OLD WILSONIANS LAWN TENNIS CLUB
Phone: 020 8313 1981 Email: njholmes46@btinternet.com Web: www.oldwilsonians.com Follow us: @oldwilsonians
Welcome to Old Wilsonians Lawn Tennis Club Commanding views from the top of Hayes Hill, and with adjacent open land, our small and friendly club provides a haven in commuter-belt suburbia. At the same time, being part of the wider Old Wilsonians family of sports clubs means that we enjoy unparalleled facilities and support, including the services of a full-time resident groundsman. We make sure that everyone is welcome, providing a safe and fun environment where players and visitors are treated fairly and with respect. With six tennis courts, all floodlit, and all the benefits of a members-only clubhouse with a licensed bar, there is always plenty to enjoy all year round, on and off the court.
Facilities We have four artificial grass courts and two hard courts, all of which are floodlit. There are NO charges for the use of courts, and tennis balls are provided free to members as part of the annual subscription. Lighting costs £4 per token which provides lighting for 45 minutes on the artificial grass courts and 60 minutes on the hard courts. Changing rooms and showers are available in the club house. Additionally, the smaller hut adjacent to the courts provides facilities for making a hot drink, which can be especially welcome on a bright winter morning. And of course it offers immediate sanctuary in the event that “rain stops play”. There is a practise wall and an automatic ball “firing” machine – both of which allow you to practise on your own if that is your preference.
Tennis Coaching We offer lessons for adults and juniors – from beginners upwards. These can be provided on a one-to-one basis or in groups. Coaching usually covers stroke making and technique, but we are also introducing lessons on tactical issues and matchplay. So whatever your needs there will be something to suit you.
Tennis for Juniors Historically most of our juniors have come from coaching initiatives or were introduced to tennis by their parents who were members. Junior members have priority use of the hard courts most of the time. There are junior coaching programmes on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. The junior coaching consists of Mini Red, Mini Orange, Mini Green and Full Tennis. Mini Tennis is a fun way for anyone aged between four and 11 years to get a feel for the game. Mini Tennis has been designed to allow young players to develop at a speed that suits them. There are three distinct colour coded stages in the sequence of traffic lights – red for 4 to 7 year olds, orange and green for 7 to 11. Starting with red, children play on small courts with mini rackets and sponge balls. As players progress, the court size and racket length increase making the game faster and faster. All the coaches are licenced, qualified, CRB checked and hold relevant first aid licences.
We actively encourage our more experienced junior members to join in adult tournaments and club sessions to assist in their development, and helping to prepare them to play in inter-club matches when they are ready and keen to do so.
Competitive Tennis If you have a competitive streak you might wish to consider playing in our teams in inter-club competitions. We enter men’s, ladies’ and mixed teams in the North Kent League as well as some teams in the Kent League. We also have veterans teams too. We play regular inter-club friendly matches and run a singles box league for members.
Social Tennis Alternatively, if you are looking to play just for fun – to get some exercise and enjoy the fresh air – you will be able to come along to our club sessions. These take place every Wednesday evening from 6.30pm and Saturday afternoons from 1.00pm. Tennis balls are provided free and when floodlights are needed there is just a nominal charge. Play consists of short matches played with other club members on a rotating basis. Afterwards you can retire to the bar for drinks and a chat. We run regular annual open tournaments. Whilst the annual Club Tournament attracts our more serious players, most of the other tournaments are largely intended for fun. The George Rice trophy is a mixed doubles competition completed on one day, where the combined ages of the two players must be at least 100. The Handicap Tournament includes both singles and doubles, and the handicaps applied make the matches less one-sided. This encourages wider participation and helps members to meet, and play with, others who they might not usually see.
Social Events Ours is a very friendly club, where the social aspects are just as important as the sporting achievement. We hold a great variety of social events throughout the year, including wine tasting, quiz nights, family discos as well as more formal dinners. Guests are always welcome.
Clubhouse & Bar The club house changing rooms and showers are open to our members and guests from around 7am each day. You will, however, need a security fob to get into the grounds.
The licensed bar is open from 8pm every evening. Most weekends the bar is also open at lunchtimes and throughout the afternoon when there is cricket or football to watch from the terrace. There is a great selection of alcoholic drinks on offer, including guest draft beers and a wide selection of wines and spirits. On warm evenings folding doors allow the entire bar to open out onto the terrace, providing a wonderful location for a drink in the evening sunshine. There is free WiFi and Sky Sports on the TV. A dart board and pool table are also available.
Other Sports available at Old Wilsonians As a player at the Old Wilsonians Lawn Tennis Club you will also become a member of a wider family of sports clubs. Indoor sports such as squash and racketball are available as well as football and cricket. All of the other sports clubs will welcome new members of all ages, whatever your standard. Please ask if you would like further information about membership fees for any of those sports.
Introducing Our Head Coach Jacob Johnson joined Old Wilsonians in January 2010. Jacob has over 12 years coaching experience along with a passion to teach and a wonderful enthusiasm for the game. He has focused a lot of his coaching on development work with youngsters, bringing them through to team and county level, as well as having plenty of experience working with the adult members. He previously coached at Park Langley and continues to coach at Sundridge Park. We are very confident you will enjoy and improve greatly from his coaching.
Your Next Step If you wish to play tennis, or any of the other sports mentioned, there is certain to be something for you at Old Wilsonians whether you are a beginner or an experienced player. Should you wish to visit and try out the facilities, please just let us know. One of our members will be pleased to show you around. This is best arranged through the Membership Secretary, Norman Holmes on 020 8313 1981 or by email to njholmes46@btinternet.com. Our membership starts on 1st April each year. But if you join at any other time our membership subscription will be the appropriate pro-rata amount. The range of membership options available and the fees for each are set out on the enclosed leaflet.
How to Contact Us Please feel free to contact any of the club officials below: Club Chairman 020 8776 2360 Club Secretary 020 8650 1702 Membership Secretary 020 8313 1981 If you would like to discuss coaching, please contact: Jake Johnson, Director of Coaching 07974 741430 / jacob@rawtennis.co.uk
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