Dear Member,

Here is the latest News Update, which I hope you will find of interest.

Please get in touch if you have any news, comments or queries.

All the best,

Peter (086 822 8235)

NATIONAL TENNIS DAY – UPCOMING MEDIA LAUNCH

Tennis Ireland has announced Saturday 7^th July as Ireland’s first National Tennis Day. The idea behind this important initiative is simple: on July 7^th tennis clubs should run an ‘Open Day’, where all comers are invited to come along and try the game. The purpose is to use the event as a way of actively recruiting new club members.

A number of clubs ran Open Days in 2011, and the response was universally positive, with new members bringing new income to clubs. From a coaching point of view, new members equal new pupils, so it is very much in coaches’ interests to promote and assist the running of Open Days on National Tennis Day.

Tennis Ireland will generate national publicity for NTD, with a media launch tomorrow May 29^th. Please watch out for coverage of NTD in all media over the next few days, and bring it to the attention of your clubs committee.

Following on from this national media launch, each participating club should focus on generating the local publicity that will ensure a good turnout on the day. A new website has been launched at www.nationaltennisday.ie, where you will find information and resources, and where clubs can sign up to participate in National Tennis Day.

I want to suggest the following course of action to all coaches:

1. Do all you can to ensure that your club hosts an Open Day on National Tennis Day. Talk to whomever you have to talk to at the club, and convince them how important this initiative is.
2. When the club has committed to hosting an Open Day, get involved in helping the club to run it in the most effective manner. Use your skills and expertise as a coach to ensure that the day is a great success. National Tennis Day has the potential to directly boost your income from coaching new club members (who are very likely to want coaching to get them off to a good start). It can also help to introduce thousands of new players nationwide to the game we all love.

NEW TCI FACEBOOK PAGE

If you are a Facebook user, please like our page at www.facebook.com/TennisCoachIreland and also ask your friends to check out our page and like it.

THINKING OF DEVELOPING YOUR OWN WEB SITE?

The Internet is now the first place many people turn to when they want information about goods and services. Have you ever thought about setting up your own website to promote yourself as a tennis coach? One of our members, Robert Cherry is now offering a keenly priced service to do just this, through his Cherry’s Website Design Service. For full details, please check outwww.cherryswebsitedesign.com or send an email to cherryswebsitedesign@gmail.com. Who better to set up your website than a fellow coach, who knows both the coaching industry and the website industry inside out?

A NOTE FROM DAVIS CUP TEAM MEMBER JAMES CLUSKEY

“As you know playing on the tour creates a lot of costs and with little funding out there its tough to keep going and make ends meet. I came up with an idea along with James McGee that I think could mutually benefit us as players but importantly benefit Irish clubs, coaches and players”.

Full details on the plan James has in mind are in the attached PDF.

GRIP LABELS – NOW AVAILABLE AS A FREE DOWNLOAD

I wrote some time ago about a new and innovative product designed by member Rob Cherry, which will be of great use to all coaches. Grip Labels are designed to help beginner players of any age to position their hand correctly on the racquet handle, whether right handed or left handed. There are labels to suit the various coaching styles or player preference, in two different sizes.

Robert writes, “I have now made all the labels free to download. I have had very positive feedback from the coaches and I would like as many coaches to avail of the labels as possible. You can download all of the labels in Word document format and full instructions are on the website – www.griplabels.com”.

Every label type is now free to download, but if you like this service (and I think you will), you can if you wish donate a small fee using Paypal or credit/debit card.

A NOTE FROM JOHN YANDELL OF WWW.TENNISPLAYER.NET

“If you read one article on Tennisplayer this year, it should be Brian Gordon’s on developing an ATP forehand. I am serious! And maybe, just maybe, the rest of this issue is at least close to that level…

So Click Here and see if you agree”!