Tennis tournament is a smash

A SPLENDID four-school tennis tournament took place at Cooden Beach Sports and Social Club on Saturday.

The event rounded off a hugely-successful initiative to encourage more young people to take part in the game.

Stone Cross School Hankham were the winners of the year three pupils competition from local schools Little Common, King Offa and Sidley but participation and enjoyment were the priorities.

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Cooden Beach coach Dave Newbury said: "It was very, very good. The kids were absolutely fantastic. We had 32 kids (eight from each of the four schools) and we must have had 60 or 70 parents."

Newbury declared the programme "very successful" and is hoping it will take place annually with even more schools participating. The Tennis Sussex-backed scheme has introduced more than 510 year three and four pupils to the sport and has fostered positive links between the club and the schools thanks to the support of R.T. Williams Ltd, SportsMatch and Rother District Council.

In the 12-week period leading up to the event, aspiring players from each of the three Bexhill-based schools benefited from a weekly after-school coaching clinic run by Newbury at the club, which is now an LTA accredited mini-tennis centre. Each child, although due to its tremendous success numbers had to be limited to 70, in year three received a special t-shirt and the school a tennis net, 24 rackets and three dozen balls.

Funding from the council has also enabled year four pupils from the three schools, to receive coaching towards the prestigious 'Road to Eastbourne' programme. This will result in the winning school taking part in finals at Devonshire Park, Eastbourne, at the same time that the Hastings Direct Ladies International Open is taking place.

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There are also plans for Tennis Sussex and the council to provide the two main secondary schools in the town with tennis sessions to encourage more girls to take up the game. Newbury would like to thank Charlotte Slade of Sussex Tennis and RDC's Sports Development Officer Adrian Gaylon for attending and Bexhill Mayor Cllr Deirdre Williams for presenting the prizes.

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