Top tennis coach quits in frustration
Monday 7th July 2008, 2:30PM BST.
Retiring junior coach Geoff Martel at Mini Wimbledon. (Picture by Daniel Guerin, 0602283)
GEOFF MARTEL has taken a parting shot at the Channel Islands Lawn Tennis Association as he steps down from coaching.
The well-liked 63-year-old has been teaching tennis to the island’s budding young players for more than 40 years and for the last 20 he has organised the highly popular Mini Wimbledon competition.
But this year’s event, which had its finals day at St Martin’s Tennis Club on Saturday, was the last that Martel will run. He will not organise another Mini Wimbledon and has decided to quit as St Martin’s junior coach, a post that he held for the last two years, because he has had enough of the Channel Islands LTA.
His main concern is that there are no indoor facilities for juniors to train in. The Guernsey Tennis Club at Longs Camps has indoor courts but is a private club. ‘There’s no opportunities for youngsters to play indoors on a play and pay basis,’ said Martel. ‘That’s an inhibiting factor. I’ve got no opportunity to help youngsters in the winter. e’d be up here [at St Martin’s] whatever the weather but it doesn’t help their games.’
Martel claims that during the 1990s the Channel Islands LTA had £250,000 from the British LTA to spend on indoor facilities on the island. However, no land could be found and the money went towards Jersey’s Les Ormes centre.
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While I would like to thank Geoff -indeed I DID thank Geoff -for all his efforts, I simply cannot agree that Guernsey junior tennis is struggling in any way. My son is very involved at the age of 7. The LTA have been over and run assessments on both players and coaches, and deemed the current set-up to be very good…and that is more than enough for me.
Ben loves the sport and my feeling is that there IS the backing and support for those that show any desire at all to play. The coaches GENUINELY work as a team -no petty club rivalries -and I can’t thank them enough for what they do.
Local football would do well to learn some lessons from them!
Ben plays and trains at La Mare Tennis Club, and the coaching and encouragement from Richard Smeed and his team has been wonderful. Ben has also had fantastic support from people like José and Jo Robinson -coaches from other clubs who just want to see the standard of tennis on Guernsey reach as high a level as possible.
I have nothing but praise for the Guernsey junior tennis set-up. It’s accessible, affordable, enjoyable and it’s WORKING.
Thanks to ALL the coaches and volounteers that continue to give up so much time on our children’s behalf. It really is hugely appreciated.
Sorry for rambling, but I needed to have my say.
Rob Foss
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