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TEAM HAWKER squads
Mission statement
Team Hawker Squads are first and foremost about training juniors for competitive tennis, but I'm committed to working closely with all our squad members, not just to help them achieve their goals in tennis, but also to use the sport to help them develop character traits and life skills that will help them get the very most out of every aspect of their lives.
Team Hawker Squads
These squads are suitable for juniors who play at least 2-3 times per week, and compete regularly (minimum twice a month), both in our internal competitions, and also in external LTA tournaments. Squad selection is often based on players national rankings and world tennis numbers, so players should be motivated to improve both. These squads run weekly for various age groups. Please check our junior programme page for the latest timetable. If you would like a free assessment and chat, please contact Nick.
Smaller Groups and Squad Pathway
Unlike some academies, the size limit for a Team Hawker Squad is 8 players on 3 courts. In rare cases, this may be extended to 9. We also sometimes run 'B' squads for high level but less committed players, or lower ability players keen to commit strongly to tennis and progress into the main squads.
Our highest level squad is called 'Team Hawker Top 8', for our Top 8 players. Next is our Team Hawker U16's squad, and our Team Hawker U14's squad, and we currently have an U14 B squad, as well as a brand new U10 Green squad.
Why are Team Hawker players so successful?
Why are our Hawker Jets teams consistently amongst the most successful clubs in Surrey when it comes to team competition, and why do Team Hawker members achieve so much success individually, often against players who train much more than they do?
The main thing that stands us apart from most clubs and academies is the individual attention all the players recieve with their personal tennis journey and game-style. I go above and beyond to help players maximise their potential through understanding their personal strengths, individual gamestyles, and their unique personality/character when competing.
Beyond that, it's simply about a very strong focus on performing in competition, from superior preparation to all things tactical, mental, and emotional.
Nick's Skills & Drills Classes
Suitable for players who are competent with rallying and serving, these sessions run for 1 hour, and can be a good complement to squad as well as a suitable weekly class for those less interested in competing and playing more regularly.
Players will work with other players of suitable age and ability (maximum 4 players per court). The sessions focus on developing the core fundamentals in tennis, and also have an individual element as Nick is will work closely with all those who attend. The sessions also include fun and challenging drills, and fun games, all of which are very popular! Please contact Nick directly to enquire about booking (NOT bookable through Hawker or Clubspark).
Team Hawker Squads - New Enquiries
If you have any questions, or would like a free assessment and chat, please contact Nick.
SQUAD PROGRESS REPORT CARDS
Useful information to get the most from them
Squad players are rated at the end of each term, on the 5 key areas of tennis development. Ratings are based on what they show when they play matches. What they show in practice/lessons doesn’t have any bearing on the report card ratings. Consequently, players who I haven’t been able to watch compete regularly during the latter part of the term can’t be properly assessed, and won’t be included on the Report Card.
Players scores relate to their own personal development as a tennis player, and won’t necessarily reflect what would happen if they played each other in a match tomorrow, especially when age gaps are involved. Do also remember that Orange is easier than Green, and Green easier than Yellow, which means it’s very likely that players scores will go down when they transition up a level. Scores will indicate to what extent a player is on the right path in terms of the following:
Technical development (Sections 1 and 3)
Players can win tennis matches using bad technique, but it is the players who have better technique that will ultimately be better equipped to realize their full potential. Players who don’t pay enough attention to developing their technique (or struggle with it) simply won’t be as good as they could be. Therefore, these are extremely important sections! See the next section for more details on each report card category.
Physical development through movement skills (Section 2)
I can’t emphasise enough how important footwork and movement are to being a good tennis player! It’s not just about being fast, but about developing the different technical aspects of good movement, which are listed in Section 2 on the report card. This in turn aids physical development, which of course can be further trained separately if the player desires.
Mental/Emotional development (Sections 4 and 5)
This is measured through tactical understanding and execution, as well as intensity levels and emotional control. Doing well in these sections will indicate intelligence and mental toughness in matches, both extremely important for a competitive individual sport like tennis!
Putting Report Card scores into perspective
40 is the maximum score achievable. One extra point is awarded if a player has the maximum score in 3 or more of the 5 sections. Some areas are impossible to achieve higher scores until players develop physically in their teens. As a guideline, a junior player who is nationally ranked and has ambitions to play pro tennis, should be recording a score of around 27-30 at age 12, a score of around 33-36 at age 14, and that would increase to high 30's by age 16.
MORE DETAILED progress REPORT CARD INFORMATION
Section 1
This is aimed at developing a complete player who has all the shots. The scaling up of how many points are awarded for what, is a guide to the order in which a player should be trying to develop each aspect. More specifically, players should begin by developing consistent and appropriate levels of topspin on their shots, followed by reducing the number of unforced errors, followed by developing more attacking shots and still keeping the errors down, followed by adding the ability to use slice shots effectively, and to move up to the net and be effective at finishing points with volleys and smashes. I will always make it clear to the player what area in this section is letting them down and needs work. Players won't always develop these areas in order, so if a player hasn't developed power on their shots, but shows good skills in coming to the net, this will be reflected in their overall score in this section.
Section 2
This is very well explained on the report card itself, with 7 different aspects of speed and movement highlighted. The main point to emphasise is that all these aspects need to be worked on to develop this area properly. Just being good at one thing isn’t going to get a high mark in this section. For example, someone who might be very fast but not use side steps/split steps ect won’t get as high a mark as perhaps it seems they should. Likewise, someone who is technically very good with these tennis specific movements, but not so fast from a to b, would get a higher mark.
Section 3
The only thing to add here is that player’s 2nd serves are just as important as their 1st serves. A player who changes technique for their 2nd serve or has a very weak 2nd serve will get marked down even if their 1st serve is very good.
Section 4
It's worth mentioning the link to confidence in this section. Players who are lacking confidence often struggle to play effectively on the more important points, and that can be reflected in this section. Also, it's important to emphasise the word 'basic' where it says on the report card ‘understanding and using basic tactics effectively in a match’. The point is high scores are achievable in this section without having to be some kind of tactical mastermind on the court. Understanding important points is also fairly easy to grasp for any level player.
Section 5
This is the only section where ANY player of any age/ability has the potential to be as good as Nadal and Federer! Maintaining focus, staying calm, not reacting badly in matches are skills that can be learnt, true, but there is no initial skill level requirement to be good at these things, and so once again high scores and the maximum score are within reach of all squad players if they put their mind to it.
And finally...
A player can tell how close they are to moving up a point in any of the sections by noticing where their name is positioned within any particular section. If there is more than one column for the same point score, then the further to the right you are, the closer you are to moving up, and vice versa regards your name appearing further to the left. Ask Nick if this is not clear!