SPRING 2021 NEWSLETTER

Follow us on Instagram!: Mostly Hawker Jets team news, but some random stuff too! Hawker Tennis on Instagram!

YouTube channel: After more than 4 years, video 57 was finally published in January! Video 58 was purely for the fun, whilst video 59 and video 60 look at marginal gains for improved match results, perfect as we now resume tennis again! Do check out all of the videos via the video's page on my website!

Latest Covid-19 News: It's an ever-changing situation we face, so please see the section on the homepage for the latest. 

FA Cup Tennis 2020: Finals Day was successfully held on Sunday 18th April, and what a day of exciting matches, and great tennis. Well done to Tristan who romped to the Open title, to Nicho who won the U12's event beating Jeremy and then Lucca. Also to Jeremy, who upset all the odds in the U14's event, eventually beating Nicho in an epic long encounter to take the trophy! The Green event final between Sophie and Gabrielle was delayed until late May, and the girls put on an impressive display with Gabrielle winning 6-2.

A great start for our new coach Paul Stow!: Paul's made the best of a frustrating first two terms, and has already made a big impact on the program with new Matchplay and some new squads for the mini-tennis players. Paul is passionate about developing junior players, highly knowledgable, and determined to be the best he can be. His coaching philosophies ring true with many of my own, and we're lucky to have Paul on board.

National League Surrey Team Trophy 2020-21: In the end, this competition has now been cancelled despite a great desire to complete it. Therefore, the knock-out stages will not take place. Hawker Jets had a great season with several teams finishing top of their leagues. They were the U18 Boys A and B team, and also the U16 Boys A and B team, with the B team landing a great win away at River Club Tennis Academy against higher rated opponents, our last match before the cancellation was announced. Also finishing top of their league were the U14 Boys B team!

National League Team Tennis 2021: The delayed Summer season is soon to get underway, and we can't wait!!

Marginal Gains!: My latest article series ran throughout most of 2020 on world leading site Tennisplayer.net, and looked at many different ways to achieve marginal gains in competitive matchplay, a crucial area of study as many sports have leaped ahead of tennis in this area. Tennisplayer.net to check it out, and there is currently an offer of 30 days free trial to access the whole site!

Individual success: Well done to Lucca, who was selected for the 5-player Surrey U12 Boys squad for the County Cup! The boys battled 3 other counties in the last weekend in April, and beat them all easily to finish top of their group! Well done also to Gabrielle, who was part of the U9 Surrey County Cup girls team, who also blitzed their group by finishing in 1st place! Congrats to Lucca for also winning a high quality Road to Wimbledon event at Hawker, beating Nicho in the final. Both boys may well feature in the next stage of the competition at county level. Competitions are finally back in full flow, and we've already had a tournament winner with Gabrielle winning the Sutton Grade 5 U10 Girls event in May!

Summer Term Classes: The schedule is up and running, and pretty much full up! Please follow the link for full details and booking links.

Matchplay: Matchplay is a gem for local juniors who wish to compete regularly and without having to travel too far. It’s open to players from other venues as well as Hawker, and caters for all levels. Those starting out shouldn’t be put off, as we often have helpers to assist them, and we won’t match players up where the ability/experience gap is too wide. Matchplay is back in April!

Hawker Tennis Squads: The success of our players in team and individual competition continues to speak for itself. We have a handful of spaces in our squads, and welcome new players to have a free trial, please contact me directly if you're interested.

Thursday Night Tennis (TNT!): A great addition for higher standard players to add to their weekly training, and also a suitable session for competent players who can't commit to tennis, but still want to play each week. TNT has 1 space available, please get in touch if with me if interested.
 

Richmond/Sheen Sports: You could go to an online retailer, or a budget superstore, and you may save a few pounds, but you won't get better overall value. Here's the best option, pay a visit to RichmondSports or SheenSports!

They are managed by enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable staff, equally passionate about sports as they are about the local community, where they support many local clubs and schools, including ours.

Your individual needs will be met in a way the bigger retailers can't match, in terms of better advice, a more personal service, and a genuine desire to fulfil your sporting needs whatever they may be.

Being part of Hawker Tennis also entitles you to 10% off, so you'll be getting excellent all-round value, whilst helping them to keep helping  us and other local clubs.

Adult Tennis at Hawker information here

Feel free to get in touch about anything at all.

Stay positive and keep smiling!
 

All the very best
Nick

Remembering Joe Horner (it's all too easy to forget, so this memorial will remain on this page. I hope people continue to find enough time to reflect on the growing issue of mental health, especially in younger people): Joe was a regular face at Matchplay during many of his teenage years. He loved coming down to play, to mix with friends and enjoy the special atmosphere. His highlight was winning the 2009 Summer Tournament Doubles.

Sadly, Joe struggled with severe depression from his early 20's, and his mental health largely deteriorated over the last 5 years. He was very open about his problems, and had so much love from family and friends, but tragically in April 2019, he took his own life.

I have very fond memories of Joe, because he really understood what Hawker Tennis was all about, and fully appreicated being part of it even from a young age. He turned into a fine young man, so considerate of others, and always a pleasure to chat to.

After finishing education, Joe worked as a keeper at Chessington Zoo, and then moved on to ZSL at London Zoo. ZSL work worldwide on conservation to help save endangered species, something that was very close to Joe's heart.

For those who knew Joe, perhaps you would like to donate to this cause, or write a few words on his memorial page. Links as follow:

Fundraising Page

Memorial Page