Newsletter

SPRING 2018

Team of the Year 2017 The North East of Scotland (NESLTA) district team has been voted “Team of the Year 2017” at the recent Tennis Scotland Awards. STC’s junior players Annabel Burns, Patrick Young, Rosie and Anna Sterk formed part of the 14 strong team who became overall champions at the inter district championships held at Kilgraston, Perthshire in 2017. The team will be presented with their award at the Tennis Scotland ceremony next month. They will also be put forward for the British LTA awards later in the year.

Earlier this year the same team won ‘Team Performance of the Year’ (across all sports) at the Aberdeen Sports Awards. Pictured above is team player Patrick Young, alongside Ben Soutar, Alan Ross, and Matt Kerswell who are part of the district squad training in Aberdeen. A huge congratulations to the NES Team!

STC Grand Prix 2018

The fifth STC Grand Prix was staged over the final two weekends in March. It was the most successful Grand Prix to date with 39 entries in the Men’s event and 10 in the Ladies’ event. However when the “Beast from the East” weather system made a return there were some extremely challenging conditions to be overcome, predominantly 50 mph gusts, rain and hail. Despite this, play continued.

In the ladies event Varada Kamate beat Sophie Robinson 6-2, 6-1 in one semi-final whilst Annabel Burns beat number two seed Christine Lockhart in the other. Varada then managed to defend her title from last year with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Annabel Burns in the final.

In the Men’s semi finals Patrick Young beat Bruce McIver 6-2, 7-6(2) and Lee Wishart beat Daniel Colvin 6-2, 6-2. Lee then went on to take the title from the defending champion Patrick Young 6-2, 3-6, 10-3.

A listing of the full results can be found on page 3.

Latest Activities

Social Tennis 10am - 12pm Sunday 6.30 -9.30pm Monday

American Tournament 1.30-5.30pm 1st Sat of each month

Weekly Adult Tennis Classes Monday 9-30 - 10.30am Beginners/improvers 10-30 - 11.30am Intermediate

Thursday 6.30 - 7.30pm Beginner/improver

COST £5 member /£7 nonM

Weekly Pre School and Junior Tennis Classes Monday 1.20 - 2pm UP 4 Tennis 4.00 - 7.30pm Mini tennis

Tuesday 4.00 - 5.00 Junior Elite Squad

Wednesday 3.50 - 6.30pm Mini Tennis Competition Squads 4.30 - 5.30pm U16 A Squad (invite only) 5.30 - 6.30pm U16 B Squad (invite only)

Thursday 11.05 - 11.45pm UP 4 Tennis 4.00 - 7.30pm Mini tennis

Friday

4.00 - 6.00pm Junior Club Night P3+ 5.00 - 6.00pm 12&U Squads

Saturday 10.30 – 11.15am Mini Red

11.15 - 12 noon Mini Orange

MEN’S SINGLES 1st ROUND: L. Wishart (Strathgryffe) bt L. Findlay 6-0, 6-1; J. Mathie (Cults) bt C. Fryer (Montrose) 6-3, 6-3; J. Lints (David Lloyd Aberdeen) bt C. Horgan (David Lloyd Dundee) 6-2, 7-6(6); D. Colvin bt K. Hamilton 6-1, 4-6, (10-4); B. McIver bt G. Matthew (David Lloyd Aberdeen) 6-1, 6-0; S. Docherty (Strathgryffe) bt R. Carstairs (St. Andrews) 6-7(6), 6-4, 10-7; A. Edward (Cults) bt F. Hermiston 6-4, 3-6, (10-7); P. Young bt C. Hepburn (Milngavie) 6-1, 6-1. 2nd ROUND: Wishart bt Mathie 6-2, 6-0; Colvin bt Lints 4-6, 6-7(4), 5-9 ret; McIver bt Docherty 4-6, 7-5, (10-5); Young bt Edward 6-1, 6-1. SEMI-FINALS: Wishart bt Colvin 6-2, 6-0; Young bt McIver 6-2, 7-6(2). FINAL: Wishart bt Young 6-2, 3-6, (10-3). WOMEN’S SINGLES 1ST ROUND – C. Adams (Cults) bt C. Cowie (Aboyne) 6-2, 6-3; I. Burns bt K. Mitchell-Mehta (Aboyne) 6-1, 6-4; 2nd ROUND: V. Kamate (Cults) bt Adams 6-0, 6-0; S. Robinson (Western) bt J. Critten 6-0, 6-0; A. Burns bt J. Munro 6-1, 6-0; C. Lockhart (Newlands) bt I. Burns 6-1, 7-5. SEMI-FINALS: Kamate bt Robinson 6-2, 6-1; A. Burns bt Lockhart 6-1, 6-0. FINAL – Kamate bt Burns 6-4, 6-1.   

Grand Prix Results

Easter Camp The Easter tennis camp was a big hit with the mini tennis players. Classes were held for all primary school aged children and topped off by an Easter Egg hunt on the final day. There was also a full day of multi sports activities run for the older juniors and squad members. The juniors enjoyed tennis, putting, rounders, table tennis amongst other activities.

Some of the squad players are pictured here with coach Fergus who ran the multi sports day.

Wimbledon Ballot

Congratulations to the lucky winners at the Wimbledon Ballot who will be going down to the All England Club in July for Wimbledon. The winners are:

Pam Boyd, Sarah Hornsby, Margaret Mills, Evelyn Patterson, James Bromley, Fergus Hermiston, Lindsey Ward, Billy Doyle, Marleen Grimmer, Ken Melville, Patrick Young and Eilidh Mitchell.

Have a great time!

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Pay Box Opening

Watch out for your 2018/19 membership forms soon to be arriving in your e-mail inbox. We would really appreciate your prompt attention in order for the membership coordinator to complete the registration process.

Membership

The May Day holiday weekend will see the opening of the tennis and putting pay box for the season. The pay box will be staffed by our older juniors who will collect payment for putting and tennis and manage the tennis court bookings when it is open. Opening hours will be from 11am until 5pm at the weekends. From July 7th the pay box will be open 7 days a week from 11am until 5pm. The tennis club booking sheet will be held inside the pay box while it is open so please make your court bookings there.

We are sure you will all show your support to the team of juniors working over the season, for some it may be their first working experience. As well as offering juniors coaching experience we are pleased to be able to offer this opportunity of summer work experience. Our thanks goes to Jenny and Jemma Critten and Julie Lomax who have kindly taken on the role of administrators for the second year running. The team are pictured below.

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Sip N ServeTo mark the opening of the tennis season or perhaps it was just an excuse for a get-together, we held a ‘Sip N Serve’ evening. An evening of tennis organised with the help of coach Fergus and music by Ron Forbes. The Club supplied the fizz and everyone brought along a plate of food. A great evening was had by all and there were many requests for a repeat event!

Social tennis times have now reverted back to Sunday mornings 10am - 12pm with the

American Tournament running on the first Saturday of the month. There is a new Social Tennis What’s App group to help social tennis communications. If you would like to join the group please contact Fergus or Bruce.

Two Stonehaven players competed in the Grade 2 competitions at the beginning of April, events reserved for the best juniors from up and down the UK.

Patrick Young was in Nottingham and comfortably came through his first round match to set up an extremely tough second round match against the second seed and 18U British number seven. With a huge performance he then managed to beat the British number seven (4-2, 4-1) to make the quarter finals! He was beaten with a respectable scoreline in the quarters by the eventual finalist. In the doubles event Patrick partnered Deji Thomas-Smith and faced another tough draw, eventually losing narrowly to the second seeds in the quarter finals.

Daniel Tibbetts was in Loughborough competing against the best twenty four 10U players in Britain and managed to win three out of five matches. In his last three matches the Stonehaven junior put in some very impressive performances, winning five out of six sets to a score of 4-1 or 4-0. Daniel continues to work very hard down at the club in order to compete at this level, often in challenging windy conditions that we can all relate to!

Grade 2 Nottingham Open

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Notice Board

� Membership Membership forms can be found

on the STC Website and submitted to the Membership

Coordinator, Recreation Grounds, Stonehaven, AB39 2RD

!

� Tennis balls for sale. Rackets £13.

Karakal Grips available for sale £2.50/£3 depending on

thickness

!

� Club Fun Night P4+

4-6pm every Friday Indoor and tennis activities

!

� American Tournament Sunday 5th MAY, 1.30pm. JOIN THE WHAT’S APP

!

� Thank you to everyone who

contributed to this edition of the newsletter!

!

� Junior Social Events Coming

Soon … Movie Night, Pamper Night, Quiz Night and much more

!

Join us @ Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stonehaven-Tennis-Club/757908274240462

STC Committee - Abbreviated Minutes

If you have any ideas, issues or faults to report on any other club matter, please e-mail stonehaventennisclub@gmail.com If you require further information on mini tennis, please e-mail stonehaven.minitennis@gmail.com

Minute / Action

Update on Lights 4&5

5/2/18 Following a meeting with Aberdeenshire Council the club will submit a request to amend the planning restrictions on the use of the lights on court 4 and 5.

Court Maintenance

9/4/18 First round of pest control treatment to control rabbits has worked significantly.

9/4/18 Courts were cleaned before Grand Prix. There was some flooding from the sea but drained very quickly. Ben fixed the fencing on court 3.

9/4/18 The back and side fencing of court 1,2 and 3 needs replacing. Ben J will receive a quote from the company who installed fencing on court 4 & 5 and Ron will receive a quote from Hydrus.

Facilities

7/7/17 Request for new tables in the clubhouse was approved.9/4/18 New tables, chairs accessories have been bought and cupboard shelving in place. A dramatic improvement in the appearance and facilities.

6/11/17 Request to install heaters in the table tennis room.

Team Report

9/4/18 Mens Match Practice has started up again. League matches commence on 18th April.

9/4/18 Mens format has been changed to fast four / no lets.

Social

5/3/18 The consensus was that Social Tennis would return to Sunday mornings and Saturday PM for the American Tournament. Ben to discuss with a cross section of Social attenders to ensure that they are happy with the decision. Coaches to attend Social Tennis on occasions.9/4/18 What’s App group is proving to be popular. The American Tournament was well attended.

Coaches Report

9/2/18 Tayside offered STC the opportunity to enter two teams this year.April Camps were well attended.

Junior Report

9/2/18 Hannah Anderson was introduced to the Committee as new Junior Social Rep. She presented the following planned social events to be added to the calendar:Two Movie Nights for different age groups, Halloween Party 28th Oct, Pamper Night, Girls Day Out, Quiz night. Hannah is also qualified to run Mini Murray events and will plan a date for this event. Hannah will set up a working group of older juniors to assist with the junior social diary.

Membership

9/4/18 Membership Forms available in April.

Club Championships

5/3/18 Club champs finals day will be first weekend of September ( 1/2 nd ). Daniel will put the entry sheets up shortly with the draw in early May. Two new events will be trialled - Veterans ( over 45 ) Men and ladies singles.

AOCB

Funds for Juniors: Two members have made a donation to kick start this new club funding scheme. There will also be a club contribution made. Eligibility and Criteria is being drafted. Further details will follow when it is launched.

Paybox: will reopen in May. Jenny and Jemma Critten will continue with the administration with assistance from Julie Lomax. The Paybox is in need of repair and this will be brought up at the next Trustee meeting.

Storage: The Cellar to be tidied up and utilised as the main storage area so that the Men’s changing room can be freed up

Possible Open Day - May

There is one spare wire and net. If a net breaks then a new wire is available rather than replacing the whole net.