SICK BOYS WON

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30933, 14 December 1965, Page 22

SICK BOYS WON

Shield Team’s Handicap

The Canterbury boys’ tennis team bad won its Slazenger Shield match against Nelson at the week-end under extreme difficulties, the junior association's representative (Mr G. Pickering) told the management committee of the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association last night Four of the boys suffered from a form of stomach sickness in Nelson and had been very sluggish on the courts. The server did not have enough energy to move forward and the player at the net did not have enough energy to move back.

“I have never seen such a pathetic performance,” said Mr Pickering. “But the players must be admired for not throwing in the towel.” Canterbury won the tie by nine rubbers to one.

“The Nelson players must have been pretty bad,” said the chairman (Mr F. H. C. Johnstone). Mr Pickering disagreed. 'They’ve got some young boys full of promise, just like our young girls,” he said. “Before long they will be a force to be reckoned with.” Mr Pickering said the courts in Nelson had not been mown for a week. The grass had not been rolled very often and the growth was “lush.” The players’ timing was upset on this surface; strong drives would slow down on hitting the court.

Experiments were being made in Nelson with grass that that was spongier and thicker, he added.

A scheduled programme of professional coaching for Canterbury's Howe Shield (girls) team during the next two years was proposed by Mr M. C. Healey. The girls had shown such promise that everything possible should be done to aid their development, he said. Mr Pickering said many of the players had undertaken coaching independently and the junior association had arranged two three-hour sessions for the teams with the Australian professional, L. Atkins.

It was hoped to arrange a full day’s coaching for the teams with Atkins when he returned in February, he added.