LAWN TENNIS JUNIORS TO BE COACHED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21155, 30 September 1938, Page 11

LAWN TENNIS JUNIORS TO BE COACHED

Looking to Future Standard Tennis Year Reviewed Efforts are to be made during the coming season to improve the future standard of tennis by coaching juniors, according to statements made at the annual meeting of the South Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association last night. Present: Messrs A. E. Sandral (chairman), P. Walsh (Glenitl), N. A. Moore, 3. H. Sullivan, T. C. Morrison (Wai-iti), W. E. Renton. T. B. Hart (Te Ngawal Sub-Association), J. B. Gresham (St. John’s), D. Morgan, J. Rodgers (St.- Mary’s), J. S. Satterthwaite (Highfieid), J. L. Bush (St. Paul’s), and H. D. Roberts (Pleasant Point), R. L. Eames, R. J. Lewis, and J. H. B. Scholefield (Aorangi). In moving the adoption of the annual report and balance-sheet (previously published) the chairman said that for the first time for many years a levy of 2/6 had been made on town senior players. This had been a great help to the association and had resulted in an excess of Income over expenditure of £l2, instead of the usual loss. He reviewed the annual tournament and thanked all who had assisted. The weather during the season had been probably the most atrocious on record, said Mr Sandral, but the competitions were brought to a successful conclusion. Thanks were due to the management committee and the secretary (Mr P. W. Young) for the excellent manner in which they had worked during the year. It was regrettable, he said, that the Timaru Club had been obliged to close down,

but under the circumstances it was impossible to carry on. The Highfieid Club, said Mr Satterthwaite, had asked him to mention that it had cost the association £25 for representative matches during the year, and suggested that the expense should be cut down in future. Mr Moore said that the association had spent half of its income on representative matches. There was no doubt, said Mr Sandral, that they had spent a little too much, but the expense was going to be cut do\vn in the coming season. The secretary explained that negotiations were proceeding for visits to Timaru of Mr Geoff Ollivier, of Christchurch, who would coach junior players. The motion for the adoption of the report was seconded by Mr Satterthwaite and carried. Election of Officers The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mr W. E. Renton; vice-presidents, Messrs J. S. Satterthwaite and R. L. Eames; management committee, Messrs N. A. Moore, S. H. Sullivan, R. J. Lewis, D. Morgan, C. G. Duming, J. H. B. Scholefield and T. C. Morrison; auditor, Mr F. J. Robinson; delegates to New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association, Messrs A. N. Leslie and E. Reeves. Junior Tennis Advancement On behalf of the Wai-iti Club, Mr Moore submitted a remit that 25 per cent of the levy collected from the clubs be used for the development of junior tennis in South Canterbury. The juniors provided the source of future players, said Mr Sullivan, in seconding the remit. He had heard it said that tennis had not improved in South Canterbury since the game had been played on the grass. That was rot. In the last seven or eight yearn there had been an exodus of the leading South Canterbury players, and if they were still in the district South Canterbury would have been much stronger. It would be a very fine thing if Mr Ollivier could visit Timaru to coach the juniors. The secretary reported that I he , Management Committee had ascertained from the New Zealand Association that a subsidy of up to 50 per cent was available for any recognised coaching scheme, providing the amount spent was reasonable. Canterbury, he added, had secured about £l5 last season. Mr Lewis explained that he had made the statement that tennis had not improved in South Canterbury since the introduction of the grass, and he maintained that opinion. Conceding the point that the district had lost players, there was still the fact that tennis

was not up to the standard oi a few years ago. He supported the remarks that the juniors should be coached. “There is no doubt,” said Mr Sandral, “that during the four and a half years I have been in Timaru, the grass had improved tennis 100 per cent While the district might have had better players before grass courts came in, the general improvement at present was better. Mr Renton assured delegates that efforts would be made to secure proper coaching for the juniors. It would be difficult for the Association to earmark any specific sum for that purpose. “The Management Committee is only too keen to see that the juniors get a fair spin,” he said. The Wai-iti Club, said Mr Moore, would be satisfied with that assurance. He asked that the remit be withdrawn. A further remit by the Wai-iti Club, that delegates at the annual meeting be members of clubs and residents of the districts they represented, was carried by seven votes to five. Even Standard Desired Contending that the practice had a tendency to make games one-sided and detract from the enjoyment of the sport, Mr Bush moved that the former rule, that no player playing in more than two games in one grade be permitted to play in a lower grade until regraded by the Match Committee, be adopted. Players who had worked their way up on the senior ladder were permitted to take part in junior matches. The smaller clubs, he said, expected an even standard. The present rule, said the secretary, allowed a player to take part in three matches in a higher grade before being regraded, and last season the rule had not been infringed. The year previously, the rule had been as suggested by Mr Bush, but had been altered. If Club’s chose their teams in a sporting manner, said Mr Renton, there would be no need for any rule. He thought the clubs would do that. If the association cut out the championship points it would obviate the trouble, said Mr Moore. The players would get the same if not mere enjoyment out of the games. His suggestion could be tried for one season. Mr Renton expressed the opinion that if the competition points were dropped it would have a great effect on keenness and the standard of play. Mr Bush’s motion, which was seconded by Mr Gresham, was lost. The secretary mentioned that he had received a letter from Mr Leslie, one of the Association’s delegates in Wellington, to the effect that the profit from the New Zealand championship tournament staged at Timaru compared more than favourably with the profit on the same fixture at Auckland It should strengthen Timaru’s claims for the future. Thanks were extended to the Timaru Borough Council and to the Timaru newspapers for their assistance during the season.