CILTA keen to play ball

THE proposed £5m. redevelopment of McCaulay's at Kings will be good news for tennis, according to the Channel Islands Lawn Tennis Association. Plans include 26 new studio apartments, a sports injury clinic and physiotherapy centre, five squash courts and three fitness studios.

Chairman of the CILTA's performance committee, Rick Denton, is particularly impressed with the proposals with regards to tennis: three new indoor courts with viewing gallery, two outdoor courts and an indoor showcourt with spectator seating.

'The redevelopment proposals at Kings will be beneficial to the island in a number of sports,' he said.

'The CILTA is very keen to see all improvements in all tennis facilities on the island. We were consulted and we're very supportive of the redevelopment.

'It will be good news for Guernsey youngsters and for tennis players on the island.'

What is also proposed is a tennis centre of excellence where LTA specialist coaches will be able to put the young tennis stars of the island through their paces.

It is hoped that the centre will stop the flow of the best local junior players leaving the island for their tuition.

Island captain Ian Robinson sees any new facilities as beneficial to the growth of the sport here.

'I would endorse any centre of excellence and be very pleased to do so,' he said.

'We already have a very good centre at Longcamps but the more excellent facilities that we have, the easier is to encourage kids to take up tennis and to keep playing it.

'What the various committees on Guernsey need to do is to come together to create a central development plan to ensure that juniors continue to play, from short tennis all the way through to island tennis.

'Excellent facilities make this easier,' added Robinson.

The CILTA development officer, Hugh Raymond, was consulted on the proposals and he is also very keen. He is based in Jersey at the Les Ormes tennis centre which has eight indoor courts.

The centre is a private club but operates a 'pay-to-play' system that allows juniors to play without having to pay a membership fee.

As a private club, if King's was to charge juniors to become members, that would concern Geoff Martel who is heavily involved with coaching in the island. He believes that a so-called 'pay-to-play' operation was essential for making tennis more popular with youngsters.

'There is nowhere on the island that does this and this has been our downfall and one of the reasons why Jersey has done so well is that they have the opportunity over there,' he said.

'The only thing to help tennis is a pay-as-you-play.'

According to David Cahill, the general manager of McCaulay's at King's, the company and the LTA are looking into that issue.

'McCaulay's at King's are working with the LTA to secure a funding arrangement for the new tennis facilities,' he said.

'As part of the arrangement, the LTA will be granted court time for dedicated coaching sessions. Additionally, the LTA will be looking to appoint a full-time tennis coach to be based at Kings.

'This will allow the LTA to develop talented Channel Island tennis players at the centre of excellence. The elite players who are selected for the LTA programme will not need to be members at King's.

'Additionally, McCaulay's at King's will be teaming up with the LTA to introduce a structured programme for schools on the island. These juniors will not need to be members of the club in order to benefit from the tennis facilities, thereby providing a robust platform to develop junior tennis.

'Court time outside the LTA sessions will be dedicated to club members and King's will continue to be predominantly a private members' club. Tennis will not be available on a pay-to-play basis for non-members.'