Newcastle’s Sam goes Stateside

Newcastle’s Sam goes Stateside

28 October 2015

NEWCASTLE Tennis Club coach Sam Clegg recently travelled to Florida and New York to visit top US tennis academies.

During his tour he met world-famous tennis coach Nick Bollettieri, coach of ten world number one players. 

Sam was able to watch and observe the methods used by Nick as he took a performance group at his world renowned IMG academy. As well as this, Sam watched the men’s current world number 6, Kei Nishikori, train with his coach at the academy, further adding to this great experience.

He also visited the Chris Evert Academy in Miami and the John McEnroe Academy in New York.

Sam is looking to introduce the various techniques and methods observed to his coaching groups at Newcastle Tennis Club once the local coaching programme resumes at the start of November.

The new coaching programme at Newcastle is extensive and also affordable, both for seniors and juniors, catering for all ages and abilities, making this fantastic sport available to everyone.

Three of the club’s senior members travelled to Belfast at the beginning of October to collect awards.

This year two of the club’s senior teams covered themselves in glory and won their respective leagues.

These were the men’s Evergreen team comprising captain Stephen Brown, Eugene McGuigan, Trevor Long, John Lowry, Paddy Dornan and Johnny Burns, and the mixed League A team, captained by Brendan O’Connor and supported by Hazel Carder, Jane McIlwrath, Wendy Laffin, Liz Brown, Patricia Stewart, Kay Speedy, Dolores Dornan, Eugene McGuigan, James Moore, Ryan Speedy, Paddy Dornan and Stephen Brown.

Well done to everyone who contributed to winning these awards.

Newcastle Tennis Club’s Eugene McGuigan seized victory at the weekend in the club’s men’s singles friendly tournament.

The success followed another triumph for the local player in the Mixed competition at the Bryansford Road courts.

A dozen of the club’s senior men players lined out on Saturday in a series of round robin doubles matches, with games won being added to a running tally for each player. 

After two hours of competitive play, McGuigan’s lethal serve and volley game came out on top, followed by Stephen Brown and Johnny Burns, who also took home prizes.

Meanwhile six of the club’s juniors are competing this week in the Apex Ulster Junior Open at the David Lloyd Centre in Dundonald.

Representing the club at one of Northern Ireland’s most prestigious tournaments are Aaron McAnulty, Jack Cunningham, Gabriel Corrigan and siblings Michael, Sinéad and Ciaran Flanigan.