A lot of you have been coached, played tennis or enjoyed Rosemary Snook's company and on 29th September we celebrated  50 years of Rosemary's coaching.

 For  a summary of Rosemary's coaching life see the article below:

LOVE FIFTY
by Bob "the Cat" Bevan MBE
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"I've just always wanted people to love playing tennis". Rosemary Snook's feeling for coaching is as strong today as it was when she first took four little girls under her wing 50 years ago.

Growing up in her parents' pub, the Rose and Crown in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, she was 11 before she first picked up a racquet. "My parents didn't have much time but a lady called Audrey Stapleton was coaching in the local recreation ground and my love affair started from day one. She carried on coaching until she was 93!"

By the time she was 17 she was the National Schools Champion which saw her win two weeks coaching with Lew Hoad in Malaga, Spain. Her male counterpart was John Feaver who went on to play Davis Cup tennis.

Sadly a slipped disc put her out of action for a year so who knows what might have been? Despite the set-back she was good enough to enter the Wimbledon qualifying tournaments for three years although without getting through.

Even so she was ranked ninth in the country at under 21 level and played in a full international for England against Wales.

She was number two to Virginia Wade in Kent and often played with her. "She tried to take every shot if she could and, of course, we were both left-side players so you can imagine who had to play on the right."

She also featured in many pre-Wimbledon tournaments, once playing against the legendary Australian Evonne Goolagong.
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After meeting husband Stephen at a Frinton Tennis Week she spent two years in Saudi Arabia, still coaching and twice winning the Eastern Province Championship.

Back in England tennis took a back seat as she started a family but she was soon back at the Nevill Club in Tunbridge Wells before switching to St Johns Tennis Club 20 years ago.

Those four little girls, 50 years ago, paid just 25 pence for a lesson. "That quid was very handy for me at the time," said Rosemary. One went on to play for the County but there is no national figure who she can claim benefitted from her extraordinary service to the game. Not that she has a moment's regret about that. 

In a local newspaper report some 45 years ago Rosemary is quoted as saying that when playing became less important she wanted to start coaching to give something back to the game. Then, in her early 20s, she added "by the age of 30 most players are past their best so it is important that I train hard and play to win." Mr Federer (36) obviously has heeded her words

Still very fit at 67 she can celebrate half a century of giving back to the game she clearly loves as much today as she did when she was 11.

Might she aim for Mrs Stapleton's record and still be coaching at 93? Don't bet against it."