Hello members!
It’s hard to believe, with the recent cold weather, but summer 2006 is coming!
So it’s time to dust off the racquets and get down to the courts. This year marks our 70th anniversary, and the club enters the year in great strength with more teams and coaching taking place than ever before, and 300 children starting out in Hamid’s mini tennis programmes in local schools.
As it is an anniversary year, we do have some celebrations planned. We have a summer ceilidh planned for 15th July at Neil Harvey’s farm in Whittlesford, and the 70th anniversary black tie dinner will be on 14th October at Jesus College – so please get both dates in your diaries now!
At the recent AGM, the decision was taken to put coaching on a firm professional footing at GSTC, by paying a retainer to our head coach, Hamid. This brings us into line with best practice at local major clubs, and enables us to better formalise the role of the coach at GSTC, and it certainly is an ever increasing role! Anyone fortunate enough to have had coaching from Hamid and his team will no doubt have improved, I know I have. He has also made considerable progress in Mini tennis programmes in local schools, and there are plans to start some disability tennis programmes as well in the near future. Details of Hamid’s coaching programmes are contained in this newsletter and in your handbook.
A further-improved Club handbook will be winging its way to you, full of everything you need to know about GSTC in 2006, once you have paid your subscription. You will also be sent a blue GSTC official member’s 2006 shoe tag that I urge you to put on your laces as soon as you get it. We expect all users of our courts to be members and thus contribute to the considerable costs we incur for maintenance of our facilities, so please do show your tag !!
The club’s clothing range is closing in on £2000 of sales now, with many people enjoying the fashions introduced last year. If you haven’t yet acquired a fleece top or shirt, or the funky rugby shirt, please do give me a call, or click through the website.
For the first time in my memory at least, and possibly ever, we will be conducting a members’ survey this year, it will be sent to you with your handbook and tags, and should be returned either to me or by dropping into a box we will provide in the clubhouse – please do complete it, it will be invaluable in helping us improve what the club offers members, and there will be a prize of a bottle of champagne for one lucky respondent.
Finally, the website will undergo another makeover, with the introduction of a members-only section (password details will come with your handbook and shoe tags), where you can read minutes of meetings, and look up the court availability, see the teams’ results, or check what events are coming up. We hope this will keep you all better informed about everything happening at GSTC.
We on the committee rely on you as members to keep us on our toes, and come up with bright new ideas to improve our facilities, playing conditions, the website, social events or anything else you can think of, so please do contact us with your thoughts, views and ideas.
Here’s to a happy and successful 2006, and a happy 70th birthday !!
Cheers
Nick
