Children in Crosskeys are getting their first taste of tennis thanks to a voluntary organisation working to grow the sport in Wales, by connecting professional coaches with local schools.
The new partnership between Waunfawr Primary School and Tennis Solutionz – run by Allt-Yr-Yn tennis club’s head coach and ex-Wales international, Phil Thomas – is the first to be set up by non-profit organisation Tennis Connect Wales.
The result is that junior pupils will now take part in weekly tennis sessions, at the school, as part of a structured coaching programme.
Founder of Tennis Connect Wales, Steve Milne, said: “I couldn’t have wished for a better partnership to get us started. For a coach of Phil’s calibre to volunteer an hour of his time every week so the children at Waunfawr can get a racquet in their hands – many of them for the first time – is nothing short of awesome.
“Without this kind of proactive work in schools, many children in Wales will never get to experience this great sport, either because they don’t have a tennis club nearby, or they simply can’t afford to.”
Phil Thomas said: “Tennis is my life. I think the fact there are kids out there who may never get a decent opportunity to try the sport is just unbelievable. When Steve explained what he was doing through Tennis Connect I had to get involved.
“The school’s given me a warm welcome, and the kids have been full of enthusiasm and energy during sessions. As a coach, that’s what you want to see. There’s plenty of potential.”
Joanne Cueto, headteacher at Waunfawr Primary School, said: “We’re working to establish Waunfawr Primary as a ‘Healthy School’, so the exercise involved – and there’s a lot of it – fits in perfectly with what we’re trying to achieve here.
“The feedback from the children taking part has been absolutely fantastic. They’re really enjoying it, and some are bringing racquets into school, even when they don’t have a session, to practice. You never know, one of them may even turn out to be a future champion at Wimbledon.”