SUMMER 2020 NEWSLETTER

News from Uffington Tennis Club

I am sure some of you will already have taken advantage of the recent relaxation in lockdown restrictions and taken to the courts! It's been really busy on the booking system, which is great news for us as a club, and for the sport in general. I would just like to update you on our progress towards reinstating coaching at the club, highlight some nuances surrounding the court booking system, and remind you how we should leave the courts to ensure they remain in good repair. Also below is some important news about court closure for cleaning and painting and an update on the ladder competition.

Coaching

You will have noticed we have been without a club coach so far this season. This is because we lost our last coach at the end of last season and have been delayed getting a new one due to COVID. We have now managed to reach a really good agreement with a superb coaching team, who we hope to have on board by mid-July latest. They are a multi-coach team, with dedicated admin support, and will run weekly junior and adult sessions, as well as 1-2-1 lessons for anyone who wants them. Once on board, they will have exclusive rights to coach at Uffington. More to come on this exciting new very soon.

Booking

The online booking system via Clubspark has been updated to allow 30 minute booking slots to increase flexibility for members. You are still allowed up to 2 hours worth of slots in any one booking. You can also book up to 14 days in advance but please remember you have to sign in to Clubspark to book a court. There is no change to the rule that you can only have one live booking at any time, to make access fair for everyone. As soon as that booking is used, you can book another one. Our Clubspark booking page is at:https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/UffingtonLawnTennisClub/Booking/BookByDate#?date=2020-06-12&role=guest 

Nets 

Please de-tension the net when you have finished your game to prevent damage to the surface around the posts. The tension in the wire at the top of the nets is really significant and other clubs have already seen damage in the post fixings from over tensioned nets and from nets being left tensioned all the time. There is a measuring stick on court to ensure the net is at the correct height before play, but please then release it afterwards. Please remember to bring your hand sanitisers and/or wipes to clean the net winders and gate before and after you have used them.

Court closure for cleaning and painting

We are about to clean the courts, and both have been booked out for the day on Wednesday 17th June for cleaning. The following week, starting on Monday 22ndwe will be re-painting both courts. To allow time for drying the courts will not re-open until Wednesday 24th.Of course this will be dependent on the weather. We apologise for the inconvenience this will cause during this lovely weather and period of high interest, but we hope the end results will be worth it - not only aesthetically, but also to prevent the courts getting as slippery in wet weather and to preserve the surface to push out the need to resurface them as long as possible.

LTA guidelines

The LTA guidelines remain our handrail during these cautious steps out of lockdown. The link is below, and a copy of the main points is pinned up on the gate at the courts.www.lta.org.uk/globalassets/venue/support-your-venue/documents/venue-poster---playing-tennis-in-england-during-coronavirus-outbreak.pdf

Ladder news

The Uffington ladder is live and busy! Lots of matches have already been played and all the results and current rankings can be found on http://www.uffingtontennis.co.uk/ladder.html. All ladder players should have received an email with contact details of other players in order to organise your matches. Remember you can challenge someone up to 3 places above you. If you'd like to join or have any questions, please contact Annabel: campbellannabel@gmail.com.

Thank you for reading and I do hope you're enjoying our wonderful game...

Best wishes,

Rob Hart
Club Chairman 

Uffington Lawn Tennis Club