These awards are different to the end of season player awards, these are for the best non-tennis pros who have made great services to British tennis in the past year:
Coach of the Year: Martin Weston
Martin Weston is a performance coach based at the Nottingham High Performance Centre. A great innovator, Martin runs an elite programme that caters for those from aged nine to world ranked players. Martin commented,
"My job at Nottingham Tennis is a fantastic challenge. In a single day you can find me on the court working with elite potential players ranging in ages from 6 years to Jamie Baker aged 19. Our philosophy is designed to encourage positive role modelling, touring professionals dropping the rope ladder down so aspiring youngsters can climb up and join them. Whilst working as a national coach in Sweden I saw first hand how success breeds success!
This award is encouraging confirmation to me and my team that we are moving in the right direction. But it is only the beginning. There is much more to come from Nottingham Tennis Centre."
Volunteer of the Year: Nancy Riach
Nancy Riach is the driving force behind Huntingdon Tennis Club, which is now a role model for other clubs in the area. Nancy said:
“We recently completed an £800,000 relocation of Huntingdon Tennis Club and I am delighted to have helped ensure that the development was so successful. I have devoted 40 years to tennis and I was flattered just to have been nominated for this award, to have won is really special.”
Official of the Year: Alan Mills CBE
Alan Mills is a familiar name in British tennis and retired as The Championships, Wimbledon, Tournament Referee last year after more than 20 years serving the sport in this role. Alan commented upon this Official of the Year award, which recognises his lifelong commitment to the sport by saying:
"I am honoured to win this award. I have very much enjoyed being the Referee for so many years, but have only retired from Wimbledon. My last year was very emotional, everyone was so kind, but it will be more relaxing to go back to the club this year just as a member, without worrying whether or not it is going to rain."
Club of the Year: Bristol City Tennis Club
Bristol City Tennis is actually seven venues with more than 30 courts across the city. The facilities around the city continue to improve year-on-year and the success of the club is evident in the expanding player base. David Hudgell from Bristol City Tennis Club said:
“The success of the Club is shown by the large numbers of players of all ages who are now enjoying the variety of programmes the club has to offer. We are proud that the Club reaches many areas of the city and has a strong team of staff and volunteers to support us.”
School of the Year: Norton College Malton
The staff at Norton College Malton in Yorkshire has worked tirelessly over recent years and has now created a thriving tennis environment. This has broadened the appeal of tennis within the school and within the community. Having previously been a sport exclusively for 11-16 year old females, it is now played by all ages and abilities with the school at the forefront of tennis development in partnership with the LTA. Jonathan Newton Head of PE at the School commented:
“I am honoured to receive this award both from a personal point of view and on behalf of the College. I feel enormous pride for receiving the award for something I enjoy doing and am passionate about. Tennis is now a real strength within the curriculum as well as extra-curricula provision. This award is really for all the pupils at Norton College who have been so enthusiastic about tennis over the last four years. This is just the beginning and the real hard work now starts to maintain our ever-expanding reputation.”
Local Authority of the Year: Manchester
Manchester City Council, has been proactive in encouraging all members of the community to participate in tennis through a variety of different programmes. These have included the Cliff Richard Tennis Trail, which broadened the reach of tennis taking the sport to all areas of the local community. The Disability Programme has seen young people from special schools city wide, enjoy the game and develop their skills and there has also been a strong community programme in East Manchester, an area not normally associated with Tennis. Nicky Shannon, tennis development officer at Manchester City Council, commented:
"Tennis has proved to be very popular among all groups in Manchester and the sport has become a major contributor to regeneration across the City. Manchester now has hundreds of new regular players who are benefiting from playing and competing and our programmes are proving that tennis is affordable & accessible to all sections of the community."
Alan Mills thoroughly deserves his award but I have to say that my opinion of him dropped after the dig he had at Andy in the press, especially considering how unfounded and unnecessary it was.
