Annual Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
YORKSHIRE TENNIS USTA / Manuela Davies / Manuela USTA 2019 ANNUAL REPORT Presented at the Annual General Meeting 9th December 2019 TEAM BABOLAT PRO PLAYERS MAY PLAY WITH A CUSTOMIZED OR DIFFERENT MODEL THAN THE EQUIPMENT DEPICTED BABOLAT_KV_Strike_Thiem_210x297_V2.indd 1 19/04/2019 16:32 CONTENTS FOREWORD President’s Address 2 Chairman’s Report 5 Statement from Head of LTA 8 North Region REPORTS Club, Community, County and 10 Schools Committee Report Competitions Committee Report 13 Initiative Committee Report 17 RESULTS Performance Committee Report 18 including summary of County Cups, County Championships and Veterans British Tennis Awards 24 Yorkshire County Tennis Awards 25 FINANCE Treasurer’s Report 26 Financial Statement 27 Registered Venues 29 THE TEAM YLTA Officials 31 Patrons and Life Patrons 33 LTA North Region Staff Team 34 YLTA Initiative 35 Obituaries 36 Cover photos: (front) Paul Jubb wins the 2019 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Singles Championship in the USA (photo courtesy of USTA / Manuela Davies); (back, clockwise from top left) Yorkshire Ladies Summer County Cup Team; County Cup 12&U Girls; 2019 Ilkley Tennis Tournament; County Cup 10&U Boys; 2019 Yorkshire Championships trophies The information contained in this report comes from a diverse range of sources. We try to pull it all together as best we can, but if there are any omissions or inaccuracies, please accept our apologies. Please make us aware of any such errors. 1 FOREWORD President’s Address delighted to be invited to and national recognition. I present trophies on Finals would particularly like to Day. The Ilkley Club are doing congratulate Sam Salt who a brilliant job bringing world was national runner up in the class tennis to Yorkshire and Coach of the Year category I urge everyone to support this and Dave Kitchen who was event. also national runner up in the Official of the Year category. The Yorkshire Championships get better each year and I firmly believe that reward and with over 540 entrants we recognition for volunteers is now have the best supported important, and I am proud to county championships announce that in addition to the nationally. I attended most current LTA awards, Yorkshire Chris Day – President, days and saw some great Tennis will next year be Yorkshire Tennis tennis including Finals Day introducing its own Meritorious which showcased the very Service Award. This award is best. It was evident watching the highest honour Yorkshire As this is my final year as the matches just how much Tennis can bestow and is President, I would like to start winning a Yorkshire title meant aimed at those volunteers who by saying what an honour to those competing which of over the years have made a and a privilege it has been to course is how it should be. The significant and distinguished represent Yorkshire Tennis. championships are a credit to contribution to tennis. This I have met and worked with Yorkshire, and I would like to special award will be launched some wonderful people and I pay tribute to our referee and in the new year when we will am grateful to everyone who organiser Dave Kitchen who is be inviting nominations. has made my time as President the driving force behind them such an enjoyable one. and who does such a fantastic A great deal of work is done in job. committee and over the last three years there have been A major highlight this year Staying with the theme of some excellent initiatives of was my trip to Eastbourne to competition I have one plea which I would like to mention support our Ladies’ County and that is for clubs to support just two. Advantage Yorkshire Cup team. Having just been the Yorkshire League which has been a huge success promoted it was always has a rich history, and which and has seen clubs awarded going to be a challenge, but offers the opportunity to play grants and loans totalling over captain Jo Craven and the team against other clubs with the half a million pounds. This were fantastic and with two prospect of being crowned has led to clubs improving excellent wins they were able Yorkshire Champions. It has not their facilities including new to consolidate their position gone unnoticed that over the courts, floodlights, clubhouse in Group One. As for the men years there has been a decline development and other I would like to congratulate in entries, particularly in the projects. I have visited several Steve McLoughlin and the team men’s league and therefore we clubs that have benefited from who had a wonderful week in will be consulting with clubs in this funding and I know what a Nottingham and, having won all the hope that together we can huge difference it has made to five matches, were promoted reinvigorate the leagues. them. to Group Two as champions. The British Tennis Awards Secondly, I would like to say One of my favourite duties were again very special, how delighted I am that we as President has been and I am delighted that have established a Regional attending the Ilkley Challenger several of our county Player Development Centre Tournament and I was again winners received regional in Leeds. The John Charles 2 Tennis Centre is now the home paying tribute to our excellent n Sam Salt, runner up in British of Yorkshire Tennis and with Chairman John Crowther who Tennis Awards (left); Ladies good facilities and a superb is doing a fantastic job leading Summer County Cup team at Devonshire Park (top right); regional coaching team in place our county forward. It has Men’s Summer County Cup team I am confident that we will been a pleasure working with at Nottingham (bottom right); produce even better players John and I am in no doubt that Scenes from 2019 Ilkley Tennis who can represent Yorkshire with John at the helm, this Tournament (over the page) and hopefully make their mark county will go from strength to nationally. strength. As my Presidency comes to an I would also like to thank our end, I leave the role knowing councillors, committee chairs that Yorkshire Tennis is in a and administrators for all their very good place and that our hard work which is vital to our future looks extremely bright. success. Thanks also go to our I wish my successor well and regional partners at the LTA, I will hopefully continue to our sponsors and patrons, our contribute to Yorkshire Tennis players and last but certainly in whatever capacity I can. not least the many volunteers I have many people to thank who work tirelessly on behalf and I would like to start by of their clubs. 3 Karen Ross Photography Ross Karen n Ilkley 2019: Ladies winner, Monica Niculescu (pictured here); Men’s winner, Dominik Koepfer (top right) 4 Chairman’s Report for Sport. The genesis for the Harrogate based on Harrogate initiative was as a result of the Spa Tennis Club. It is a project nearest centre for Yorkshire that has taken over a decade players being at Bolton in the to come to fruition and Nigel west or Nottingham in the Bentley and Steve Reffitt are south. Richard Crabtree was to be congratulated on their appointed Head Coach with perseverance and quality of Tom Loughton and Elliot Chang the proposals. The opening as Assistant Coaches. of the centre is expected by mid-2021 and will make Our bid was only made a significant difference to possible by the generous the provision of tennis in the support of four sponsors who district. committed £110,000 over the John Crowther – Chairman, contract period. The centre The success of the club’s Yorkshire Tennis has made an excellent start application evidenced the and has attracted 11 players excellent partnership working who are supported by the LTA, between the club, Yorkshire This has been a great year five of whom are nationally Tennis and the LTA North for tennis in Yorkshire with rated. It is important that Regional Team who helped with success in many fields. Karen all the coaches in Yorkshire the preparation of the business Mitchell and her team have feel part of the performance case for the establishment of secured some outstanding programme and that talented the centre. results in the senior County players are identified and given Some three years ago, Cup and age group categories. the opportunity to develop as Yorkshire Tennis introduced Paul Jubb, who has been far as possible up to the age of an initiative for clubs to supported by Yorkshire Tennis 14 from where the LTA national obtain a 50% rebate on their for the last six years, was the programme takes over. NCAA Men’s Champion, the Registration Fees if they first British player to have On the development front met the LTA’s Safeguarding reached the top of university and consistent with our other standards. We felt at the time tennis in the USA. He was objective of providing advice, there was insufficient focus on rewarded with a wild card into support, guidance and funding clubs to be compliant as only Wimbledon, losing to Joao to our clubs, Don Stewart has 27 out of 160 clubs actually Sousa in the first round in four continued to lead our efforts to received the rebate. However, sets. invest over £620,000 across the LTA subsequently in 2018 our network over three years. introduced the mandatory We have made or committed requirements for clubs to It is a great achievement loans up to our self-imposed achieve the Safeguarding across all our County teams limit of £400,000 and made Standards as a pre-requisite that we are, at the time grants of approximately for registration.