Latest use for the NTC

paulisi · Tennis legend

RE: Latest use for the NTC

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

So, yet again, the NTC refuses to let promising British youngsters use the gym, even when accompanied and they are actually competing at a National event at the blinkin' NTC in the first place !!!!

Millfield Tennis ‏@millfieldtennis 2h2 hours ago

How do you feel about players not being allowed in the gym at the NTC during a National event? @BritishTennis @Si10S

wimdledont · Challenger level

Coup Droit wrote:
So, yet again, the NTC refuses to let promising British youngsters use the gym, even when accompanied and they are actually competing at a National event at the blinkin' NTC in the first place !!!!

Millfield Tennis ‏@millfieldtennis 2h2 hours ago

How do you feel about players not being allowed in the gym at the NTC during a National event? @BritishTennis @Si10S

First good report I've ever heard about the NTC. Kids are much more likely to either hurt themselves in the gym, or to give themselves the muscles to wrench their joints and sinews apart when playing, than they are to do themselves any good at all.

Andy Murray, very visibly, didn't go anywhere much near a gym until he had spent so much time on the practice court that he'd won the US Open Juniors, and reached R3 of Wimbledon.

10,000 hours of practice first, then weights second, if, after taking specialist medical advice, you think it's really necessary, given your own particular individual physiological development.

(N.B. This is not specialist medical advice; it is just my opinion. On the subject of "my opinion", I am the leading world expert. On sports science, I am shockingly ignorant, and I accept no responsibilty, etc)

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

But wimbledont - you use a gym for cardio work - for stretching - for gentle warm-up and warm-downs - for stamina weights (i.e. very light weights) - for balance and pilates style work - a gym is there for LOTS of other things apart from mega muscle-building.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Yes, agreed; all useful.

To lapse into the semi-political, I suspect that it's an issue of Elven safety - which is to say that they have to have insurance to open the building in the morning, and the insurance companies have now bought so much legislation, to avoid ever having to pay any claim, that any claim would be void unless there were 3 trained paramedics present, everybody wore high-vis, it was in October, and there wasn't a 'y' in the day.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

wimdledont wrote:
Yes, agreed; all useful.

To lapse into the semi-political, I suspect that it's an issue of Elven safety - which is to say that they have to have insurance to open the building in the morning, and the insurance companies have now bought so much legislation, to avoid ever having to pay any claim, that any claim would be void unless there were 3 trained paramedics present, everybody wore high-vis, it was in October, and there wasn't a 'y' in the day.

Yes. I'm sure you're right.

But the answer is to change your insurance policy. Millfield is a really serious school for tennis, their trainers will all be qualified up to the hilt. The LTA would be able to sign off on their credentials. It therefore wouldn't be difficult for the LTA to find an insurance policy that covers use by authorised supervisors.

I just think they haven't really looked very hard or are prepared to cough up a tiny bit more.

At any club you go to for a normal competitive event, you can use the gym facilities for match preparation and post-match work. How else are you supposed to warm up and down in a professional manner?

wimdledont · Challenger level

Yes, I certainly agree that gym-access for therapeutic/warm-up/down reasons should be... er, compulsory?

indiana · Tennis legend

Where there's a will there's a way ...

Seriously, the will seems lacking in too many things with the LTA, often involving help ( maybe even much sense of care ) of many sorts for players below the elite, while I hear spin about how everyone and their wives are doing all they can for such as Katie Swan.

General gym facilities ( not to push weights ) not avalable does seem pretty ridiculous for reasons mentioned.

-- Edited by indiana on Monday 8th of February 2016 09:42:36 PM

The Optimist · ATP qualifying

I suspect Wimbledont is right and it is an insurance issue. Gym insurance is relatively expensive and standard clauses usually apply to U16s: that they have to be supervised by a qualified member of the centre's own staff whilst in the room; and that they have to have been instructed on the correct way use of any equipment handled again by the centre's own staff. The gym at the NTC is not generally manned, trainers go in specifically to work with players or adult players work out on their own.

indiana · Tennis legend

If it was a manning issue, where there's a will there's a way ( and I suspect a reasonably easily found way ) ...

Nice touch if they had manned it for this event as a relevant and useful backup facility rather than left a feeling of the haves and the have nots.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
If it was a manning issue, where there's a will there's a way ( and I suspect a reasonably easily found way ) ...

Nice touch if they had manned it for this event as a relevant and useful backup facility rather than left a feeling of the haves and the have nots.

Nicely put.

wimdledont · Challenger level

Call Ieutar Insurance!

Okay, they may need help from a Superhero to win at ice hockey, but they'd be delighted to deal with your gym-personnel issue!

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Just out of interest:

David Reus Fox at LTA National Tennis Centre.
9 December 2015 · London ·

So after an hour of figuring out how to book a practice court at the NTC Roehampton, calling 3 different numbers, talking to two different members of staff and then being directed to an email address regarding court bookings where I enquire about court availability and prices over the next few days I am met with this response... And they wonder why we don't produce tennis players in Britain.

To be met with the response of:

From NTC Enquiries

Can you provide us with a little more information about why you need to practice at the NTC

Lindsay, Reception

Which is just one tad away from saying 'bog off'

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

www.facebook.com/liguedauphinesavoiedetennis/photos/a.1479340772395626.1073741828.1479295502400153/1537390879923948/

I assume this friendly 11 year-old French-English match-up was also going on at the NTC.

Although I don't seem to find any news about it on the remarkable uninformative LTA site (though maybe I just missed it) but it's there on the French sites.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

NB the post from David Reus Fox gets followed up with:

Lee Sport Dude

I have a court on reserve at all times there. I train my boys all the time. I'll pull some strings.

So, great, that Lee Sport Dude (!) is training his boys there and using the court - but having a court on reserve ???? The whole time ???? Sorry ???? Is that a good use of the courts ???? Not to mention that there are 'strings to pull' ....