Over the last 9 months Tennis World have been running a mini tennis red academy at Teesside High School, Stockton on Tees.

The venue has been ideal and in addition the school now offers a free afterschool club for their pupils.

The academy has been running on a Friday evening from 4.30-6.30pm with selected mini tennis players following the County Talent Id last September.  They have come from local clubs including Tennis World, Yarm, David Lloyd Teesside and Saltburn.

Jo Cunliffe and Andrew Greaves have been coaching at the sessions and have been using the games based approach to teach both tactical and technical elements of the game.

The development in the players has been incredible and this has been through use of the smaller courts so that shots and playmaking is learnt before they move onto the larger court.  It is pretty amazing that even backhand defensive slice shots have been taught and learnt over the last few weeks.  Something that Jo never thought she would do as a coach at mini red level,

“This has been an amazing journey with the young players and the progress that they have made is great.  I never thought that we would be able to teach them defensive slice backhands, but a few weeks ago I thought we would try it out.  We were amazed that they picked it up straight away!”

The academy is now finished for the summer competition season and the players will continue in their local clubs, whilst also competing around the North East.  Watch out for them in your local place and you will be really impressed!

The players were Joseph Farmer (Tennis World), Joseph Jordan (Tennis World), Samuel Irvine (David Lloyd Teesside), William Henderson (Tennis World), Luke Godfrey (Yarm), Billy Caley (David Lloyd Teesside), Ella Marley (Yarm), Sophie Coates (David Lloyd Teesside), Paige Thomas-Cattermole (Tennis World), Laura Havis (Tennis World), Katie Bainbridge (Tennis World), Jacob Hollingworth (Tennis World / Saltburn).

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Teesside High School who without their support our tennis players of the future would not have as many opportunities to improve their game!