Cooden tennis open day

If head coach Nick Andrews can get about the court the way he does then there is a place in the sport for everyone.

The club put out the welcome mat on Sunday. The bar was open, bacon rolls and other goodies were available '“ and Nick was on hand to give help and advise to would-be new club members.

Few would have realised that six years ago Nick came close to having his left leg amputated after a motorcycle accident.

Club general manager Pat Atkinson says: "This really is a story for kids '“ to say 'never give up.'

"He had this terrible motorcycle accident but he never gave up. He's a great coach. He's so good with kids. He's a really nice guy."

Nick seems destined for a career as a player until fate stepped in. He had progressed through county and regional age group levels when at the age of 18 he suffered a snapped Achilles tendon. He turned his attention to coaching, qualifying as an assistant coach in his spare time.

By the age of 25 he had decided to on a full-time coaching career and was about to buy a new home.

But in June 2001 a car pulled out in from of his motorcycle. He found himself in the road with his left leg "hanging off" below the knee. It was broken in 14 places. His calf muscle was ripped to pieces.

In hospital he contracted the MSRA bug. There was talk of amputating his leg.

But thanks to a muscle graft in a specialist unit Nick was able to leave hospital with his shattered leg in a cage.

His plans to move into a new house were ended. He spent two years with his parents.

When the cage was removed after 18 months his bones had not healed. New ultra-sound treatment proved the turning point. After another six months the bones were beginning to knit together.

Nick gradually regained some mobility.

He was encouraged by Damien Fuller of South Coast Tennis to return to coaching. Nick still needed crutches in order to stand. He needed to re-train his brain in order to sense where his foot was.

The doctor who examined him for his compensation claim said he would be unlikely to walk- let alone run.

Nick determined to prove him wrong.

In 2003 he moved to his new house. A year later he was back on the tennis court, helping young players.

By 2005 Nick was beginning to play tennis for real once more. He re-took his lapsed coaching qualifications and, as a partner at South Coast Tennis, returned to being assistant coach.

In February last year Nick became head coach at Cooden. H29504d / e.

If head coach Nick Andrews can get about the court the way he does then there is a place in the sport for everyone.

The club put out the welcome mat on Sunday. The bar was open, bacon rolls and other goodies were available '“ and Nick was on hand to give help and advise to would-be new club members.

Few would have realised that six years ago Nick came close to having his left leg amputated after a motorcycle accident.

Club general manager Pat Atkinson says: "This really is a story for kids '“ to say 'never give up.'

"He had this terrible motorcycle accident but he never gave up. He's a great coach. He's so good with kids. He's a really nice guy."

Nick seems destined for a career as a player until fate stepped in. He had progressed through county and regional age group levels when at the age of 18 he suffered a snapped Achilles tendon. He turned his attention to coaching, qualifying as an assistant coach in his spare time.

By the age of 25 he had decided to on a full-time coaching career and was about to buy a new home.

But in June 2001 a car pulled out in from of his motorcycle. He found himself in the road with his left leg "hanging off" below the knee. It was broken in 14 places. His calf muscle was ripped to pieces.

In hospital he contracted the MSRA bug. There was talk of amputating his leg.

But thanks to a muscle graft in a specialist unit Nick was able to leave hospital with his shattered leg in a cage.

His plans to move into a new house were ended. He spent two years with his parents.

When the cage was removed after 18 months his bones had not healed. New ultra-sound treatment proved the turning point. After another six months the bones were beginning to knit together.

Nick gradually regained some mobility.

He was encouraged by Damien Fuller of South Coast Tennis to return to coaching. Nick still needed crutches in order to stand. He needed to re-train his brain in order to sense where his foot was.

The doctor who examined him for his compensation claim said he would be unlikely to walk- let alone run.

Nick determined to prove him wrong.

In 2003 he moved to his new house. A year later he was back on the tennis court, helping young players.

By 2005 Nick was beginning to play tennis for real once more. He re-took his lapsed coaching qualifications and, as a partner at South Coast Tennis, returned to being assistant coach.

In February last year Nick became head coach at Cooden.