Hignett Takes On Gap Year Coaching Role

Performance player and former Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Liam Hignett is putting his gap year to good use by taking on a coaching role at the club where he will be working with both adults and juniors in various sessions at Totally Tennis’ indoor centre. He will also be continuing his tournament referee role as well as competing in a variety of tournaments countrywide and studying for his Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) level 3 coaching qualification.

Hignett, who completed his A levels the summer, decided to forgo his scholarship at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) in favour of studying at university in the UK after his gap year which we see him concentrate on competing and progressing his coaching career.

Current Hampshire & IOW County Championships Men’s champion, Hignett will be sharing his experience and expertise with players in the junior development and orange/green squads, adults drills, Saturday munchkin and junior clubs as well as the weekend Pirates and Indians squads. He will also be offering private lessons as well as hitting sessions for performance players looking for that extra practice.

His level 3 coach qualification* starts next week and will be completed in January 2019. He will learn many skills including how to coach beginners and improvers in groups and as individuals, understanding the basics of business management and the competitive structure in the UK and work with level 1 and 2 coaching assistants. Alongside the four modules Hignett will need to undertake coaching experience with a mentor, compile a portfolio and pass a final on court practical coaching assessment.

Hignett completed the LTA referee development course that enables him to run events at the club such as the recent LTA South West Summer County Tour series. He will be running South West Winter County Tour series at Totally Tennis between September and March for juniors aged from eight to eighteen – to find out more about the tournaments and to enter visit www3.lta.org.uk/Competitions/

Hignett said, “I am looking forward to coaching regularly at Tennis Totally in between my tournaments that are scheduled during my gap year. This will provide me with some more experience that will prove to be useful in the future.”

For more information contact Totally Tennis on 01256 358816 or Hignett via Instagram and Facebook

*LTA Level 3 course information used with courtesy of www.lta.org.uk

 

 

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Cooper Kirby Heads For Full-Time Academy Training in Florida

Totally Tennis performance player and former Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Dean Cooper Kirby has made the permanent move to America’s sunshine state to live and train full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida.

As well as training for thirty-eight hours a week, Cooper Kirby will be studying at the school linked to the academy based in nearby Fort Myers. If initial training goes to plan he will be looking to compete at the ITF tournament to be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of October.

While resident at the academy Cooper Kirby will be following an intense daily training programme to improve every area of his game including technique, footwork, movement and strategy on an individual and small group basis. The training includes  match play and drills as well as mental training and fitness.

Brian Cooper Kirby, Dean’s father said, “After receiving his four year US Visa Dean flew to Fort Lauderdale on 29th August to train full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida.”

Cooper Kirby spent a month at the Florida academy earlier this year in April and while there he won the Spring Tropical Junior and also competed in another 16 and under event but was knocked out in the quarter final stages by a fellow Gomez Academy player.

The Gomez Tennis Academy was founded in 2010 by tennis coach Rene Gomez, his wife Leslie Gomez and her son Chase Muma. Gomez Tennis Academy is a boutique tennis training academy situated in Naples, Florida. Led by Rene’s knowledge and experience, the Gomez team practices a training philosophy based on commitment, consistency and individualized instruction.*

Read more about the academy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

*All information about the Gomez Tennis Academy and court photo were sourced from www.gomeztennisacademy.com

Read more about Copper Kirby’s time in Florida in previous post totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/cooper-kirby-returns-from-florida-to-contest-european-tournaments/

Bromilow Secures Tennis Scholarship to Study in America

Performance player and Sherfield School Tennis Scholar, Miles Bromilow has secured a tennis scholarship to join the Pioneers at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, just outside Chicago in Illinois.

Bromilow, who was Head Boy at Sherfield School and even modelled on this year’s London Fashion Week catwalk, will leave to start the next stage in his education in America in the middle of August. He will be studying for a degree in engineering as well as training on court and working on his fitness with his new college team mates. He will compete in the Pioneers tennis team, who have just claimed their third straight Region IV Crown, against colleges from other states across the country.

This is an amazing opportunity for Bromilow that sees him follow in the footsteps of many former Totally Tennis performance players including current coach Steph Catlin, who studied in Colorado.

Bromilow said “On a personal note I would like thank all the coaches and staff at Totally Tennis for their help in my development as a player and a person over the years.” he added, “I will of course be back at the club during the summer breaks.”

Dean Cooper Kirby Wins Doubles Title With Leo Borg, Son of Tennis Legend Björn

Performance player and Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Dean Cooper Kirby and his Swedish partner Leo Borg, son of Tennis legend Björn Borg, won the Boys Doubles 16 and under title at the Reykjavik Open held last week at the Viking Tennis Club in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The pair, who were top seeds in the latest Tennis Europe event, beat Daniils Snaiders and Markuss Tions from Latvia 6 – 3, 6 – 1 in the quarters followed by a three-set win against Tobias Bo Kudsk (Denmark) and Karol Szczap (Poland) in the semis 4-6, 6-2, 10-7. In the final they faced second seed and Cooper Kirby’s partner from the last doubles event in Iceland Mark Owen Endler (Germany) and his partner Nicolas Moser (Austria) and beat them in another three battle 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 to win the event.

In the singles, Cooper Kirby was third seed and after a bye in the first round he beat Yaroslav Kostyuk from Russia in the second round 7-6(1), 7-5 and seventh seed Tions (Latvia) in the quarters 6-0, 7-5. Top seed and eventual winner Borg then knocked Cooper Kirby out of the competition in the semis 6 – 0, 6 – 4. Borg beat second seed Moser in the final 6 -0, 6 – 3 to win his second title of the tournament.

Congratulations to Dean and Leo for winning the Doubles title 🙂

 

First Win For Hayden

Totally Tennis mini performance player and reigning TT Tour orange champion Hayden Cummings competed in his first green ball tournament at the Maidenhead Junior Open 2018 earlier this month and he WON it!

Cummings, who was playing in the Grade 4 tournament held at Maidenhead Lawn Tennis Club, competed in Group B in the first stage of the 10 and under Mixed Singles competition. He won all his four of his matches defeating Jasper Tong 4-0, Pavana Nrshinga 4-3(3), Gabriel Riminton 4-1 and Flora Hodge 4-0. In the main draw, Cummings beat Alexander Bruce in the semi-finals 4-2 and then beat Marcel Jesenko in the final 4-2 to win the event and collect the winners medal.

Head coach James McIntosh said, “Hayden works really hard in his lessons and is progressing all the time, he has done really well to win his first green ball tournament. Well done Hayden, keep up the good work!”

Last week Cummings competed in the Winchester Spring Open 2018 in both the 9 & under and 10 & under Boys singles events. After a bye in the first round of the 9 & under competition   he defeated Aidan Hewitt in the second round 7-2, 7-3 followed by a three set defeat of namesake Hayden Mundy 6-8, 7-3,7-4 in the quarters before losing in the semi-final to eventual winner Matteo Mirone 7-3, 8-6.

In the 10 & under event Cummings lost in the first round of the main draw against Michael Mitchell 5-3, 4-2 but then went on to be crowned consolation winner after beating Feliciano Ayala De Carolis 4-0, 4-1, Oliver Flynn 4-1, 4-1 and Jaydan Mitchell in the final  2-4, 4-1,1-0(2).

Congratulations Hayden 😉

Read more about the Winchester Spring Open 2018 in previous post Trophies for Performance Players at Winchester Spring Open

Trophies for Performance Players at Winchester Spring Open

Performance player an Sherfield School Tennis scholar Liam Hignett and his partner Ryan Golesworthy won the Open Men’s Doubles title at last weeks Winchester Spring Open 2018.

In the Grade 3 event which was held at Winchester Racquet sand Fitness club, Hignett and Golesworthy defeated Matts Colling and Oliver Fernandez in the semis 6-3, 7-5 and then Neil Pauffley and Josh Lawson in the final 7-6(3), 6-3 to win the event.

In the Men’s singles Hignett and fellow tennis scholar and club mate Miles Bromilow were both contesting the title. Bromilow beat Olivier Drinkwater 6-0, 6-1 in the first round but then lost in the quarters in a close match against Eliot Glaysher 6-4, 5-7 [1-0](5), Hignett progressed further after a bye in the first round he beat Ben Hart in the quarters 6-1, 6-2 and then knocked Glaysher out of the tournament in the semis 6-2, 6-1 but lost in the final to Louis Allen 7-6(1), 6-3 to finish as runner-up.

It was then the turn of the younger sisters with Isla Hignett and Jasmin Bromilow also competing in the Hampshire event alongside club mate Tillie Reid. Hignett was runner-up in 18 & under Girls singles; she had a bye in the quarters and then defeated Emma Mcmahon 6-4, 6-0 in the semis but lost in the final against Katy Jarvis 6-1, 6-1.

All three girls competed in the Girls 16 & under doubles competition. In the semis Bromilow and partner Genevieve Doe beat Jessica Longjohn and Sophie Quagraine 4-5(5), 4-2, [1-0](3) and Hignett and Reid lost against Sienna May and Katy Jarvis 4-1, 4-0. In the final Bromilow and Doe lost to May and Jarvis 1-4, 5-4(4), [1-0](4) to finish as runners-up. 

Hignett and Bromilow also played in the 16 & under Girls singles and after winning one match each against Sienna May 4-2, 4-0 and Genevieve Doe 5-3, 4-0 they were both knocked out in the quarter final stage.

Bromilow and Reid also played in the 14 & under Girls singles competition where they both had a bye in the first round. Reid beat Poppy Marston in the quarters 4-0, 4-0 but was then beaten by Jessica Longjohn 6-1, 6-1 in the semis. Bromilow defeated Maya Gupta in the quarters 4-0, 4-0 followed by a semi final win against Martyna Ciubatiuk 6-3, 6-2 but missed out on the winners trophy when she was beaten in the final by Longjohn 6-0, 6-1.

Congratulations to all the players who competed 😉

 

 

 

Hignett and Reid Win Doubles Title in Witney

Totally Tennis performance players Isla Hignett and Tillie Reid won the 18 and under Girls doubles title at the Witney Open Junior Tennis Tournament 2018 held at the Witney Lawn Tennis Club in Oxfordshire last week.

The Grade 4 tournament was played in a round robin format and the winning pair beat club mates Jasmin Bromilow and Kirsty Da Silva 4-0, 4-2 and Michaela Shakespeare and Susanna Wright 4-2, 4-3(1) to win overall. Bromilow and Da Silva were runners-up after beating Shakespeare/Wright in three sets 4-2, 2-4, 10-7.

Both Reid, who was top seed and Da Silva also competed in the 14 and under Girls singles event. Reid finished runner-up after defeating Isabella Taylor in the quarters 4-0, 4-1 followed by Patrisia Radan in the semis 4-3(4), 4-3(3) but losing out in the final against second seed  Alisha Tejrar 4-1, 4-1. Da Silva lost in the quarters against Shakespeare 4-1, 4-1. 

Well done Girls 😉