Getting to know the coaches of Cork - Martin Higgins

Next coach to share some details is Ballinlough's very popular coach, Martin Higgins.

                                                                         

                       Coaches Profile

Name: Martin Higgins	Club(s): Ballinlough TC
Level: 2

 

1. How long have you been coaching?	1.I’ve been coaching almost 20 years.  I started out helping out my coach when I was 15/16 and absolutely loved it, never looked back since.
2. What got you into coaching?	2.I love the thought of everyday being different.  When I started working with kids, I was having way too much fun (because I’m a bit of a child myself), I knew it was for me.
3. Who is your favourite coach?	3. Favourite coach is a tough one as I’ve been lucky to have had some great coaches and I feel they’ve all added something to my game and as a person. So thanks to Don Ahern , John o Rourke , Ger Flynn , Declan Bray.
4. What was your favourite tournament to play in growing up?	4. Loved every tournament to be honest but based on results I loved the Irish closed in Rushbrookealways had a good track record there.
5. Who is your favourite player now and all time (if they differ)?	5. Favourite player growing up was Marat Safin he was an absolute nut job but very entertaining and on his day he was unbelievable. Favourite player now is Federer tennis looks so easy and effortless to him.
6. What is your favourite Grand Slam?	6.   Favourite Grand Slam is definitely Wimbledon.
7. What are your strengths as a coach?	7. Strengths as a coach I think is my understanding of the different variables in tennis and then fitting in the possible solutions. I have a great connection with the kids and adult clients I work with. I’d also say I’m personable and very approachable.
8. What areas do you need to improve?	8. I hope to never stop learning and always open to improving. I’m not shy in asking other coaches for there views on something or running ideas pass them. I’ve no ego whatsoever so I’ll ask the questions if I think it’ll help me help my clients.
9. What has been your best moment in tennis so far as a coach?	9. I had loads of great moments of all different sorts as a coach, but one stands out. I won’t name the girl but this girls was a late starter to tennis her younger sister was a good player. Long story short she worked her backside off not being blessed with natural talent some 4 years later she’s playing in a B event in Ballinlough her first ever tournament. She wins this extremely tight match falls to her knees like she just won Wimbledon comes off court in tears of joy and hugs her mum. As a coach seeing this girl work so hard for that moment what a feeling being there to see her achieve it and how much it meant to her best feeling I’ve ever had as a coach.
10. What is the best advice you have received so far?	10. Best advice I’ve ever received was at a tennis clinic with Greg Rusedski said “you don’t need a hammer to break an egg” as a young fella I felt I had to hit every ball as hard as I could especially volleys.
11. What was your first racket was?	11. First proper racket to memory was a Fischer I remember going into Maher’s sports every week for a few months just to see this particular racket pick it up get a feel for it. On Christmas morning there it was for me under the tree I was thrilled.
12. What was the first tournament you played in?	12. First open I played in was the Rushbrookeopen I was under 11 and I played the number 1 seed under 12 Martin Black he beat me well on the day but I was hooked from that day on.

 

Cork Parks Tennis Camps

 

Guaranteed fun and a great way to spend your summer.

https://corkparkstennis.com/summer-tennis-camp/

Irish Tennis Updates podcast interview on Rackets and Strings

I had the pleasure of doing a podcast interview with Adam Wade of Irish Tennis Updates.  If you haven't come across these yet, check out Adam's Facebook page.  He has interviewed some of Irelands best players over the years but also talks to various people in the tennis industry in Ireland.  Some really very interesting interviews.

I really enjoyed my talk with Adam and I hope it is informative for you.

Tennis for the vision impaired - Cork Sports Partnership

🎉 New Tennis programme for players with a vision impairment commencing Tuesday 1st June 🎉

Cork Sports Partnership in partnership with Tennis Ireland, Enjoy Tennis Ireland and Vision Sports Ireland are delighted to announce a 4 week beginner tennis programme aimed at adults who are blind or have a vision impairment. 🎊

The weekly sessions will focus on introducing players to tennis in a fun and safe outdoor environment. 🥳

Details include: 

🎾 4 week programme, 1 session per week

🎾 Tuesday 12 - 1pm 

🎾 Ballinlough Tennis Club

🎾 Commences Tuesday 1st June 

🎾 Dates include: Tues 1st,  8th, 15th and 22nd June 

🎾 Cost: Free of Charge!

All equipment for the sessions will be provided to players i.e. racquets and balls. Limited space available! 🙌

ℹ️ To register visit: www.corksports.ie/vi_blind-tennis-

For more info, email kfeeney@corksports.ie 

#CorkSportsAbility #KeepCorkActive #KeepWell

Cork SportsAbility | CARA Centre | Sport Ireland | NCBI - Working for People with Sight Loss | ChildVision |

Getting to know the Coaches of Cork - Joanne Williamson

Next up with their profile is Joanne Williamson.  Joanne is a busy woman and coaches at Monkstown Lawn Tennis Club, St. Michaels Tennis Club and Ballinlough Tennis Club.

Coaches Profile

 

Name: Jo-Anne Williamson	Club(s): Monkstown, St. Michaels, Ballinlough. Co. Cork
Level: 2

 

1. How long have you been coaching?	1. I've been coaching for over 30 years! (I’m very old now!)
2.      What      got      you       into coaching?	2. Filling in for my coach who was injured & I knew it was for me and passed up my U.S scholarship to go into full time coaching
3. Who is your favourite coach?	3. I think home grown Paul Casey is one of my favourites! Such passion & intensity is rare when someone has been at the job for such a long length of time! Total respect !!
4. What was your favourite tournament to play in  growing up?	4. I always loved the Irish open in Fitzwilliam. I only made a final twice (& came 2nd )  but played plenty of semis.
5. Who is your favourite player now and all time (if they differ)?	5. One from the history books is Monica Seles, I played table tennis against her when I was in the Bolletteri  Academy and was hooked.  Irish player possibly Scott Barron, I trained with him a lot & his court manner & ability was always outstanding (plus he's so humble!)
6. What is your favourite Grand Slam?	6. I love the U.S open, I plan to get there & tie it in with some shopping !!!
7. What are your strengths as a coach?	7. I think patience and communication. I've always been told I'm a "people person" so I guess I'm approachable.
8. What areas do you need to improve?	8. Everything! Nobody knows it all & I'm happy to learn from those who can teach.
9. What has been your best moment in tennis so far as a coach?	9. I've worked with national players right down to schools tennis players and the best moments are always when a player, no matter their standard, says " I'm still playing tennis" that's what it's all about!
10. What is the best advice you have received so far?	10. Your volley is only as good as your approach! You can use this in life too! Set yourself up well with positivity around you and you'll succeed!  Very philosophical!
11.     What    was    your     first racket?	11. I was 9/10 years old when I started and remember a wooden Dunlop Maxiply (oh God just showed my age!)
12.     What     was     the      first tournament you played in?	12. A round Robin in my holiday home in  Rosslare! The first real recognised tournament though was The Barniville Babes held in Fitzwilliam in Dublin. I lost 0 & 0 the first year and won it the following year winning a years worth of sponsored coaching!

 

 

Great Honour for Cork coach Cian Blake.

 Cork coach and Performance Director of Munster Tennis, Cian Blake, has just being named co-captain of the Irish mens tennis team for the upcoming Davis Cup matches.  This is a great honour and recognition for all the hard work Cian has been putting into tennis for the last few years.

Below is the announcement that was made on the Tennis Ireland website.

Best of luck Cian, enjoy the event and I expect a detailed article for the blog on your return.

18 MAY TENNIS IRELAND ANNOUNCE DAVIS CUP TEAM FOR 2021

in Events, Feature, News

Ireland will compete in the Davis Cup Europe Group III event in Larnaca, Cyprus from 

16th to 19th June with the goal of qualifying for the Group II playoffs later in the year.

The official draw takes place on 15th June where two pools of teams will be decided.

Other nations in Europe Group III include Cyprus, Luxembourg, Monaco, Georgia, Iceland 

and Malta, with Liechtenstein having withdrawn from the event this year.

The team selected for 2021 is as follows:

Simon Carr

Julian Bradley

Osgar O’hOisin

David O’Hare

With Conor Niland unable to travel as Captain, Munster Performance Director Cian Blake 

and Ulster Performance Director, Carlos Miranda will be travelling in his place for 

the tie as Co-Captains.

Speaking of the tie, Conor Niland said:

“Due to current Covid travel quarantines being unfeasible with our full-time jobs, unfortunately 

both myself and the assistant coach are unable to travel to Cyprus in June for the Davis Cup 

Group 3 tournament.

Two of Tennis Ireland’s regional performance directors, Cian Blake and Carlos Miranda, will be 

standing in for us for the week. It is the first Davis Cup event that I have been unable to travel 

to since my debut as a player against Croatia 21 years ago, and I’m disappointed to be missing it.

I will be in regular contact with the team and deputy coaches throughout the tie and I have no 

doubt that the lads will perform well. I very much look forward to travelling with the team again 

later in the year, where we hope to be involved in a Group 2 play-off tie.”

Tennis Ireland National Performance Coordinator, Garrett Barry said “In what has been a very 

difficult year for sport, Tennis Ireland is delighted to be able to send our national team to the Davis 

Cup. A combined effort between our Captain, Conor Niland, the staff at Tennis Ireland, our 

colleagues in Sport Ireland, the ITF and our ever-willing players has led to the safe planning 

of our participation in Cyprus. I would like to say a particular thank you to Conor for all his 

assistance in preparation for the event. While he cannot make it to Cyprus in person, he has 

been a huge help to interim captains Cian and Carlos.”

Simon Carr added “It’s great to be back playing Davis Cup again after 2 years, we all definitely 

missed playing last year as it’s all of the guys favourite week of the year. I’m really looking 

forward to representing Ireland again and doing our best to gain promotion”.

Getting to know the coaches of Cork - Colin Laffan.

So I sent a questionnaire to the coaches at the various clubs around Cork, for a bit of fun and to help you get to know them.

Here is the first reply from Colin Laffan of Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club and Ballinlough Tennis Club.

             Coaches Profile

Name: Colin Laffan	Club(s): Rushbrooke Lawn tennis club/Ballinlough tennis club
Level: 2

 

1. How long have you been coaching?	1. 10 years
2. What got you into coaching?	2. It was my favourite hour of every week growing up I always thought my coach was so lucky to do it as a job. Day one of assisting him it was an easy call to make in my head.
3. Who is your favourite coach?	3. Nick Bollettieri. He was before my time and being honest It was Peter Farrell who suggested I look him up during a call. I can’t remember a week I havn’t watched him coaching to try and learn more off him. Patrick Mouratoglou would be my favorite also. You can tell how much he loves it from watching him.
4. What was your favourite tournament to play in growing up?	4. Rushbrooke. I wasn’t a confident player so needed all the support I could get, especially after Jamie Blake knocks you out of a tournament for the 500th time.
5. Who is your favourite player now and all time (if they differ)?	5. Fernando Gonzalez, best open stance forehand the sport will ever see.
6. What is your favourite Grand Slam?	6. Wimbledon. I can’t understand why but I just love the traditions and the old school part of it. I'm always glued to it for the 2 weeks.
7. What are your strengths as a coach?	7. I love technical work slow motion camera the small details most of all the serve. The work off the court is my biggest strength from top court subscription to the world tennis conference I'm constantly learning.
8. What areas do you need to improve?	8. I think if you attend the world tennis conference at the end of that 3 days you will always realise you need to improve on everything.
9. What has been your best moment in tennis so far as a coach?	9. Everytime you get that call on the phone from a child who has just won a tournament doesn’t matter if its under 8s a plate or a national title they always sound the same. At times adults sounding a lot like the seven-year-old with the excitement ring me after a win.
10. What is the best advice you have received so far?	10. Start early! I honestly believe if you’re a fulltime coach the latest you can start is 7am. The days of coaching up to 7pm and 8pm just isn't sustainable and a lot of clubs don’t allow it. If you have a strong consistent morning program the evening will fill itself once the kids get out of school.
11. What was your first racket was?	11. Pure control babolat same as Fernando’s. My poor parents spent a fortune so I could run around pretending I was him.
12. What was the first tournament you played in?	12. Can’t remember but I arrived, was terrified, cried and lost my temper. Luckily for my mom and dad I only continued this behaviour for another 10 years until 17.

 

Ireland's oldest tennis club still going strong.

 History of the Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club was founded in 1870. Originally it was a croquet club where military officers and professionals from the locality could relax and enjoy the leafy surroundings. Communal croquet lawns were rare in Ireland at the time, as large residences had their own lawns. With the advent of the sport of tennis, many croquet lawns began doubling up as lawn courts as the new sport became more acceptable. The first record of tennis being played in Ireland was in 1875, when the All Ireland Lawn Tennis Club was founded as part of the rugby headquarters at Lansdowne Road. The first record of an official, competitive tennis match was played at Rushbrooke on July 21st, 1880.

The playing facilities in those early days consisted of two lawn courts, with an additional 2 courts added in 1884. This was very likely to appease the croquet players, as tennis lawns suffer significant wear and tear. By 1894, in response to a growing membership, the number of courts was increased to six. The first record of a club pavilion was in 1897, but is believed to have been constructed sometime between 1884 and 1887. Press reports from the summer open tournament in 1884, clearly describe the use of several tents for "the serving of refreshments and other necessary duties", as opposed to any pavilion structure.

The period 1870-1900 witnessed unprecedented growth in the number of tennis clubs emerging throughout the country, with croquet sharing a resurgence of interest. A prominent early player of Rushbrooke was Mr. G. Edwards, who dominated the sport at the club and was considered a "prized asset" on the tennis courts. The Championships of County Cork was first held in 1897 and the title remains at the club to this day. Historically, lawn tennis clubs have always operated where both men and women share equal rights. Women played a significant part in the lift of Rushbrooke from the very beginning, although the club still awaits its first lady chairperson.

A formal lease agreement was signed between the Rushbrooke Club and the Rushbrooke Estate on March 17th, 1893, although the Club had been using the grounds from much earlier. The Club was represented by Mr. James Deane, Mr. Anderson Cooper and Mr. William Henry Beamish. This guaranteed the club's existence for 99 years. Captain William Henry Rushbrooke signed on behalf of the Rushbrooke Estate.

Croquet has always been an integral part of the club. By 1904, the club used ten lawns to successfully run its annual croquet tournament, eight of which were normally dedicated to tennis. In 1907, the club agreed a new lease, which allowed the club's grounds to expand northwards. The Cork International Exhibition of 1902 was a landmark event which attracted many visitors. A showpiece tennis tournament was held where the aforesaid Mr. G. Edwards played the reigning Wimbledon tennis champion, Mr. A.W. Gore, losing 7-5, 7-5, 6-2 in the final.

The changing political climate in Ireland, and the withdrawal of British military forces from what had been Queenstown, and was now renamed Cobh, was widely felt in the town. Both Cobh and the Rushbrooke Club suffered financially. The club continued, and was held in high regard, so much so, that by 1924-5 the club hosted the Senior Irish Close Championship, along with the Munster vs Leinster inter-provincial match. This was the first time the club had hosted such a prestigious competition. The club had survived the political turmoil and upheaval of the early 1920's and was on a solid financial and sporting footing.

The 1920's and 1930's produced some memorable victories for Rushbrooke players with Binkie Harman claiming her first of three Irish Open U-18 titles in 1929, 1931 and 1932. She was the first Rushbrooke player to win this title and remained the club's only winner of the event until June-Ann

Fitzpatrick in 1951. The 1930's witnessed unprecedented growth in the popularity of lawn tennis, brought about by the broadcast on radio of the Wimbledon tournament. In 1931, the Rushbrooke Club had six lawn tennis courts, three croquet lawns, three hard tennis courts and a further lawn area which doubled as a croquet lawn or two tennis courts.

The club had a number of very good players, reflected in the fact that the club won the Munster Cup twice in the 1930s and 1940s, and once in the 1950s. The club was at the forefront in Irish tennis, hosting the Irish Close Championships in both 1935 and 1938, as well as senior inter-provincials. Reduced activity occurred during the 1939-45 war and continued thereafter with subsequent fuel- shortages making it difficult for players not living on the Great Island, to travel to the club. The club continued to have success in competitive tennis, with Gerard Fitzpatrick winning the Junior Irish Open Championships in 1948 and 1949. His sister June-Ann also achieved this honour with her back- to-back wins in 1950 and 1951. Frank Furney, the winner of eight Munster Cups with the club, won the senior boys events in 1946, 1947 and 1948.

During the 1950s, many of the club's players began to make their mark internationally. June-Ann Fitzpatrick, although based then in Dublin, played in the junior Wimbledon in 1951, and seniors in 1954. Her brother Gerard who also played in the junior and senior Wimbledon Championships received his first Irish cap against England in 1950 and his first Davis Cup appearance four years later against Austria.

The 1960s was a difficult time, as interest in tennis dipped in Ireland generally. In 1968 the landmark decision to abandon the distinction between professional and amateur players make tournaments truly "open". By 1972 the club was the venue for the Davis Cup tie against Turkey. This was only the second time an event of this magnitude had been played in Cork. The installation of floodlighting in the 1970's allowed for increased non-daylight activities and supported the club's bar facilities. In 1977, more lawn tennis courts were replaced with a hard court surface, showing the club's willingness to move with the times, and allow the club to cope with the growing membership.

The 1980's saw tennis on a high in Rushbrooke. The showcase event, the Championships of County Cork attracted the Irish no. 1 player, Matt Doyle in 1981, with him also returning with playmate Sean Sorenson for the 1982 event. Top quality tennis was regularly seen at the club and the membership grew accordingly. The club won its first Munster Junior Cup in 1986. The club purchased the freehold of the club's grounds in 1981, ensuring that the club continued to remain a venue where the sports of tennis and croquet would be actively promoted. The club prepared for its centenary in 1984.

In the 1990s the club had 5 hard courts and six lawn tennis courts. Significant investment was made in re-surfacing these courts with more modern surfacing technology. In 2006, the old club pavilion that had served the club since the 1880's was demolished and the new club pavilion built in its place. Although still perceived as a club with a Protestant and Anglo-Irish membership, over the years this has changed significantly, and the membership currently reflects fully the local population, and is "open to all". The members enjoy excellent playing facilities in terms of tennis, croquet and lawn bowling. The new pavilion with its improved viewing, extra space and bar facilities allows for the club to become an asset in the growing social life of the town of Cobh. The club members look forward to a bright future for the club and for sport in the locality of Cork.

From the original: "The Story of Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club 1870-2007" by Frank McDonnell, available at the Club.

New Wood Racket Tested by Cork Coaches

It seems like Cork Coach Joanne Williamson isn't just a talented coach and player, reading here recent article in The Echo newspaper in Cork, she's also got a way with words.

Pictured are Joanne Williamson and Donal Neary, coaches at Monkstown Tennis Club and Steve O'Sullivan, Director of Wood Tennis Club.

Here's a link to Joanne's article on echo live.

https://www.echolive.ie/corksport/arid-40287338.html

Irish Tennis Updates - Adam Wade

Irish Tennis Updates 

Firstly, thanks to Rob for all his work on the Cork Tennis blog. I think it's great to have something like this to help grow the tennis community in Cork and help people keep up to date with what's going on.

Really, these are two of the big things that I'm trying to do with Irish Tennis Updates. The first part of what I do is the Twitter account where I post about all the action for Irish players playing abroad, mostly ITF futures events, ITF juniors and also the college tennis season which features a great number of Irish players and is coming to a conclusion in May. When things are a bit more back to normal here in Ireland I'll also be doing updates on domestic events and leagues but it's been a while since there's been any of that to cover! This is all about keeping people up to date with Ireland's top players at different levels, as well as helping give some much-deserved recognition to the players themselves. 

My second main project is the podcast. I started this in late 2019 and have spent a bit more time on it since Covid struck. I've been really lucky to speak to some amazing guests from various areas of Irish tennis including many of the top players – current and past – as well as lots of coaches and people involved in other parts of the game, for example journalism and management. Earlier this year I released a five-part series all about the history of Irish tennis, where I spoke to Tom Higgins, author of the book 'The History of Irish Tennis'. I really learned a lot through doing this and would recommend a listen if this is something that interests you. I'm planning to keep releasing episodes with lots of new guests over the summer and beyond and I'm really excited about this. 

Finally, if anyone would like to get in touch I'm always happy to talk about anything at all related to Irish tennis – feel free to send me an email at adam.christopher.wade@gmail.com

Thanks, stay safe and enjoy your tennis!

To check out the Twitter page: https://twitter.com/tennisupdateire?lang=en

And the podcasts: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/irish-tennis-updates-podcast-adam-wade-vIehYLgkQ3V/ or anywhere else you get podcasts, including YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCihKvqMj78HFEh8P9If17eQ

 

Interested in a Tennis Scholarship?

 

When I was growing up going to the US on a tennis scholarship was a rarity.  Over the years it has become more popular and now thanks to Mark and his company 'All Sports Recruitment' it has become more accessible.

If you're a player who's interested in a tennis scholarship, or the parent of such a player, then you need to get in touch with Mark.

Read on to find out about Marks' college experience and how is company can benefit you.

Mark Finnegan

A native of Kill, County Kildare, Ireland, Mark graduated from Memphis in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.Mark is delighted to be bringing all his knowledge and expertise back to Ireland with the set up of his own business ALL SPORTS RECRUITMENT

·       Married to Molly Finnegan and the father of two sons., Kellum & Rory

·       Irelands first ever recruiting company

·       Over 15 years of college athletic experience

·       10 plus year of coaching of college tennis

·       Auburn University, North Florida University, University of Memphis, Georgia Southern University

·       Former Irish national Junior Champion

·       Former college coach of current Professional players Lasse Muscheites, Joe Salisbury, David O’Hare,  Julian Bradley & Jack Findel Hawkins

·       4 Conference championships as a college coach

·       2 time regional assistant coach of the year and Conference coach of the year

·       UTR Expert

Mark Finnegan enters his second year with All Sports Recruitment (ASR). ASR, in it’s first year, managed to place athletes on the male and female side of college tennis. ASR, also, helped two transfer-athletes obtain new and better fitting universities in the USA. All Sports Recruitment successfully helped Irish athletes find the right university in the British university athletics, BUCS league . 

On top of consulting athletes, regarding university scholarship opportunities, Mark has placed recent university graduates in sports jobs  with one of the largest sports management companies in the world. 

Before establishing All Sports Recruitment Mark spent his final year as a college coach at Auburn University. Mark came to Auburn from the University of North Florida, where he was head coach of the men’s program for the past four seasons (2014-17), posting a 56-36 record while winning the Atlantic Sun tournament or regular season title three of his four seasons and garnering the highest ITA team rankings in the program’s history. 

Before his time at North Florida, Mark spent five years at Memphis, helping them become one of the Top 20 teams in the nation. He was an assistant coach at Memphis for his first four years (2009-12) before being elevated to associate head coach prior to the 2013 season. Twice part of the C-USA coaching staff of the year, Mark was named ITA Regional Assistant Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2013 and also received votes for ITA National Assistant Coach of the Year in 2013. 

In 2012, Memphis earned its first NCAA team bid, and in 2013, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Round of 16. 

Mark also assisted with the Memphis women’s tennis team, helping the Tigers gain their first NCAA appearance in 2013 as well as a program-high ranking of No. 22 in 2013. Mark Also upon graduation from The University of Memphis coached the women’s team at Memphis for one year in 2006-07

Mark played Division I tennis at both Georgia Southern and Memphis. While at Georgia Southern, he was named the 2002 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, all-conference and the team’s MVP. Before leaving to go on his own scholarship to the states, he represented Ireland as a Junior Olympian. 

To find out more or to get in touch with Mark, follow the link:

http://allsportsrecruitment.com/contact-us/