2020 – The Year of the Ace

47,146 total bookings. 4,286 per calendar month. 153 people per day playing tennis in Leeds’ local parks this year so far. In Roundhay Park alone, from 10th May until 9th November, 19,103 bookings were made, an average of 113 per day in that time period. What an incredible achievement for getting and keeping Leeds active. 

Further to that, the group coaching programme, coordinated by Community Tennis Activator Danny Burrell, returned on 9th August and has since taken 753 coaching session bookings and engaged 142 players. Of these coaching bookings, children aged 4-8 years were engaged 225 times, mini players between 8 and 11 years attended 118 lessons, juniors 9 years and above participated 178 times and adults (at both beginner and intermediate levels) made up the final 232 bookings, demonstrating that lessons were offered to an incredibly wide range of ages and abilities. To ensure that group lessons were safe and high quality delivery was maintained, group lessons were, and continue to be, limited to 5 players per class (plus the coach), costing £6.50 per session in a block of 6 lessons. At Roundhay Park, an average of 4.46 players attended each lesson, showcasing the high demand for lessons in addition to the consistency of a premium service on the part of all coaches over the last 6 months.

Thanks to the exceptional work of coaches Patrick Di Maio, John Marah, Adam Hillerby and Andrea Llerena, Danny’s team delivered weekly group coaching lessons at Roundhay, Springhead and Dartmouth Parks, plus continues the offer these lessons at Roundhay and Springhead Parks year-round. In addition to this, Community Tennis Activator Danny Burrell and Level 3 Tennis Coach Patrick Di Maio have launched an individual coaching programme, which has led to 90 six- and twelve-hour private session blocks, and offers lessons across the entirety of Leeds. All income goes back into the maintenance and development of the Leeds Parks Programme.

Despite interruptions, due to the success of the Leeds Parks Tennis Programme throughout 2020, there are plans to add Woodhouse Moor Park as an additional hub for tennis coaching activity in Spring 2021 as well as resume Tennis for Free activity at Manston Park under Coach Cezar, who offered free group coaching sessions and equipment for free play. Furthermore, the programme will continue to grow, offering more coaching lessons throughout the summer on weekday evenings at Roundhay and Springhead Park with Community Tennis Activator Danny taking on more of a facilitator role by observing and providing feedback for coaches to ensure that the coaching programme maintains its high standards.

Overall, in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, 2020 really has been the Year of the Ace.

In the meantime, if you or your children would like to start active, why not enter our Free Lockdown Tennis Challenge Series available here, plus stay up to date with our social media ‘Leeds Park Tennis’:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vegpPyH8MyE

If you’d like to get involved in the group lessons, as of 2nd December, when lockdown is set to be finished, our current group coaching will resume as follows:

• Roundhay Park

Saturdays:

 4-8 years – 1:10 – 2:10pm

 9+ years – 2:20 – 3:20pm

 Adult Intermediates – 12pm – 1pm

Sundays:

 4-7 years – 10 – 11am

 8-11 years – 11:10am – 12:10pm

 Adult Beginners – 12:20 – 1:20pm

• Springhead Park

Fridays (under floodlights):

 4-7 years – 4:20 – 5:20pm

 8-11 years – 5:30 – 6:30pm

 Adult Intermediates – 6:40 – 7:40pm

Saturdays (under floodlights):

 4-8 years – 1:50 – 2:50pm

 9+ years – 3 – 4pm

 Adult Improvers – 4:10 – 5:10pm

Lessons at Dartmouth Park and weekday Roundhay and Springhead Park lessons will return in Spring 2021.

Each lesson costs £6.50, paid in a block of 6 sessions. The use of floodlights is included within this price.

Private lessons through our individual coaching programme are also available.

Contact Community Tennis Activator Danny Burrell on Daniel.Burrell@leeds.gov.uk or 07891 271301 for more information on group or private lessons.