Kingswood  LTC  Newsletter

Issue 10 March 2021

It is fantastic to be able to begin a newsletter with an upbeat message this time!  We are getting ready to open the Club on 29th March, so it will soon be time for us all to don our tennis shoes and take to the courts with a little bit of care to ensure that forgotten muscles don’t complain too much.  Hopefully, the weather will be kind to us this Spring and we can make the most of our rediscovered freedoms (bearing a few Covid rules and regulations in mind).

Clubhouse

We will all be very pleased to get back on court, but please remember that, although the Club is open for tennis, at this stage the clubhouse itself remains closed.  Members are permitted to enter the clubhouse for emergency first aid, to use the disabled toilet in emergencies and to access the floodlights (and the coaches can access equipment etc) but that is all.  The LTA guidance grid and notes at the end of the newsletter summarise the current position.

As mentioned in previous communications, all has not been quiet at the Club despite the lockdown. A number of repairs and updates have been going on, the most recent of which is the installation of security fencing and replacement of the entrance gate at the front of the Club. In order to afford greater security for the Clubhouse, courts and grounds, access to the Club will now be using a digital keypad, details of which will be emailed to members shortly.  The entrances to the courts from outside the club will also be locked with the same access code.   It is envisaged that, rather than everyone needing to use the keypad, the first arrival and the last leaver of the Club will unlock and lock the entrance gate.  The idea is that if at any time of day there is no-one at the Club, it should be locked, so for example if you are leaving at 10 a.m. and no-one else is there, you should lock the gate.

Other new arrivals include updated coat hooks on the courts and scoreboards attached to the court nets.  These can be used during play if you wish, but certainly should be during matches so that any spectators (once these are permitted under Covid regulations) will be able to follow the progress of play.  We now also have white markers on the grass verge in the car park to delineate parking spaces and thus maximise the number of cars in the parking area.  

Another addition that you will notice in the coming weeks will be ‘sails’ in the conservatory to keep that area cooler in summer and to prevent sun damage to the furniture and fittings.  We are also in the process of acquiring a suggestion box for the clubhouse where you can post any ideas you may wish the committee to consider.

KLTC Bar

We are very excited that the bar – at long last – will be able to open again from 12th April (for the bar itself the first opening will be on 14th April) provided there isn’t any adverse news from the Government. The bar will only be open after Club’s social sessions ie Wednesday evening from 8.30pm, Thursday afternoon from 3.30pm and after the evening session, Friday evening from 6.30pm and at the weekends after the morning and afternoon social sessions.

During these opening times, we will be subject to current Covid restrictions and will need to act prudently. This means that, initially, in order to comply with current government guidance, we will only be allowed to be outside, sitting in groups of up to 6 or 2 households of any number. Social distancing rules will apply and there will be no ordering from the bar itself - it is table service only.  Masks must be worn (even outside) unless you are seated so if you are standing waiting or are walking between tables, you must wear a mask. Similarly, if you are accessing floodlight switches, first aid supplies or the disabled toilet, the mask-wearing rules apply.  From 17th May (currently) these restrictions will change slightly so we will send out an update nearer the time.

Social Tennis

Social sessions will begin in the week beginning 29th March, so again look out for WhatsApp group messages inviting you to sign up and giving the times and details of the sessions.  We are also planning to run some fun American tournaments on Saturdays in July and August; more details will follow in the coming weeks.

The court booking system is up and running on the KLTC website so you can check court availability and book courts rather than turning up and being disappointed.  It is likely that courts will be well utilised in the coming weeks.

Club Finals’ Day – Sunday 4th July

As yet there is some uncertainty of course around the exact format of this event, but we are planning to run our traditional Club competition as normally as possible.  Hefin is in the throes of preparing his spreadsheets for the draw so entries to the different events will be welcomed soon. Please look out for updates on this.

2021 Wimbledon Tickets

Unfortunately the LTA has announced that they will not be holding a ballot for Wimbledon tickets this year.  This is because there is still a large degree of uncertainty about how many spectators will be allowed in to the Championships.  The AELTC have decided to offer everyone who had purchased a ticket through the public ballot last year the option to take up the same tickets this year. The LTA are working closely with the AELTC to ensure an allocation of tickets will be available to LTA Members.  It is proposed that these tickets will be made available online in June – we are assuming that this will be on a first come first served basis.  Further information will follow.

In case you were thinking that you are so desperate to get to Wimbledon this year that you are prepared to queue – think again! The Queue has been cancelled this year and there will be no resale of tickets on the day.  Remember though that we have a large TV in the Clubhouse and we might even be able to lay on some Pimms and strawberries!

Team news

We are hoping to run a number of teams in various leagues over the summer so fingers crossed that Boris’s Roadmap can follow its planned course.  These are the teams we have entered into the leagues and the players who have offered to captain them:

Junior News

Junior coaching will begin in the Easter holidays with Valentin’s popular Easter camps. There are camps for Tiny Tots, Juniors and Teens. Booking is now open and spaces are limited so please book early to avoid being disappointed.

For any booking or enquires please contact Valentin on 07919 453206 or coaching.kingswoodltc@gmail.com.

Committee Changes

Peter Wyatt is stepping down as Club Treasurer and has handed over to Ally Fincher-Jones.  Many thanks to Peter for his contribution to the Club in this role over the last 2 years and a warm welcome to Ally.  However, we are not losing Peter as he has agreed to take over as Social Secretary. He is currently drawing up our Club social calendar for the remainder of 2021 and you can find this towards the end of the newsletter.

Support our Men’s Club Champion – James Beaven

2020 was a tough year for James.  He achieved a high national ranking at U16 and was looking forward to playing junior International Tennis Federation (ITF) Tournaments around Europe and national competitions in the U.K.

During lockdown, tennis training and tournament play has been very limited. Therefore, James took the opportunity to work on his fitness. He has been working on his physical development with Mike Smith, Personal Trainer, and member of Kingswood LTC. They have been working on a series of specific tennis related exercises, focusing on footwork, mobility, balance, and strength.

James was recently able to spend three weeks at an elite tennis academy called the Playerzone in Belgrade, Serbia.  The training was more intensive than he has experienced, and each day included three hours on court and one-hour physical training often with a 5km run at the end.

His ultimate ambition is to be a professional tennis player, playing Davis Cup for Team G.B and also competing in grand slam tournaments.  In the next two years, his aspirations are to play Junior Wimbledon, Junior Grand Slams and to have a high ITF junior ranking. Looking further ahead, James is hoping to turn professional when he is 18. If he can reach a top 5 U.K ranking by then, he will try playing Challengers and Futures events, which are just below the main ATP Tour. However, if he is not quite ready when he is 18, he hopes to attend a university in the U.S on a tennis scholarship. They have brilliant tennis programs and have produced many professional tennis players. He is already looking at division one universities in California. This would be a great experience and help him prepare for the professional tour.

To help James achieve his goals, he needs to train with players with similar ambitions, working on his game and physical development. He is currently looking at attending the Soto Tennis Academy in Spain from September this year.  He would be allocated an individual coach for private tuition and he is considering training there for about 20 weeks of the year, including travelling to tournaments. He will also play some British Tour events and national events in the U.K.

Full time training at the Soto Tennis Academy costs £30,000 per year or £3,000 per month if only attending for part of the year. James is currently looking for sponsors to fund this next stage of his tennis development. If you would like to support him, please donate to his Just Giving page:   https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/jane-beaven

Social Events

Below is the calendar of social events which we hope to host.  We look forward to seeing many of you there.