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LTA Awards

The LTA Awards 2022 recognise & reward individuals, clubs and organisations for their contribution to the development of Tennis in Middlesex throughout 2021.
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The 2022 Middlesex LTA winners were as follows;

• Disability Award: Get Set 4 Tennis
• This has been awarded to a tennis provider that is dedicated to increasing participation levels of SEN students by providing the opportunity to play and learn tennis.
  Get Set 4 Tennis make students with complex needs feel welcome and comfortable to try their best every session. Sessions are inclusive to all and as a result the students have loved taking part. Students are able improve their tennis skills and their confidence, self-esteem and well-being.
  A very deserving award winner for this award.
• School of the Year: Stormont House
• Stormont House is a community special school for students who have complex and inter-related special educational needs.  Following the 2021 lock down Hackney Tennis contacted Stormont House and established a new partnership enabling LTA qualified Hackney Tennis coach Allan Bairstow to deliver two one-hour curriculum time tennis lessons each week to Stormont House students, on the Hackney Tennis courts at Hackney Downs park. Stormont House is perfectly situated next to the courts, which removes any difficulties with transport.  Hackney Tennis now provides this opportunity to a new year group each half term which will enable Hackney Tennis to teach 6 classes each year. The school has two indoor badminton courts which will enable the sessions to take place indoors during inclement weather. Allan Bairstow has been leading the sessions along side PE teacher Kamil Hajdrych. Kamil is a fantastic PE teacher and Allan and Kamil are working really well together to deliver the best sessions possible for the children.
  Key Outcomes
  •Providing high quality tennis coaching to 140  special needs students
  •Work alongside Stormont Houses' PE teacher and share exercises and coaching skills that will be a valuable addition to the the school’s own PE delivery
  •Longer term objective to train Hackney Tennis members as volunteers to help ensure the project is sustainable for future years
• Competition Award: Middlesex County Closed
• It was brilliant to be back on court for a full County Closed week hosted by Hazelwood Sports Club and Vicars Moor LTC. We had 231 players take part and 423 entries with many competitive matches throughout the tournament. The week was organised and run by Brenda Stewart, supported by the Middlesex Staff and Management Board throughout the week.
  The county continued in its efforts to deliver an inclusive tournament hosting with Surrey a Visually Impaired Event (At Islington Tennis Centre), Learning Disability Tournament (At Vicars Moor) and a Wheelchair Tournament (At AELTC Community Grounds).
  A real success for 2021 was the introduction of a Doubles Finals Day to close off the week on a high.
• Community & Parks Award: Cambridge Gardens
• Community Parks Tennis, based at Cambridge Gardens, are a fairly newly formed business continuing much of the work that was delivered as part of Caroline's previous business venture (with Kate Maurici) under Sheen Parks Tennis.  
  They have ensured a safe return to playing tennis in a number of park sites. They have successfully delivered a number of LTA products including LTA Youth Start, delivered inclusive tennis sessions and linked with local schools and nurseries.  A key success was the wheelchair tennis sessions that are included in the LTA Open Court programme.
  CPT engage with players of all ages and abilities and have a great team of coaches to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment to anyone who steps on to court. They have an extensive tennis offer which has seen the number of people involved grow over the last year. They are fully engaged with their members, the LTA and are always happy to take on feedback and try new approaches and initiatives. They have recently linked with a local Scout group and made use of the LTA Youth Start programme to gain their Beaver Badge. They engage schools and nursery's and have a  link with Kingston Academy.
  CPT take safeguarding very seriously and adhere to the LTA minimum standards regarding coaching, Welfare Officers, policies and procedures etc.  As previously stated they have a very inclusive approach and provide disability specific sessions as well as deliver 1 to 1 coaching for disabled players. Court usage is extremely high in Richmond park venues and much of this is down to having a great programme delivered by a welcoming and friendly team. Community Parks Tennis, although recently formed, has hit the ground running and been able to continue much of the work already being delivered by Caroline and her team. Having a parks tennis provider so open to new idea's and initiatives is brilliant and the inclusive nature of their operation is fantastic. They are truly embedded in the parks environment and genuinely care about community tennis and developing all players. They are a very professional company, who do a brilliant job and should be deservedly recognised for it.
• Official of the Year: Sangeeta Arora
• This has been awarded to our competitions co-ordinator Sangeeta Arora, who outside her role at Middlesex, spends over 100 days a year working as a Tournament organiser, Referee and Court Supervisor.
  Sangeeta has taken on local venues, Gunnersbury Sports Park, Will to Win Pitshanger, Ealing LTC and Islington TC where she runs Grade 4-6 competitions to introduce and retain players in competitions. She has also referee' ed her first County Cups with 9U, 10U and Open Events in 2021 (after the events were cancelled in 2020), and continues to referee Winter Regional Tours. She also regularly court supervises at National, ITF and TE events to gain experience and knowledge from
  For Sangeeta, the best part of officiating is seeing players gain confidence, develop their skills and love of their game through taking part in matches and tournaments.
  She was awarded ABTO's Up and Coming Referee of the Year.
• Club of the Year: Conway LTC
• Friendly! Busy! Thriving!
  
  Over the past year, despite doubling their membership, Conway balanced the demands of different sections of the club from team players, social, competitions and coaching. Conway gained permission for floodlights on an additional court with no objections to the planning permissions. They migrated to clubspark for court bookings and membership, introduced a coffee shop in their revamped clubhouse and sought sponsorship to support their junior programme from a local business. The club also appointed their first Female Head coach, when their head coach retired.
  
  Conway have gone from strength to strength to earn their award for Club of the Year.
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• Performance Coach of the Year: Glenn Kuma-Mintah
• In 2021 Glenn successfully launched his tennis academy as part of Gunnersbury Park LTC. This has proven to be extremely successful with Glenn managing to consistently deliver a highly successful coaching programme, despite a period of major change. This new and autonomous environment  has enhanced further the success of his players.  
  He continues to produce international and national juniors and has a successive group of younger players, elevating through the ranks, who are aspiring to follow in the footsteps of their older peers.  His innovative and individual approach, combined with his high energy levels has made him a highly sought after coach and this nomination is well deserved.
  Players Glenn has worked with throughout 2021 include:
  >Derrick Chen - 18U Doubles National Champion. US Open & Wimbledon Junior Draws
  >Derin Acaraoglu - US  College 
  >Ranah Stoiber – Wimbledon and Australian Open Junior Draws
  >Nicolas Moreno de Alboran - US Open Men's debut. ATP Challenger Semi-Finalist, ITF 25 K (Two titles), ITF 15K Title
  >Tara Laval – National Runner Up 11U    
  >Sophia Frederick McKee - Represented Middlesex (Regional Title) and England (Four Nations Title)
  It is an extremely strong and diverse coaching record.
  Glenn is co captain to the 14U boys team. He brings huge value to the squad in terms of his energy, passion, and highly respected coaching quality. Glenn is highly motivated in his role, and despite tennis being mainly an individual sport, seeks out contribution from others, shares best practice with other coaches and is always open to engaging with other coaches, players and parents.
• Volunteer of the Year: Tashiya Mirando
• Tash is a well deserving winner of the Volunteer of the Year for her role as chair of Tennis at Cumberland LTC.
  She has made it a priority to serve and represent all aspects of the club's tennis players from Team players to social players alike. She brings the club together to make the club a friendly community where members want to be and get involved.
  Tash is also a full time GP, and was on the working party throughout COVID, to assist the club and balance safety measures that needed to be followed as well as prioritising players to get back onto court and playing.
• Young Person of the Year: Dylan Stephens
• The Young Person of the Year was awarded to Dylan Stephens. Dylan started volunteering at his Club, The Avenue, helping with the mini tennis players on Saturday mornings. He would accept no payment!
  Dylan is never late, always has a new idea up his sleeve and is amazing with the children.  He always knows everyone names before the warm up has finished.  He finds something good to say about every child even the one struggling the most. Everyone leaves a lesson run by Dylan feeling that they are ready for Wimbledon!
  But this is not where Dylan’s talents end!  He is the most efficient administrator.  If we need something done, he’s on it; in fact, he communicates quicker and more efficiently than his Mum and Dad!  With his ‘can do’ attitude, Dylan will go far...
  All the parents check which groups he is coaching now before booking their little players onto tennis courses. The teenagers ALL want to be his tennis partner and, in his team, not just because he is a first-class player, but because he generous in spirit and will always let his partner take the glory…… never a bad word to say about anyone!
  When he was 6 he won our club Annual Tournament in red, this Summer, at 16, he won all the adult trophies!
• Development Coach of the Year: Caroline Jordan
• Caroline Jordan has been awarded Middlesex Coach of the Year for her dedication to providing the opportunity for more players to access tennis, and building a community around her ventures.
  "Caroline know by now all Richmond / Twickenham tennis players - big and small, young and older ,beginner and advanced. She brings us all together with her enthusiasm in teaching us tennis and organising tennis tournaments and rally's."
  In particular her offer for Key Stage 2 students in Richmond to play classes in both a school setting and local courts. Caroline ensures young people enjoy playing the game in a safe setting and demonstrates an excellent standard of care. Caroline is very attentive (remembering everyone's names by the end of the warm up) and makes everyone feel welcome.
  Caroline has also been instrumental in working with the LTA with the local Open Court project to enable those with disabilities to participate in sessions and play tennis - a particular success has been the Wheelchair sessions and tournament.
• Lifetime Achievement Award: Olly Rogger
• The lifetime achievement award recognises and celebrates the significant achievement of an individual over many years, and for this individual it is hugely relevant: Olly has been behind the development and maintenance of the Finchley Manor tennis club and courts for well over 30 years. He has moved the club forward through each era of its development, notably in developing a superb playing experience on the courts. Thanks to him the club have a current wonderful mix of artificial clay, US open hardcourts and a tarmacadam kids zone over 2 courts In order to achieve the clubs aims and ambition,
  He regularly undertakes research, visiting clubs to see what works and what doesn’t! Additionally, to this area of expertise, Olly remains a player of an exceptionally high standard, with his love of the game shared with many members including up and coming juniors. His contribution to the wider development of British Tennis needs to also be acknowledged this evening through the Financial Leadership he provided to the Lawn Tennis Association – based at Queens Club for close onto 30 years.