Ackworth School is delighted to have been shortlisted in the Independent Schools of the Year 2021 awards. The nomination is in the Community award category for the school’s Tennis Outreach Programme.
The project, jointly funded by the Tim Henman Foundation and Ackworth School has helped local coach Alice Robson bring tennis to nearly 2,000 pupils at 28 local primary schools. In partnership with the Lawn Tennis Association, the programme has also generated nearly 200 new members to Ackworth Tennis Club.
Tom Shennan-Barker, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Ackworth School said, “We are proud to have been shortlisted for the Independent Schools of the Year 2021 awards. Our tennis outreach programme has been so successful in giving thousands of primary school children the opportunity to learn new skills, and this shortlisting is in recognition of that.”
Celebrating community engagement
Recently, Tim Henman visited Ackworth School to celebrate the unique partnership. Nearly 100 primary children from the area participated in the event, including pupils from Ackworth’s Coram House junior school.
During the visit, Alice, LTA’s Development Coach of the Year delivered coaching together with Henman himself. Henman was on hand to share his experiences from a 15-year playing career. In that time he reached six Grand Slam semi-finals and won 15 ATP career titles.
At the event, Tim Henman said: “I am delighted to be at Ackworth today and see more young tennis stars coming through the pipeline. Talent is spread evenly across the country but sadly opportunity is not. This is why this Foundation initiative in association with the LTA, Ackworth School and Ackworth Tennis Club is so important.”
Independent Schools of the Year finalists will be revealed on 7 September. Judges will then meet again to reach a decision on the winner of each category. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
Tennis royalty was in town on Wednesday as former British number one Tim Henman visited Ackworth School to celebrate a successful local project aimed at getting more young people involved in tennis and launch his Foundation’s new fundraising campaign.
The participation project, jointly funded by the Tim Henman Foundation and Ackworth School, in partnership with the LTA, the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain, has helped local coach Alice Robson bring tennis to nearly 2,000 pupils at 28 local primary schools, as well as to generate nearly 200 new members to Ackworth Tennis Club.
Tim meets Coram House pupils and coach Alice Robson
During the visit, Alice, who was named Development Coach of the Year at last year’s LTA Tennis Awards, delivered coaching alongside the visiting primary school teachers to nearly 100 children at the school together with Henman himself, who was on hand to share his experiences from a 15-year playing career which saw him reach six Grand Slam semi-finals and win 15 ATP career titles.
Finding Your Spark
The event also marked the launch of a new campaign by the Tim Henman Foundation – the #FindingYourSpark campaign – which is designed to help some of the country’s most vulnerable young people pursue their passions in disciplines like tennis. Events like today’s are all about spreading special experiences like accessing one-to-one coaching and giving more children the chance to find their spark.
Tim Henman said: “I am delighted to be at Ackworth today and see more young tennis stars coming through the pipeline. Talent is spread evenly across the country but sadly opportunity is not, which is why this Foundation initiative in association with the LTA, Ackworth School and Ackworth Tennis Club is so important.”
As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, children need these chances more desperately than ever.
“Some of us are lucky enough to remember the moment we found our spark and the people who inspired us, in my case through the tennis scholarship I was granted aged nine. By donating to the #FindingYourSpark you can give more special, life-defining moments to more of our most vulnerable children.”
Celebrating tennis across Yorkshire
Paul Bennett, LTA Head of Region for North of England said: “The results of this partnership speak for themselves and it’s great to see so many of the schoolchildren that Alice has inspired to pick up a racket enjoying today’s session with Tim. We are continuing to work closely with the Foundation as we both work towards encouraging more and more young people from all backgrounds to get involved in our sport. There are plans in place to follow a similar model to this project in other areas of the country, and hopefully, we will see similar levels of success.”
Alice Robson, Ackworth Tennis Club Head Coach and LTA Development Coach of the Year, said: “It has been a privilege to give so many children around Yorkshire the opportunity to play tennis for the first time. Seeing them pick up a racket and learn new skills is wonderful. Ensuring they have a positive first experience with tennis is important when trying to engage them with the sport and inspiring Britain’s tennis players.”
Local primary pupils participate in the event at Ackworth learning new tennis skills
Anton Maree, Head of Ackworth School said: “Introducing activities to children to which they do not normally have access has to take place at their convenience. We work with our partner schools at their schools with the facilities they have at their disposal. This approach allows us to reach a significant number of children and we help them to find their spark!”
Richard Garrett, CEO of the Tim Henman Foundation said: “The Tim Henman Foundation Community Tennis Programme in Ackworth is a leading model for developing tennis participation. The programme involves schools and a club with outstanding levels of participation creating 1000s of “one life one opportunity” moments for young people to pick up a tennis racquet and potentially find their spark. The scheme’s success reflects a one education sector approach with children and teachers from both state and independent schools being inspired through tennis”.
The Tim Henman Foundation is one of a number of charities the LTA is supporting through the effects of the coronavirus pandemic through grant funding from the Tennis Foundation.
One of 18 national winners from across the country, Alice Robson of Ackworth Tennis Club secured the honoured award for ‘Development Coach of the Year’ for her exceptional contribution to grassroots and development tennis.
Growing a coaching programme from zero to 70, Alice has a passion for getting women and girls on-court and has developed innovative sessions including a Mother and Daughter’s tennis festival, all while mentoring new coaches and engaging more than 1,800 children from schools.
“By developing the Tennis Club I have created a coaching program and given lots of children the opportunity to play tennis.”
The new all-weather court at Ackworth School has allowed the club to become more diverse, being wheelchair accessible. The club would not exist if it was not for the joint efforts of all the partners from the Head of Ackworth School, Anton Maree, to The Tim Henman Foundation, and LTA.
The Under-16 Boys and Under-16 Girls celebrated an emphatic win at the annual Butterfly School Team Championship finals as they both came away as National Champions last week.
The boys clinched the Leah-Carrington Cup whilst the girls took home the Mick Betts Memorial Cup.
The teams proved to be a cut above the competition, with the boys winning all three matches 8-0. Ackworth’s Felix believed it was their winning mentality which helped them through:
“We were very confident and came in with a mindset that we were going to win.
“Against London Academy, there were difficult moments, a couple of fifth-setters, but we fought through. I think we’ve learned how to deal with pressure quite well.”
The quality of the girls’ team also shone through, epitomised by an 8-0 victory over third-placed George Spencer Academy. The girls only dropped three individual matches all day. One of the top performers of the day, Sandy echoed the sentiments that a strong team mentality was a large factor:
“We expected to win but we knew it was going to be difficult because it’s national level and we felt a lot of pressure because of that.
“We all stuck together and cheered each other on.”
Ackworth School prides itself on its exceptional Table Tennis Academy with a number of pupils going on to play at an international level.
It’s game, set and match for our very own tennis coach Alice Robson as she is named as Tennis Coach of the Year for Yorkshire.
The prestigious award is in recognition of Alice’s hard work in turning around Ackworth Tennis Club, while introducing more of the local community to tennis in an inclusive and welcoming way.
Since becoming Head Coach 18 months ago, LTA accredited Alice has helped to transform Ackworth Tennis Club, playing a major role in increasing its membership from just 17 members to 130 members today, with the club bringing in new programmes to develop and encourage more tennis players.
Now over 100 children and 30 adults regularly playing tennis at the club, with a further 2,000 school children at 17 local primary schools being introduced to tennis through Alice’s work with the community, which also includes organising open days and supporting fellow coaches.
Alice’s down to earth coaching skills and strong leadership has brought together Ackworth School, Yorkshire Tennis, The Tim Henman Foundation and the social mobility network BECSLink, to make tennis accessible, safe and enjoyable for all.
The whole school is very proud of Alice, says Anton Maree, Head of Ackworth School.
“Alice brings great dedication, inclusiveness and innovation to coaching all our students, so it comes as no surprise these skills have now been recognised, she thoroughly deserves the title of coach of the year”.
Alice concluded; “There have been so many fantastic coaches who have won this award in the past, so it’s a massive honour to receive this. It’s such a pleasure working at Ackworth School and Ackworth Tennis Club, and it’s a joy seeing tennis being played at our school and the local area, helping to create a strong community of sport lovers, young and old”.
Well done Alice. We look forward to seeing tennis continue to go from strength to strength at our school and in the region.
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