British Tennis - Lawn Tennis Association

Newquay's Heron Tennis Centre and Cornwall College, based in St. Austell, have teamed up in a bid to get more college students playing tennis.

Heron Tennis Centre is offering ‘taster’ sessions for groups of students, many of whom have never tried tennis before or received any professional coaching.

Cardio Tennis and Mini Tennis are two completely different forms of the game that can be played by Further Education students, even if they are new to the sport, and Heron is using the high tempo, fitness based Cardio practices, plus Mini Tennis drills, matches and fun games in its sessions.

In the Mini Tennis exercises, smaller rackets, shortened courts and softer balls are used while the lower compression balls are also used for Cardio Tennis. By using Cardio and Mini Tennis for beginner level students and adults, they will be able to achieve success in hitting and rallying from the start, enjoy the game more, and improve their fitness levels.

For the first time British Tennis now has an offer in place to support the delivery of college tennis. The Guide to Further Education Tennis provides an overview of all the resources and support available to the college sector, from the Tennis Foundation and the Lawn Tennis Association.

Curriculum and enrichment support is available along with advice on how to get more college students competing regularly and highlighting pathways towards a career in the tennis industry.

“The new partnership between Cornwall College and Heron Tennis Centre is a fantastic way of helping more students begin playing tennis and is a great example of what we’re trying to develop at colleges across the country,” said the Tennis Foundation’s Further Education Manager Christine Sprowell.

"It was excellent to see college students who were new to tennis getting involved. Not only did they have fun and a workout in the Cardio Tennis drills, they also saw how they could have fun playing matches against their friends, even though they were on mini courts with mini red and sponge balls," added Steven Askey, Director of Coaching at Heron Tennis Centre.

Students from Cornwall College, which has seven campuses dotted around Cornwall, will be accessing sessions as part of their college NVQ, diploma and degree courses, many of which have components that focus on coaching and teaching PE, plus team players will have the opportunity to receive a high level of coaching expertise with the aim of improving their successes in college competitions.

For more information about tennis sessions at the Heron Tennis Centre or if you are a Cornwall College student who is keen to get involved, please contact Heron’s Steven Askey on 01637 877555.