game played over the duration of the tournament. Both tournaments were well supported; spirits were high and prizes won. My overriding memory was the sound of laughter drifting across to my table whilst I was adding up scores and timing rounds!

The other players I started with have all improved significantly, not just in technique, thanks to Tom's endless patience, but also in confidence. Consequently, there are now at least sixteen Improvers, including myself, who have ventured up into the standard Club sessions, and are holding their own, benefiting from playing at a higher level and with a wider variety of different player styles. I certainly don't get all the balls back yet, but I did get a point from an A Team lady after a long rally last week, so I feel I am progressing!

Several Improvers have transitioned by going to both the Improver and standard Club sessions, sometimes just playing for a short time in the standard sessions to get a feel for the higher level, and also for an extra bit of practice. Saturday mornings at the club are always buzzing with caffeine and chatter. Between or after sessions, I love sitting in one of the cosy sofas, or outside on a sunny day, soaking up the friendly atmosphere, nattering to other members or simply listening to the banter between old friends and rivalries!

For some of the ladies who started in Improvers, we have this year reached the dizzy heights of being entered into the District League as a brand new Ladies Squad. Whilst I feel slightly nervous about the prospect, the bonds of friendship created in those early Improvers sessions give the 'D' Squad a very positive vibe and a feeling of being part of something special, as we continue our tennis journeys together, thanks in no small way to Ali and her volunteers.

Look out for Improver Tournaments again this year - details will be in member emails. The first date is the 12th April.

2025 Colchester & District League

In February, the committee met to discuss squads for the upcoming season. Captains and squads have now been confirmed. The full protocol we use is posted on the Tennis Noticeboard. In summary, the committee choose the captains and who is registered for each squad, based on previous results, and then it is up to each team captain to choose their team for each match. As per the article above, we are delighted to welcome a new Ladies D Team. Fixtures will be announced soon. We are looking forward to a great season of matches ahead.

Safeguarding

The Colchester Officers' Club is committed to prioritising the well-being of all children and vulnerable young adults at risk, promoting safeguarding in our club at all times. All types of abuse that occur in society also occur in tennis and the sport is not immune from it.

Our coach, Tom Perry has LTA accreditation, which means he has a recognised qualification, DBS check, safeguarding and is first aid trained. We also have several members who hold enhanced DBS checks.

The responsibility falls to us all. If you have any concerns, please report this to Maria Loftus on marialoftus@hotmail.com or 07954694690. You can report directly to the LTA via the secure online form or via email (safeguarding@lta.org.uk). If the concern is urgent or out of office hours ring 999, or 101 for non- emergencies. You can also contact the NSPCC on 0800 800 5000.

The Tennis Mingle is back!

It’s that time of year again!  As we all look forward to the start of the tennis season, we invite you to our annual Tennis Mingle on Saturday 15th March at 6pm.

Whether you’re a new or long-standing member of the club, whether you consider yourself to be a Wimbledon nearly champion or a beginner, this informal drinks and nibbles session is for YOU!  If, like most of us, you’re somewhere in between, please do come and help share in the very important social side of playing tennis!  Most of the tennis committee will be there too, so do feel free to talk to any of us about things you like at the club, together with areas where you feel we could improve!

But most of all, just come and share your friendliness with all of us – this is what the Officers’ Club does best!

Do put Saturday 15th March, 6pm in your diary and drop an email to loess@tapperfs.co.uk if you’re coming (so we have a rough idea of numbers for the nibbles).

Future dates

Other important dates for your diaries:

• Fundraising tournament - 12th April
• Free fun tournament – 17th May
• Pimm's and wooden rackets tournament – 5th July
• Charity tournament – 16th August. Colchester Food Bank is the member nominated charity.
• Club Championships Finals Day - Sunday 14th September
• Back up Club Championships Finals Day - Sunday 21st September
• End of season dinner – 4th October
• Christmas jumper tournament – 27th December

Reminder

There have been situations recently where members who have booked courts have not turned up and courts were not cancelled. It is everyone’s responsibility to cancel a court if it is no longer required, as court time is precious.

Please also ensure lights are turned off following play and paid for at the bar.

Committee changes

There have been a few changes to the tennis committee recently to make you aware of. Angela Eastaugh has stepped down after a huge number of years of volunteering. We’d like to express our gratitude for her valuable inputs over the years. Anna Bisco has also stepped down and is passing on the responsibility for this newsletter to Karen. We have also welcomed Gavin Hazlewood and Maria Loftus. Maria will be taking over Safeguarding from Angela. Many thanks to Gavin and Maria for coming on board.

They will be joining:  

• Peter Halliday – Co-Chair
• Kevin Eastaugh – Co-Chair
• Tom Perry – Club Coach
• Sarah Brockless – Secretary
• Loess Overbury-Tapper
• Karen Ainley