New plan for Parks Tennis

PARKS TENNIS has a new plan for 2017. The aim this year is to encourage children to play more short tennis matches with softer tennis balls right from the start of July.

This new approach is being led by the new C.E.O. of Tennis Ireland, Richard Fahey, who believes that many children start tennis from watching Wimbledon.

Then they buy a racquet, and tennis balls, and by using two chairs and some rope start playing tennis matches straight away. So this is the Parks approach for 2017.

Normally Parks coaches try getting children to learn the four basic strokes of forehand, backhand, serve and volley for the first two weeks, and then introduce matches for the last two weeks of July.

To help with the new approach, the Tennis Ireland Regional Development Officer, Peter Farrell, will give a coaching session for all head coaches in County Wexford on Thursday, June 25, in either Piercestown or Hillbrook. Peter has a number of new match and competition formats for singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

Wexford Parks will also be running match practice on each Thursday afternoon in July from 2 to 5 p.m. for an extra €3 per session, for players who can serve and want to play more matches.

These will take place at most venues with coaches present to run the matches. Loreto Secondary School will be the venue in Wexford for Thursday afternoons, and it is hoped that children from other venues might come to town for a practice match.

Registration for Parks will take place at each of the twelve venues in the county on Friday, June 30, from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m., or on any Monday in July.

The cost for the four weeks of July for children from ages six to nine, one hour per day, is €30.

The cost for the four weeks of July for ages ten to 16, one and a half hours per day, is €45.

See www. Parks Tennis.com/ Leinster/Wexford Parks for the twelve venues.