Dear Members,

Following two disjointed years and a second successive postponed, adjourned and ultimately electronically completed AGM, I would like to thank all of our returning Committee members for their efforts on behalf of us all, and in particular Jeff who has taken on the post of Vice-President (in charge of Strategy) and Supriyo Sinha who has agreed to take on the pivotal role of Secretary.  I would also like to thank and acknowledge Graham who has stepped down from his role as President after steering the club through some most extraordinary waters.  Graham has taken on new responsibilities both at home and at work, but he has stayed on the Committee and his leadership and technological knowhow will continue to be very valuable assets for us going forward.

I would also like to remember and honour Denis Fitzsimon, who left this world a month or so ago, leaving behind a loving family and countless friends made through tennis.  Denis served on our Committee and put in many hours with colleagues like Alan, Peter and Leo in maintaining our facilities.  Players whom I’ve since spoken to from other clubs remember Denis’s skill and sportsmanship - he will be missed by many opponents as well as partners and team-mates.

We will be beefing up our social media presence through our Facebook page [link please, Alan], which we’ll try to use to provide up to date information about club events, availability of courts, opportunities for coaching and all the other news around a club like ours.  Please open the page and “like” it to keep abreast of all that’s going on.

We welcome members and their guests to use the courts casually whenever they’re not already committed for competition or coaching.  There is competition tennis on Monday and Tuesday nights from 7:30pm, on Wednesday mornings from 9:30 and on Thursday afternoons from 1pm.  There is only one team on Monday evenings and on Thursday afternoons, so the courts will be available at those times during the weeks that our teams are playing away fixtures.  There is also organised social tennis every Saturday and Sunday morning from 8:30am until 11:00 am - if you would like to join those groups, please place a request on the Facebook page so you can be added to the WhatsApp group.  Coaching sessions are held at various times with groups and individuals - please contact Alexei Demajo from Future Demand Tennis, our club Coach, for information about regular sessions.

In terms of maintenance, with almost no rain since the end of November our tank has run dry, so please use only the mains taps on either side of court 2 (the centre court) until further notice.  But please water the courts well, especially after you have finished your session, as the sub-base dries out and only a good soaking reaches deep enough.  Please also ensure, in accordance with the signage around the courts, that you water and bag all the way to the fences, not just within the baselines.  We often receive compliments on our courts from visitors - we’d like that to continue!

We’ve got plans for lots of activities this year to deliver on our strategy and build on the small but vibrant community our club represents. If you have any ideas to suggest, please let us know.  I’m looking forward to seeing all of our members on the courts during the year. 

 

Jack Krohn

President | St Christophers Tennis Club