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/

Tennis getting back to normal

Some action from clubs around Cork as players are allowed return to tennis.  Long may it last! 

Sundays Well Boating and Tennis Club

Rushbrooke Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club

Lakewood Tennis Club

Douglas Lawn Tennis Club

History for Cork Club

Wood Tennis Club is hugely excited to announce our very first Club member - Douglas Lawn Tennis Club, in Cork, Ireland!

Not only is Douglas LTC a Foundation Member, they become an Affiliate Member as the Club will be staging a wood racket tournament as part of the Wood Tennis Club International Tour. In fact their tournament will be the launch event, to be held just as soon as government Covid guidelines allow.

Club President Mike Ryan (pictured at left in the main photo) says, “We are thrilled to be a foundational partner with Wood Tennis Club. Since our foundation in 1927 we have been at the forefront of tennis in Cork and Munster.

“Offering a new way of playing our sport rooted in its oldest traditions and craftsmanship is something that underlines our view that tennis is for everyone.”

Tennis Captain Triona Buckley (also pictured) says, “We are delighted to be involved with Steve O’Sullivan and Wood Tennis. In these current times it is exciting to join such a venture.”

Our Director Steve O'Sullivan is also pictured with Mike and Triona.

More from Douglas LTC here later this week!

In the meantime, check out the Club -

Facebook at www.facebook.com/douglaslawntennisclub

Instagram at Douglaslawntennisclub

Website at http://www.douglastennis.ie/

Monkstown Tennis and Croquet Club

 Monkstown Tennis & Croquet Club.

(The following has being provided by Club Coach, Joanne Williamson.)

Monkstown is known for its picturesque landscape and its connection to sailing but tucked away up the hill from the local National School lies a dainty little tennis and croquet club.

With three artificial grass courts and a neat homestyle club house, you couldn't help but fall in love with this club! Having recently received planning permission for a fourth court, building is set to commence in late Autumn.

The junior coaching program coordinated by Donal Neary and myself, is run on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday afternoons and caters for ages from 4 years and upwards with teens classes taking place over the weekend. The sessions at present with restrictions due to Covid guidelines, has over 100 players taking part.

Membership boasts over 300 in the form of family, couple, single and juniors, and a lovely tennis community feel runs through the club whose beautiful grounds are maintained by Cork legend Vere Ludgate. Court bookings are booked online and four days in advance with slots of a perfect 75 minutes available from 6pm onwards.

The junior program returns at last on Tuesday 27th April and will be followed once doubles is allowed by the extremely popular, men’s Vets doubles on Tuesday/Thursday evenings and a Sunday morning all organised by John Barry. Wednesday nights club night will start back in a few weeks and the annual cross-river competition versus the rivals in Rushbrooke LTC is a hugely anticipated event each year and hopefully will be held in 2021!

Having four club approved, licenced coaches available for private and group sessions along with the introduction of Cardio tennis in the future, Monkstown tennis club, small as it may be, certainly packs a punch!

For any additional information please contact the club on

monkstowntennis@yahoo.ie

Professional Stringing Service Available this Summer

PROFESSIONAL STRINGING SERVICE 

I will be home in Cork for July and August this year and will be available to string rackets if anyone requires it.

I am constantly updating my skills and qualifications and am currently certified with 2 associations:

ERSA Pro Tour Level 1 Stringer
USRSA Master Racket Technician

What these qualifications mean for you is a professional service and personalised advice.

One of the biggest problems with people stringing is they don't understand that not all strings suit all rackets or players.  This can lead to a drop in performance or worse still an injury.

If you would like to avail of my stringing service or just find out more about stringsd you can give me a call on 087-1528120 (number will be active from the 30th of June) or come and visit me in Carrigaline Tennis Club where I will be stringing for the ITF under 18 event.

Hope to see you soon.

Rob
087-1528120

Learn to String with ERSA Ireland

LEARN TO STRING:

As the Training Manager for ERSA (European Racket Stringers Association) Ireland I will be holding courses in Cork and Dublin this August.

The course will teach you about strings, rackets, which compliment each other, you will also learn the proper stringing techniques and patterns to suit each racket.

If you are already a stringer and want to stand out from the rest then you can do the Professional Stringers Exam.

Please note attending a course DOES NOT QUALIFY you as a professional stringer.

ERSA is the leading stringing association around the world and has various stages of qualifications to suit your requirements, whether it is quality string, racket customising or pro tour level stringing.

For more information on these courses and exams you can email me on rob@racketrestringing.ie or send me a whatsapp message on 00974-66223047.

I will be available on my Irish number from the 30th of June, 087-1528120.

Hope to see you there.

Learn about Rackets and Strings, why not become a qualified Racket Stringer.

Over the course of this summer there is an opportunity to learn about rackets and strings.

• How to choose the correct racket for you.
• Which strings compliment which racket. 
• What combinations of Rackets and Strings can cause injury.
• Which strings are suitable for Junior players.
• Which strings are Power strings and which are Control strings.

You also have the opportunity to learn to string correctly or even become a certified stringer.

Presentations and Workshops can be arranged at your club for your members.

If this is something that you feel your club would be interested in, please get in touch and I will send you on all the relevant information.

The stringing workshops/certifications are carried out as part of ERSA (European Racket Stringers Association).

I am the Irish Training Manager and Pro Tour Level 1 Stringer and look forward to hearing from you.

Rob

How to Prepare for Winter League - Conor Twomey

Here is the second article from our Resident Tennis Coach.

Having spent a long time working in a sports shop and trying to convince people of the importance of the right gear/equipment, I think this is a very important article for all players to read.

As we are now in winter league season, here are 5 simple tips to improve your game.

1. Your bag and more importantly what's in it!

Change of gear

Spare grips

Spare racket

Spare shock absorber

Hat

Wine gums / Jaffa cakes / banana

Water (minimum 2 litres)

Towel

Spare socks

Anti - inflammatory

Gel/ tablets

Plasters

This should cover every eventuality on court. FAIL TO PREPARE, prepare to fail.

2. Your footwear.
The amount of times I see people with the incorrect footwear is frightening. Personally, for stability and durability I've always liked Babolat footwear. Wilson is my favourite for comfort. I recommend every player wear proper tennis shoes as grip, comfort and ankle stability are so important.

3. Clothing.
Clothing has come so far today that the days of cotton shirts and shorts are well gone.  I strongly recommend some form of material with cooling features, Climacool, in summer and a good baselayer in winter.
I recommend the Under Armour Baselayer range (Cold Gear) as it's very high quality and light but it is expensive.
Make sure you check that it's Cold Gear and not clima cool .

4. Hydration.
If you only drink when your thirsty it TOO LATE. Little and often is the best advise. Drink on every changeover and make it habitual. I've seen ties go on over 4 hours and that's a long time so keep hydrated. Dehydration has a dramatic effect on performance. Considering most matches are on Sundays and people have a glass of wine or 6 on a Saturday ...... hydration is important.

5. Finally and most importantly...... turn up on time and hopefully, at the right venue. I have seen teams turn up at different venues at the same time and people get the times wrong. Nothing worse for your performance than turning up late and stressed. Arrive early, chill out and look forward to the match ahead.

Of course there will be people out there who remember playing Winter league against me and they are saying.... I had no bag and dodgy runners and wearing a soccer shirt and army shorts and ham sandwiches for energy.
I wish someone had given me this advise.

Conor.