YORKSHIRE TENNIS THE YORKSHIRE TENNIS ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Presented at the Annual General Meeting 11th December 2017 DOWNLOAD THE APP! DISCOVER THE NEW APP FROM BABOLAT. www.babolat.com/app The app that lets you take tennis with you wherever you go. 03_Launch_Poster_A3_V4.indd 1 18/07/2017 16:02 CONTENTS FOREWORD President’s Address 2 Chairman’s Report 3 Statement from Head of LTA 5 North Region REPORTS Club, Community, County and 6 Education Committee Report Competition Committee Report 10 Initiative Committee Report 13 RESULTS Performance Committee Report 14 including summary of County Cups, County Championships and Veterans The Aegon British Tennis Awards 2016 19 The Yorkshire County Tennis Awards 2017 20 FINANCE Treasurers Report 21 Financial Statement 22 Registered Venues 24 THE TEAM YLTA Officials 26 Patrons and Life Patrons 28 LTA North Region Staff Team 29 YLTA Initiative 30 Obituaries 31 APPENDIX Winter and Summer County Cups, Aegon County Cup reports and Yorkshire County Seniors 33 Cover photos: (front) Paul Jubb at Pelican Park, Hull East; (back) Men’s Over 35s team (top left); Girls Under 14s team (top centre); Girls Under 12s team (top right); Yorkshire Ladies team (bottom right); Competitors at Yorkshire Veterans Championships (bottom left) 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 Sticking with the Ilkley theme On a sad note I attended the I also hosted Presidents funerals of two distinguished Day which I dedicated to volunteers in former President celebrating District Tennis. Gordon Lancaster and world- For me District Tennis is the renowned Umpire and Vice backbone of competitive team President Malcolm Huntington tennis in Yorkshire and I met MBE, who both sadly passed some fantastic people who as away earlier this year. volunteers work tirelessly on behalf of their District. I used As President I have continued the opportunity to update to be a member of several them on Yorkshire Tennis committees. These meetings and how their Clubs could provide an excellent insight benefit from initiatives such as into the excellent work going Chris Day – President, Advantage Yorkshire. The event on within Yorkshire Tennis Yorkshire Tennis went extremely well, and we and I would like to thank our now have a good network of hardworking Committee District Volunteers. Chairs – Don Stewart, Carolyn It has been an interesting and Rothwell, Karen Mitchell, enjoyable year as President of Community tennis continues Ian Hargreaves and John Yorkshire Tennis. One of my to be a priority and I was Ramsbottom – who do such a highlights was being asked to invited to the official opening splendid job. Last, but certainly present trophies to winners of Costello Park Community not least, I must thank our of the Ilkley Aegon Challenger Tennis facility, Hull, which has Chairman John Crowther who event which is a fantastic benefited from funding and I know works tirelessly on tournament and is now a firm now has several new courts. behalf of Yorkshire Tennis and fixture in the pre-Wimbledon This is an excellent example is leading us forward to what grass court calendar. The ‘icing of how partnership working hopefully will be even greater on the cake’ was presenting a can improve tennis within the achievements. trophy to doubles specialist community. Leander Paes who happens to Over the last year I have be one of my all-time favourite I got to see some fantastic managed to visit and play players. tennis, having attended at several clubs around most days at the Yorkshire the county. For me it is Tennis Championships, and important to keep “hitting a I was delighted to present tennis ball” and, in doing so, I trophies to the winners. have represented my club in The Championships go from matches, supported the County strength to strength and Veterans Tournament at Chapel I would like to thank Dave Allerton and was honoured to Kitchen, who once again did represent Yorkshire Veterans a fantastic job as referee and in County matches. organiser, and his team. Thanks also go to partners at My one regret is not watching LTA Region, to our hardworking as many of our County teams admin team, to sponsors as I would have liked and, and patrons who support unfortunately, I missed out on Yorkshire Tennis, to all our seeing our Under 12 and Under volunteers, to district and club 14 County juniors winning their officials and, finally, to parents National titles which was a whose commitment is greatly fantastic achievement. appreciated. 2 Chairman’s Report financial reserves being Our new and exciting reduced to circa £250,000 programme has been named over three years allowing Advantage Yorkshire and has for an annual spend of over seven different elements, £200,000 per year. namely: We recognise that the 1. A small grants programme Management Committee, of £100,000 per year through the Council, is awarded in two six monthly accountable to our members tranches of £50,000. and that the Annual Report 2. An enhanced interest free should reflect that approach loan offer of up to £25,000 along with recognition of sitting alongside requiring players and volunteers increasing contribution from who have made amazing John Crowther – Chairman, the club. The loan scheme contributions in the year. Yorkshire Tennis provides for the last two We have also taken the payments to be treated as Now in my third year as your opportunity to update the a grant, subject to specific Chairman, it is good to report Annual Report to better reflect conditions. that our strategy is taking hold what we do across a wide 3. A registration fee rebate with many of our members range of activities by including of up to 50%, subject to seizing advantage of a new sections from the following the club meeting the LTA’s comprehensive offering of committees: County, Club, Safeguarding Standards. support. At an away day in Community and Education January, the Management committee, Talent and 4. Work to establish a network Committee undertook a Performance ID committee, of talented and committed substantial review of tennis in Competitions and the Initiative coaches. Yorkshire and what we needed committee. Individual match to do to advance our three reports from captains are still 5. The establishment of the objectives of: available and can viewed on ‘Tramlines’ newsletter and our website or in the digital a general enhanced focus 1. More people playing tennis version of this report. on better communications in our member clubs with our members and Our progress can be players. 2. More clubs in membership summarised as follows: 6. The introduction of an 3. Working towards Yorkshire Objective 1: The measurement Associated Membership County Cup teams being of the number of people category to attract schools ranked in the top three in playing tennis in our clubs will into a relationship with us. Great Britain by 2021. come in early 2018 when the 7. The introduction of a results of club registration are It was recognised that network of Hub Clubs to known and we will report back Yorkshire Tennis has underpin county training by to you in due course. substantial resources and widening the net for talent just keeping ‘money in the Objective 2: We have seven into populated areas around bank’ does not advance the more clubs in membership the County. achievement of our objectives. (from 157 to 164) It was decided and then Progress has been good and approved by Council to launch Objective 3: Yorkshire is I feel the pace of change an ambitious programme currently ranked 4 (was 5) in is accelerating with more that would see the County’s the County Cup race. clubs coming to us for both 3 Chairman’s Report loans and grants. The 50% tournament. This is great registration fee rebate scheme news for Yorkshire Tennis has seen a dramatic rise and enables coaches, in the number of Yorkshire players and fans to watch club personnel/volunteers international standard undergoing the necessary LTA tennis every year for the safeguarding training. foreseeable future. Our CCCE sub-committee has Kyle Edmund, Yorkshire’s assessed its first round of highest ranked player, grant and loan applications continued to represent under the Advantage Yorkshire Great Britain in the banner and we are pleased Davis Cup and secured a that we have had slightly more year-end ranking of 50. applications than available We wish him well for a funds for the round which successful 2018 season evidences that clubs are ‘getting their act together’. Finally, I would like to thank many The roll out of Hub Clubs people who work and/ has been slower than I would or volunteer tirelessly have liked but we were in for Yorkshire Tennis. discussion with the LTA about From the members of a partnership in which we the Council, the President, the would use the services of Management Committee and John Loughton (LTA Regional the sub-committees. are important members of Training) as Yorkshire’s County the team and carry out many Performance Manager. This Our sponsorship programme administrative and support came about in September has been extremely successful functions which otherwise and John has already made this year and we should thank would have to be undertaken a difference in the extensive the Initiative Committee and by volunteers. planning that is needed for the the sponsors and patrons Our partnership with the LTA next year. We have also seen for their donations. With an through the Regional Team national success on court that additional £100,000 raised in underpins everything we do is reported more fully in this this way, it gives us so much and we work jointly to deliver report.