9 May 2024
Although played year-round at Woldingham thanks to our tennis dome, the arrival of the summer term means tennis is especially visible at the moment, with many students playing on our courts in the heart of the school next to our new Sixth Form Centre and along the back drive near the cricket pitches. As well as enjoying tennis in games lessons this term, many students have additional coaching with Mr Gorman and Mr Love, who also run afterschool sessions for our tennis squads (and any other enthusiastic players), and organise competitive fixtures – this year including an exciting opportunity that could see a Woldingham tennis player heading to Wimbledon…
Mr Patrick Gorman and Mr Mark Love, Heads of Tennis
We are delighted that so many students play tennis at Woldingham. It’s fantastic to see them enjoy the game we love so much, improve and compete against each other and against other schools. Our tennis dome is a real bonus, as we can play throughout the year. In the summer, however, we play outdoors on our hard and astro courts, making the most of Woldingham’s beautiful surroundings.
Our vision is for tennis as a game to be enjoyed by all. We are keen to encourage students of all abilities to take part, whether for exercise, socialising, to learn new skills or to represent Woldingham in competitions. We have a busy programme of fixtures for our tennis squad players this term, both singles and doubles. Students from Year 7 to Lower Sixth did Woldingham proud at the recent Surrey Tennis Schools Festival, with U18 doubles partners Sasha H, Lower Sixth, and Sofia K, Year 11, finishing runners up in a closely fought final (see photos in gallery below).
Excitingly, this year, Woldingham tennis players under the age of 14 and born in the years 2010-2013 can take part in the LTA’s ‘Play Your Way to Wimbledon Competition’ . This begins with a singles competition, where the winner will progress to the County Finals in July and potentially the National Finals at Wimbledon in August. It’s a very exciting prospect. Students who would like to enter can contact us at tennis@woldinghamschool.co.uk.
Our coaching focuses on strokes, tactics, co-ordination and footwork. Whether it’s improving the flow of a serve, working on backhand positioning, honing topspin, or perfecting net play, there is always plenty to learn or improve on, which makes the challenges in tennis so creative and rewarding. We know tennis is popular at Woldingham as more than 160 students take additional coaching sessions with us.
Tennis a wonderful form of regular exercise for reaching and maintaining fitness. After half term, we will run ‘cardio tennis sessions’ in our Tuesday and Wednesday afterschool sessions for all years and abilities. These sessions for our tennis squads are open to all students keen to improve (Year 9 upwards on Tuesdays and Years 7 and 8 on Wednesdays). We also offer a free taster session for any students interested in having additional tennis coaching.
Tennis is a very sociable sport. Whether playing singles or doubles, socialising and making new friends through playing tennis can be enjoyed throughout life. We also see how tennis, and other sports, can help students de-stress and unwind.
Playing tennis with family can be a wonderful experience and we are looking forward to another big turnout for our annual Parent and Daughter Tennis Tournament on the morning of sports day, Wednesday 26 June. Please look out for information about this and how to sign up in this week’s update for parents.
With summer fast approaching, and Wimbledon just around the corner, there is no better time to take part in this lovely sport and enjoy the wonderful experiences tennis has to offer.
