Local Tennis Academy Scoops Award

A local tennis club has scooped an award.

Active Academy Tennis Bishop’s Waltham has been crowned Hampshire and IOW LTA’s Community and Park Club of the Year Award at a virtual presentation evening.

The tennis club has been built up over the past five years – and even though, like all sports clubs, faced major challenges due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Even though tennis had to stop on the court, coaches Chris Hull and Sam Kingdon-Marston have kept up face to face interaction with players through online lessons including strength and conditioning sessions, footwork drills, adults cardio sessions and weekly mental and physical challenges for all to complete and earn points for their tennis houses as well as a virtual awards evening.

The club offers a range of tennis for all abilities from social play to competitive performance training. Junior coaching is available during the week and at weekends with a comprehensive and innovative programme with this season seeing the introduction of technology to develop players further.

For adults, Chris and his team offer an amazing Cardio Tennis session on a Saturday morning as well as weekly beginner classes and group mix in’s which will be restarted in April once restrictions have been lifted.

The Active Academy offers a range of membership opportunities as well as pay and play and open court time. It has five junior teams and an adult mixed team who are currently sat at the top of the Portsmouth and District Mixed Doubles League table.

“This is an amazing achievement and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our members and players who nominated us, we are truly humbled and Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council for their continued support,” said Head Coach Chris Hull.

“We’ve started a fundraising campaign for a community clubhouse as we have nowhere to shelter if it rains or to serve match teas after junior/adult matches – that’s top of our list for this year and as always we welcome any help and support from the community”.

Active Academy Tennis will now go through to the Regional Finals and it’s fingers crossed for the next round.

Outdoor tennis is due to start reopening at the end of March. Anyone interested in picking up a racquet for the first time or simply want a change, Active Academy offer a free taster session for adults and juniors. Information can be found on their website www.active.tennis or they can be contacted by email: info@active.academy or by phone: 07799 111787