Cross Hills Tennis Club

What?

On Saturday 26th September Jon (your chairman) and Joel (your treasurer) are planning to play tennis from 9am until 6pm to raise money for Sue Ryder Manorlands.

Why?

Two reasons. First, each year for longer than I’ve been a member, Cross Hills Tennis Club has been very active in raising money for Manorlands with one way being by holding an annual fun day – in memory of former members who have benefitted from the amazing work Manorlands do. For obvious reasons, this kind of event cannot happen this year, but that shouldn’t stop us doing something. Second, just as we can’t hold a fun day, many other charity events cannot take place so organisations like Manorlands are being hard hit. By doing this sponsored play, we can reach out to people within and beyond the club to donate.

How to take part?

Three sign up sheets have been placed on the outside of the club house window with the following options: play tennis with myself and Joel. This could take place across two courts so that means up to 6 at a time. Come and be a spectator and cheer us on (or feed us cake). For families, come down and book a session to have a game with other committee members – it would be great to meet people who perhaps don’t play at club organised events. Come and meet us. Feel free to invite friends and family along. All standards welcome (including cake). PLEASE SIGN UP (take a pen just incase the two there get “borrowed” by someone). DON’T leave us to play a 9 hours singles match!!!!!!

How to contribute to Sue Ryder Manorlands

This is the important bit – the reason for the event. On the home page of this website is a link to a just giving site for people to make donations. Click here. Through this, contributions can be made via bank transfer, PayPal, debit or credit card. This money goes direct to Manorlands. Also, donations of cash can be made on the day. Contact me directly if you wish to make a donation at another time or in another way.

It would be great if this could extend to people beyond the club so those who are on social media, please send messages to your contacts directing them on how to contribute or why not invite someone along on the day – a great way to encourage new members.

Here’s an opportunity where we can pull together as a club at a time when everything has become compartmentalised. It would be great to see as many club members as possible all on the same day. However, please stick to the times you sign up for as we have to maintain our safety measures due to the pandemic. Let’s do our bit and make ‘September, I remember’ a positive song quote.

Please get in touch with me directly, through Pam our secretary or by leaving a message on the website if you’d like more information.

Thanks in anticipation

Jon(than)

August, die she must… but not yet and thanks to the lights we can play on beyond the limits of summer so READ ON ALL THE WAY TO THE END.

Club Nights

Great to see these up and running now and to hear the positive feedback about this and the courts on which we play (more on them lower down). Having said this, it is essential that we all continue to follow the LTA and government guidance in order to keep everyone as safe as possible, particularly with the news of an increase in Covid-19 cases in the local area. I think it’s fair to say some of us have slipped a bit and a huge thanks to those club members who show the assertiveness to remind others.

So, whenever at the club…

Maintain social distancing.

Use the hand sanitiser.

Club night first group finish prompt at 6.30pm and leave quickly / second group arrive for 6.45pm and try not to be early.

Follow the risk assessment when using the club house. Sorry to say the Gent’s toilet was not in a good way earlier in the week.

Do not come to play if you show any Covid-19 symptoms.

Remember to keep a record of who you have played with for 21 days to comply with track and trace rules. For club night, Pam our secretary does this. I know other organised times do this also.

Courts

Yes they’re looking good and playing well. Another thanks to the dedicated few who were instrumental in the organisation for this job to be done. Next step is to work out how best to maintain them. We will be looking carefully at the best way to look after the courts.

Singles Night

Purely in terms of tennis may I add. If anybody would like to join the group of us who have been enjoying a real runaround and waking up next morning with all kinds of aches and pains by playing singles on a Wednesday evening from 7pm until 9pm, please contact me directly. We could probably maintain the above playing rules with a maximum of 12 people. It is essential to let me know each week if you would like to join in so numbers can be properly monitored and a record kept for track and trace. Be prepared to pick your own ball up if you put your first serve into the net though.

Charity Event

Date for the diary: Saturday 26th September

Although this year we are unable to organise an event which could allow us all to gather together at the same time, it would be great to still find a way to raise money for the Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice in Oxenhope, something the club has done successfully every year for longer than my time as a member.

The idea will be a tennis marathon where myself and Joel, our treasurer, will play for the entire day’s booking time. We hope people will then pay to play us or sponsor the occasion. Running alongside this, other committee members will be available across the day to meet and play any juniors and family members. Now the date is published, organisation of the event has to happen and details of how you can participate will be sent out in due time; for now, get the date in you calendars.

Maintaining the Grounds

Thanks and well done to those who see a job needs doing and just do it. Autumn is a time when quite a lot needs doing so let’s all keep doing our bit.

Congratulations on reading to the end. Look back at a few of the other posts; go on, send me a photo or reply to the Wimbledon request.

See you on court.

Jon(athan)

Anybody else got any photos?

Great first outing on the spanking newly washed and painted courts and a very successful Tuesday club night. Remember to book through Pam from a Thursday for the following Tuesday (5.00 til 6.30 or 6.45 til 8.15 or whenever we drag ourselves off). We even played under lights last night. Thanks to all who put in the time and effort to get the courts looking and feeling great.

We were joined by two visitors from Adel Tennis Club in Leeds who are looking to get some lights and they were thoroughly impressed with the club and the feel for the place. Just need a bit of warmth now.

Great photos from Oliver! All genuine I can assure you.

The re-scheduled court cleaning/painting operation is due to commence next week. Therefore the courts will be closed and no bookings will be available for 4 days starting on Wednesday 22 July. The next available booking is Sunday 26 July. Let’s hope the weather holds up this time!

Following the court cleaning postponement, the booking system has been updated. Courts can now be booked for this week.

Our coaching sessions with Kinetic Tennis are restarting as of 12th July. Sessions will adhere to recent government guidelines and social distancing measures. Junior coaching will have a limit of 6 players per session including the coach, and adults a limit of 8.  If there is more interest, we will be able to add more sessions onto the programme.

Furthermore, to assist with the government’s track and trace regime we are only using the clubspark booking system which can be found at  https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/kinetictennis/Coaching/Junior/CrossHills. All sessions are individually set, meaning you don’t have to book for a term. 

Pricing:

Group coaching – £6 a session for members

Individual coaching 1-4 players:  £25 contact Jamie directly for more information

Finally, it would be appreciated if you could help us with advertising the programme to family and friends. Kinetic Tennis have created a promo video which is advertised on Facebook. If you would be able to share this, please help us generate more interest for the club and coaching programme. 

For any queries regards to the sessions please do not hesitate to contact Jamie on 07938850558 OR kinetics.tennis@gmail.com

Many thanks

Jamie

July, she will fly. So she will and so she does. Can you believe we should be on the mid-season break today and enjoying a bit of Wimbledon. Even Gardener’s World is at its half way mark!

News is now in to say all three league seasons for 2020 have been abandoned. But tennis at Cross Hills hasn’t and we keep looking at ways to make it more accessible to all.

Booking will open for the trial Tuesday club nights (on what will hopefully be newly painted courts) at 9am on Thursday. Instructions were e mailed to all club members and are also posted on the news page. The main emphasis for these evenings is social tennis and open to all abilities. Running alongside the booking system for the rest of the week, this means people will get the chance to play with different members, good for everyone’s game. On the night, a co-ordinator will take the lead, allocating people to courts and organising change rounds. As stated, it is open for 12 people at each session (but please don’t book for both). Details are given in the e mail and on the post but on the night, the co-ordinator will tell you what to do and where to go. These conditions are in place so we adhere to the rules regarding social gatherings which can only be 6. The officers of the club will review this provision so please give feedback to the co-ordinator or to Pam Emsley our secretary.

In fact for any issues or suggestions you wish to raise, please contact Pam our secretary and she will share with the relevant parties. If there is an enquiry with regard new membership then Chris Glen is the one to contact. This can also be done through the website.

For club night and at all other times, the three courts are now up and running. Thanks to Bob for magically filing the new net clasp so it fits. (Does anybody know the real name for the thingumy that holds the net tape down?)

Kinetic tennis are also relaunching from next week too and again details have been e mailed and will be posted alongside this newsletter. There is an opportunity for adult coaching and the time slot for this has been extended to give more people the chance to access this. It’s great to see a number of new members joining us and to have this facility can only be good for the development of the club as well as individuals.

So just Wimbledon repeats to watch but to get interactive and more engagement on this page, here’s a challenge.

1 Which male and female Wimbledon champion has had the greatest positive influence on you?

2 Which aspect of your game are you currently most pleased with and which part would you like to improve? (You can’t say apologising to your partner is a strength.)

I’ll go first. Stefan Edberg for a game based on precision and an elegant serve volley which is what happens in my head when I try it. Steffi Graf for excellent footwork and a powerful forehand. (Note my non-gender specific comments). 1988 must have been a significant year.

In terms of my own game, obviously my cross court winning Steffi like forehand is feared by all and wouldn’t it be good to be able to glide elegantly into the net and put away a forehand volley first time. Well erm, wouldn’t it be good to play a volley.

Come on, let’s see some posted comments to this to show what you think.

Plenty happening over the next month or so behind the scenes but will save that for sunny August. Big thank you to all those members who see a job and get on and do it. The club survives on this committed attitude.

Enjoy your tennis.

Jon the Rabbit Remover (my new skill)

PS, still not received any photos.

Courts are due to be cleaned and repainted and so will be closed from Monday 6 July and reopen Saturday 11 July.  Apologies for the inconvenience. Any court bookings already made for these times have been cancelled. Fingers crossed that the weather will behave for this to happen… (and the baby rabbits).