At every age group level, Harrodians are getting passionate about playing tennis and standards are rising as fast as the demand for coaching
A wander around Harrodian’s ‘astro’ pitches in the summer term is enough to get a sense of the growing appetite for tennis at Harrodian. During morning and lunchtime breaks, the courts are full of Prep and Senior pupils competing to be first on court to practise their shots. Meanwhile, the Pre-Prep after-school tennis club on Thursday afternoons boasts a membership of over 30 would-be Wimbledon winners.
It was no surprise then when the Easter trip for pupils led by Head of Tennis, Mr Tim Seaton to the Vale do Lobo Tennis Academy on Portugal’s Algarve coast attracted more than 31 pupils. The trip gave Harrodians aged from 11-15 the opportunity to enjoy technical and match play sessions with experienced coaches along and downtime to relax on the beautiful local beaches. They then had the chance to put new skills into practice by playing in competitive tournaments against pupils from schools including Hailebury, Cranleigh, Bedford and Surbiton as well as to enjoy some down time relaxing on the beach.
I absolutely loved being able to play tennis with different year groups and training with new people... I could definitely see a difference in my tennis after the trip
Daphne, 14s (Year 10) pupil
There's no doubting pupils' enthusiasm for the trip. ‘I absolutely loved being able to play tennis with different year groups and being able to train with new people,’ says Daphne, a promising player in the 14s (Year10). ‘And I could definitely see a difference in my tennis after the trip, especially with my consistency in my shots and better footwork and movement.’ Her fellow Year 10 pupil Paul agrees, describing the trip as 'loads of fun' and praising the excellent coaching. 'It met the needs of players of all abilities and ages,' he says. 'A lot of my friends significantly improved their ball striking from the basket drills we did and some of them learnt a new kick serve.'
The coaching trip is perfectly timed as a preparation for the summer tennis season and the performance of Harrodian teams across senior age groups this term suggests it is having an impact across age groups. For example, the Under 13s Boys team has won their Surrey League group and the U15 Girls have remained unbeaten all season.
Naturally Mr Seaton is encouraged by the rising standards across the board. ‘We're more than holding our own in competition with the best local schools so we’re keen to build on that,’ he says. ‘And enthusiasm for the game here is reflected in the demand for practice and club time. I’m currently running sessions before school on Monday and Wednesday mornings and lunchtime clubs on every weekday.’