wilfjessop
Joined: 14 May 2006
Posts: 4
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 Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject: I'VE GOT MY OWN TRUMPET AND I'M NOT AFRAID TO BLOW IT! |
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When I packed in my proper job sitting at a desk playing with computers (err, hang on, that's what I'm doing now...) to become a part-time (ha-ha!) Tennis Coach just a brief 6 years ago, little did I realise how much of my time my "hobby" was going to take up. I started doing "short tennis" (as it was then) with as many as 16 kids a week in that 1st year. In addition, I was coaching older kids (Improvers) and an Adult group, plus some individual lessons. The following year (2002) the idea of the Red/Orange/Green scheme for "Mini Tennis" came in, and we at HG became an Accredited Mini Tennis Centre. The number of kids in the groups rose to a high of around 40. By the middle of 2003, the MT groups peaked at over 60 in the Summer term. Then in 2004, this became 80, and, in 2005, almost 100. This number proved to be pretty much a ceiling in 2006, limited by the my setting of a maximum group size of 12 - but the difference here was that it was becoming an all-year-round sustained level. And then, as we moved into 2007, I felt there was potential for even more demand for MT, based on my higher profile in the local schools. After conducting a customer survey, I concluded that I should start up new groups on Fridays. This has proved to be a good move - the number of kids doing MT each week now totals almost 120! There is a down-side to all this MT group work however, which is that I have even less time to devote to individual lessons. But I reckon that my principal role is to coach grass-roots tennis; to give as many kids as possible an introduction to this game that can last them a lifetime. And if a little *star* comes along once in a while, well I will happily pass them on to someone who can take their talent on to higher levels. At the start of 2003 Hallam Grange only had 1 junior team. We now field 6 junior teams, all year round. It's no wonder that I find I spend as much time at the computer now - arranging, planning, accounting - as I did when I only had a day job...  |
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