Tennis

Squash Tennis

Geoffrey Yee

Geoffrey is a great example that if you work hard, you can become very good in a short amount of time. Geoffrey has only been playing squash for 2.5 years and is already competing at the highest provincial level. He is a great part of our junior squash at The Arbutus Club, giving back by volunteering with younger players in camps and clinics.

When did you first start playing squash and how did you get into the sport? I started to play 2.5 years ago after the previous Pro, Ian Woodhead, arrived. My parents encouraged me to give it a try and I've loved the game since then.

Which Arbutus Club member do you enjoy winning a match against most? I enjoy beating my dad and my older brother simultaneously in a match.

What do you love about squash? I love how squash is a physical chess game that keeps you on your toes.

What is most challenging? Being patient. You need to be patient in a match, in practice, and with yourself.

Natalia Kokan

Natalia picked up squash this summer and has been such a pleasure to coach. She always has a great attitude and is keen to improve. It's great to have some new female squash players on the scene!

When did you first start playing squash and how did you get into the sport? I first started playing squash this summer, after I went to a few Arbutus squash camps.

What is your favourite shot to play? My favourite shot is the forehand drive.

Which Arbutus Club member do you enjoy winning a match against most? My older brother Ethan Kokan.

What do you love about squash? I love playing a game called “4 squares” in camps and junior groups.

What is a difficult aspect of playing? The backhand. Also, when you play someone good and they make you run around.

tennis lookback

Thinking back to early June and the first couple weeks following the phased reopening of the Club, it was encouraging to see our members return to the courts. As it turned out, The Arbutus Club was one of the first clubs in the city to restart tennis programs and offer private lessons. We believe this early phased approach allowed us to build members confidence in our Covid-19 protocols and this in turn set us up for success in running our summer camps. We’d like to thank our members for trusting us to provide a safe and fun learning environment to further their tennis journey!

Tennis by the Numbers:

11

tennis coaches

44

tennis camps

440

camp hours

352

camp participants

745

private lessons

redefining our tennis programs

We are in the process of redefining our programs and setting clear distinctions between camps, drills, and clinics. We trust that the following descriptions help clarify the program best suited to meet your tennis needs.

Camps

Camps run for a shorter fixed period of time and typically have a clear theme that runs as a constant thread for the duration of the camp.

Clinics

The intention of our clinics is for players to work on technical elements of their game in a group environment. The theme or intention for the clinic will be set by the coaching team and players will be led through a set of progressions to reach the planned outcome. Typically, clinics run for two to three months at a slower tempo allowing coaches time to unpack each task or technical focal point.

Drills

Drills are structured to give players the opportunity to hit the same stroke repeatedly in quick succession to ingrain the intended muscle memory. Coaches may choose to simulate game situations giving players the opportunity to obtain the repetitions required to build situational habits. Drills are intended to be fast tempo with volume remaining the emphasis.

For more information regarding Tennis programming please contact Mark Stopforth, Director of Tennis, at mstopforth@arbutusclub.com.

Tennis

meet the team wes bertsch

We are excited to welcome Wes to the Tennis coaching team. Wes is currently in his final semester in the University of British Columbia School of Kinesiology.

Born: Victoria, British Columbia

Certified as a coach: 2010 Certification: Coach 1 and Club Pro 1

Places coached: UBC varsity teams, Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, The Tennis Centre Surrey and North Vancouver Tennis Centre.

Playing experience: Wes has played on the Pro Tour in Asia, Europe, Australia, Canada and the US. He remains one of the top ranked Men’s Open players in British Columbia.

Favourite coaching experience: Working with Sharon Fichman and travelling with her through the Women's Tennis Association.

Figure Skating environmental initiatives

The Arbutus Club is excited to play a part in reducing the impact tennis has on the environment.

Wilson Triniti Balls

As part of the effort to reduce our carbon footprint combined with our commitment to enhance the ball machine user experience, we recently replaced all of our existing ball machine balls with brand new Wilson Triniti balls.

As described by Wilson, the Triniti ball pushes the limits of sustainable performance. Featuring a unique octagonal paper container, the Triniti sleeve is fully recyclable after use. The ball core integrates a unique plastomer material that impressively extends fresh ball feel, while STR Felt provides enhanced durability and is 50% more flexible than the standard ball for better feel at contact.

This blend of new, core material and flexible felt allows the ball to maintain enough liveliness to exist outside of a pressurized can.

A combination of highly, innovative ball technology, and unique, sustainable packaging, Triniti ushers in a new era for performance tennis balls both on and off the court.

COVID-19

We would like to thank our tennis playing community for their continued support in helping us navigate COVID-19. Players are reminded to wear masks in common areas including the stairways and mezzanine.

Please enter through the main entrance of the tennis building and exit via the staircase at the south end of the mezzanine.

Parents have been fantastic in supporting us by leaving the building as soon as their children are settled into their classes.

We encourage players to wash their hands prior to stepping onto court and following their lessons. Our collective effort will help us reduce the chance of community spread.

facility update

We are excited to share that the lights on Court 2 have been rotated back in line with Courts 1, 3 and 4 creating even lighting on all four courts. The Arbutus Club recently partnered with Jericho Tennis Club, Van Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, and the North Shore Winter Club to form Project Re-Bounce. This initiative sees used coaching balls and member used balls collected from all four clubs on a monthly basis and shipped to a recycling facility for re-purposing.

Re-Bounce Bins

Help to recycle dead balls by using the Re-Bounce Bins. Located on the mezzanine and in the tennis bubble, make use of a Re-Bounce Bin soon!

Kindly, refrain from mixing used, personal tennis balls with those for the ball machine.

Please, use existing recycle bins for all Ball Containers.

Thank you for your support!

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