In the build up to the Davis cup final this weekend in Ghent, Belgium, Tennis for Life participants have been getting in the mood to support this event by playing lots of team competition. Players have been put into the GB or Belgium team and playing against each other to decide the winner. By the time the event concludes on the 29th of November over 130 players will have taken part in this Davis cup challenge. So far GB are in the lead and we hope this is a good omen for the GB team this weekend to bring home the trophy and make history.

Tuesday performance group

Tuesday fun, fitness and competition group

Tuesday ladies group

Tennis for Life coaches and leaders gave their time to run a tennis taster session for those young people with visual impairments on the 26th of October. This was a hugely exhilarating day enjoyed by all those who attended and helped.

British blind sport taster day

On the 13th of September 2015 Tennis for Life held their 3rd annual event with over 100 awards given out to players, volunteers and leaders of all ages and abilities. The top star award went to Ruhi Chitre with the family award being passed on by the Dean family to the Chitre family. Annual box league winners were Rebecca Mainprize and Joy Andrews for the girls and Harris Tzokas for the boys. Volunteer of the year award went to Kate Shearer, Abi Sutherland, Advik Chitre and Matthew Isbill and many more awards were also presented.

Tennis for Life awards 2015

Family of the year 2015

When Maria Andrews and family were on holiday in Greece during summer, another guest teamed up with Maria to play an exhibition match against the coaches. Her partner William had previously won the junior Roland Garros tournament in his youth. He had an incredible tennis journey to share that was both inspirational and emotional. Neither to say they put on a great display of tennis for the on looking guests and convincingly beating the coaches.

A holiday surprise

Rosie Gomez was a lucky girl at Wimbledon this year as she bumped into the American tennis coach and legend Nick Bollettieri. Lets hope his magic rubs of her!

Rosie meets a legend

Donna Andrews, Tennis for Life coach has been shortlisted for the national community coach of the year, LTA. She attended the celebrations at the nation tennis centre in June and although she didn’t win it, she was thoroughly honoured to be amongst the 5 finalist.

Donna with Greg Resedski

On the 14th of June tennis for life held a special celebration to give thanks for the involvement of Thalia and Harris Tzokas as valued members of Tennis for Life. Many Tennis for Life leaders joined Donna to celebrate everything Thalia and Harris had contributed over the last 10 years. They were presented with a collage of photos covering a vast amount of activities that they had taken part in as well as a special Tennis for Life gold badge. It was a very emotional event as these two young people were very special with in Tennis for Life and had touched many people’s lives. We hope they enjoy their new and exciting future in Plymouth with the family.

In June Donna Andrews was invited by Judy Murray to attend the Miss-Hits course in St. Albans. This LTA course has been devised by Judy to try and get more girls under 8 into tennis. It uses fun skills and dancing to inspire them. This exciting new course will be first rolled out at the Norwich High school for girls in September 2015. Please contact Donna for more details.

Judy and Donna with Billy the Ball dog

8 families took part in the Quorn family up on the 9th of May hosted by Tennis for Life. Each doubles pair consisted of a young person under 11 years of age playing doubles with a family member over 18 years of age. This great fun event was assisted by tennis leaders; Maddy Dean, Kate Shearer and Thalia Tzokas. The winning pair was Catherine and Harriet Pimm with R/Us Nora and Bernd.

Quern family cup 2015

Tennis for Life is honoured to be teaching tennis to those with a variety of visual impairments. From mild site problems to totally blind. Donna is hugely grateful to the Tennis Foundation and Norfolk LTA who fund these sessions. They take place at the Norfolk and Norwich association for the blind, they could also not take place without help of volunteers, like Rachael Farrow and Graham Warren. If you know of anybody with a visual impairment, get them to contact Donna Andrews at Tennis for Life.

VI Tennis at NNAB

Cathie Sabin, LTA president joins NHS girls for an early morning breakfast tennis session. Donna picked Cathie up from her hotel at 6:50am and took her to NHS to help set up for the 7:30am breakfast tennis group.

Cathie spent the rest of the day visiting other venues and clubs in Norfolk before attending the Norfolk LTA AGM in the evening held at NC football ground.

On the 14th and 15th of February the U12 & U16 groups went on tour to Culford to take part in the grade 4 event. The weather was amazing and therefore the players got to play lots of extra matches outside in the glorious weather. On the 17th of February the U8 & U9 players went to Culford to take part in the mini red and mini orange events. Finally on the 21st of February the U14s took to the road as well. For many this is the first experience of a tournament, or travelling out of county.

2015 Tour

Having fun with friends

U8 & U9 Tour

As always Christmas is such a fun time at Tennis for Life. Everyone gets dressed up in festive attire and have even more fun.

Christmas fun

Donna Andrews was honoured to be awarded Ageon/ LTA coach of the month for October 2014.

Aegon Coach of the Month Award – Oct ’14.
Kirsty Thomson (Tennis Foundation) presents the award to Donna Andrews.

After the successful Tennis for Life awards event. Tennis for Life members donated for Donna to go home and do the Ice bucket challenge. Volunteers Maddie Dean, Ross Dean and Joy Andrews joined Donna one Sunday in October to hand over the cheque at a lunch meeting run by the Norwich and Waveney Association for Motor Neurone disease. We had a fantastic lunch with those suffering from MND and their carers. Thank you everyone who contributed a donation.

Maria and Johnnie won U18 and mixed titles at Cromer building on the success at Framlingham the week before. Maria also winning ladies and U18 titles.

Maria and Johnnie continuing their mixed doubles success at Cromer

After the second Tennis for Life annual awards event, Donna came home and did the Ice bucket challenge to raise money for the Norwich and Waveney Association for Motor Neurone Disease. Volunteers, Maddie Dean, Ross Dean and Joy Andrews joined Donna in October to hand over the cheque at a lunch meeting run by this local MND association. The volunteers and Donna met MND sufferers and their cares and learnt much more about this dreadful disease. Thank you to everybody who contributed for the donation.

£220 raised for MND

On Sunday September the 7th, Tennis for life held its second annual live awards event with over 60 awards presented to hard working players, volunteers and leaders. The top star award this year went to Advik Chitre for his all round participation in tennis. He was awarded this by last year winner James Isbill. The family award was pasted on from the Daly family by Jack Daly to this years winner the Dean family. The annual box league trophy went to Francis Evans for the girls and Alfie Hewett for the boys. The volunteer of the year award went to Harris Tzakos and Joy Andrews. Donna Andrews thanked Pacific for their sponsorship for the awards and venue as without their support the awards could not take place.

2014 Tennis for Life awards

Jeremy Cameron, President of the LTA and renouned author attended a Tennis for Life session run by coach Donna Andrews one Sunday. He enjoyed watching Georgia play some fantastic tennis. Georgia who is only 8 has cerebral palsy but loves her tennis. He was so inspired by her performance that he dedicated chapter 28 of his latest book to GEORGIA (For the newspaper). The book is called How to be President (of Norfolk Lawn Tennis Association). Please buy it, it’s an entertaining read.

Georgia and Donna appear in print

Tennis for Life members had a fantastic grade 3 tournament at Framlingham this August with Johnnie Carmichael and Maria Andrews taking the mixed doubles U18 trophies and R/U in the open event. Maria Andrews also won the U18 singles and U16 doubles with her sister Joy Andrews. Francis Evans and partner won the U14 doubles.

Norfolk girls success

Mixed success for Maria and Johnnie