By Contributor Coreen Henman (no relation of Tim!)
If I were to stereotype, I’d class tennis as a sport reserved for the upper class.
I imagine the players in their crisp white kit, people sipping champagne around the court in a posh club attended by an elite. I’ve also always had the idea that if you didn’t play from an early age, there was no point in playing at all. Despite this, I wanted to get involved. Tennis has always captivated me with its intensity, its technicalities and the way it demands your attention and concentration. I had a look to see if there were any clubs around my local town. To my surprise there was a large club not far from the town centre but they were asking for a whole year’s membership at once without any kind of trial. Considering I’d never played before and didn’t know how terrible I’d be, I wasn’t willing to make such a large commitment.
The time came around to go to university and I decided to grace my presence upon Nottingham Trent. They have an impressive array of sports teams and facilities including, you guessed it, tennis. It wasn’t until second year that I built up the confidence to approach the club at the fresher’s fair. One of the girls asked me how experienced I was and my shameful response was that I wasn’t. I felt like a fool. However, instead of turning me away with a sly grin on her face, the girl said ‘it doesn’t matter, we all have to start somewhere!’ She explained how there was beginners, developmental and advanced training which meant that anyone could get involved and she invited me to go to a taster session that weekend. All it took to be accepted into a group that I’d senselessly stereotyped was a little bit a bravery.
Ever punctual, I turned up late to the session at West Bridgford Tennis Club where the warm up had already begun. Everyone was waving their arms and legs around in their mismatched kits and there wasn’t a glass of champagne in sight. I instantly felt at home and couldn’t believe that I’d wasted so much time worrying about what other people might think of me. I was probably the worst of a terrible bunch who had next to no background in tennis, but that was nothing to worry about.
The coach, Richard, divided his time between all of us, giving us personalised tips on how we could improve our game. Obviously, I didn’t leave the session being Wimbledon standard but I was a slight portion closer. I’ve been going a few weeks now for £2 a session and as a student I can definitely call that a bargain, considering the high quality training that we receive.
I’m somewhat glad that I waited until I came to the city of Nottingham to pursue tennis and I feel really lucky to be able to take advantage of what it has to offer. You don’t have to be a student to be rewarded with these privileges but I’m just one example of somebody who had all of these ridiculous preconceptions about tennis that stopped me enjoying myself. It’s never too late to get involved and there are many others in exactly the same boat as you. Check out the venues tab in the top right corner to find out about the sessions and events that take place in local areas around the city.
For students the social tennis session for beginners runs every Wednesday from 1.30-3pm at West Bridgford Tennis Club. The session takes place indoors and racquets are provided. No need to book, just turn up in your sportswear of any colour!!