Disappointment At Tennis Coach Move

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29871, 11 July 1962, Page 11

Disappointment At Tennis Coach Move

IF the move by the United Lawn Tennis Club to bring the Australian coach. L. Atkins, to Christchurch for a week early in December is successful, it may result in the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association’s official coach, P. Hubrich, spending some time in Dunedin in the coming season. He has expressed his disappointment at the move.

Hubrich, whose home is in Germany, came to New Zealand in June, 1960. to coach ski-ing and after the winter spent six weeks as tennis coach to the Canterbury association before returning to Munich University. He came back to New Zealand in June. 1961. instructed in ski-ing at Mount Cheeseman, and, in October, was appointed tennis coach for the whole of the season. He has remained since.

Holding a diploma in tennis coaching from the Bavarian Sports Academy, Munich, gained after an extensive course over a long period. Hubrich has coached in Scandinavia. Italy. Austria and Germany. Hubrich is not paid by the Canterbury association but bears the name of official

coach. He coaches groups from schools and clubs, and individuals throughout Christchurch at a rate of £1 an hour. He has conducted coaching sessions and physical training courses for the Canterbury junior association and also coached the Wilding Shield team for a week or more before its challenge last season.

Hubrich says he has no personal feeling about Atkins as a coach, in fact he has not seen him, but he feels it will inevitably interfere with his reputation if another coach is to teach in the same district In other places he has coached he was protected from this by the association. Other points he makes are that as a coach for the whole season he is able to follow up his work, unlike a coach who is only available for a short period; and that because schools or individual young players have only limited amounts available for coaching in a season it will affect his livelihood as a full-time coach if part of the quota goes to another in a short period.

Atkins toured New Zealand for several weeks last season

and there was high praise for his ability as a coach. The Canterbury association did not avail itself of Atkins’s services on his last tour and has advised the New Zealand association it does not want him next time, expressing itself well satisfied with .he work of Hubrich —"an accomplished coach and a real worker.” Leading members of the junior association have said they were especially pleased with his efforts Other associations which have taken Atkins have not official coaches on a fulltime basis for the season.

At the recent quarterly meeting of delegates to the association, it was reported the United club hoped to obtain Atkins and it would offer its facilities to all juniors wishing to take advantage of them, and to all members of affiliated clubs. A number of bookings had already been received from schools but more could be catered for.

The offer Hubrich has from Otago envisages him travelling there for a number of week-ends during the season and. although he says he has always felt it his first duty to support the Canterbury association. its permission for another coach to instruct in the area at a high fee may influence his movements.