Welcome to the March issue of your tennis news.
Team Tennis
A very successful Winter Team Tennis concluded with Finals Night and Social on Thursday, 23rd February. Congratulations to the winning teams and thank you to all who came along on the night to enjoy the company of their fellow tennis members.
Progressive Doubles
One of the most popular events in the tennis calendar is Progressive Doubles. The Spring event, which runs over five weeks, starts on 1 March for the men and 2 March for the ladies. Its fun and a great way of improving your tennis. If you can’t commit to the five weeks sign up as a sub. See here for details
DLTC Winter League
We are nearing the end of the Winter League Season and well done to all our teams for taking part and at times in pretty awful weather conditions – cold, wet and windy is not ideal tennis playing weather. As we go to press final results are not to hand but up to date results are on our website. Final results here.
Tennis Vision Report
The Tennis Vision Report was presented to members at the Tennis Club AGM. It is an excellent document which provides a vision for the tennis club for the next 3-5 years. Thank you to all who fed into the report and to Yvonne Sheedy and her committee who gave of their time and expertise to compile the report. Copy of the report can be viewed here.
Website
The tennis pages on the Club website has been updated and revamped. Many thanks to Tom Ryan for his work on it. The committee will endeavour to keep it up to date and relevant with a tennis calendar, league and tennis competition results, junior update, etc.
Charity American Tournament
The Tennis Club will host a charity American Tournament on Friday, 24th March in support of Daffodil Day. Tennis will be followed by refreshments in the Pillar Room. Jane Corrigan and her team would love to see you there. To sign up contact Jane on 087 2251767 or Louise 087 2237554. Full details here
Junior Tennis
Coaching - Our spring coaching programme is up and running with new classes running on Friday evenings & Saturday afternoons. We are delighted to have Lisa, Jimmy, Breda & Jenny on our coaching programme.
League Tennis - our under 12’s & 18’s started their League training this weekend with the help of Jimmy McDonagh & Breeda Claffey All league players will be training with their teams once a week for the next 4 weeks to get them ready the tournament. Best of luck everyone!
Junior Captains Valentine’s day tournament took place at the weekend & lots of fun was had by all
Mid Term - Members were offered a 5 day camp during the mid term break & also a round robin tournament to keep them active during the break.
Upcoming events
Hardcourt Championships & Team Tennis
The Second Serve
The tennis season has started and I have to report that the world has gone to pot, but at least in our leafy corner of the world, all is well and Diarmuid Burke and Olwyn Ryan are in control for 2017!
The weather has been wonderful for the last few months. Blue sky days seem to be a regular event and I cannot remember a rainy day or even many windy days for that matter. They say that there is no such thing as bad weather only inadequate clothing. I certainly get good use out of my Under Armour which really helps keep the cold at bay. It has the added bonus of making me feel like batman or even the incredible hulk as I bulge out in all directions. I may not quite have a beach body but this is the next best thing.
The Australian Tennis Open was excellent with two dream finals featuring the William sisters and Federer and Nadal. Serena now has 23 major titles and Federer 18. A triumph for orthopedic surgery. It gives one hope. I play regular neighbors tennis against, amongst others, an orthopedic surgeon. He has worked on all our knees and other joints at some point of time. Slowly but surely he is rising through the rankings and will soon be our best player.
We are also on the brink of the 6 nation’s rugby championship. I reckon that Tadhg Furlong is the best player Ireland has uncovered since Brian O’Driscoll. He will have to scrummage against genetically modified gargantuan and then take off with ball in hand barging all comers out of the way. In case you do not accept my rugby credentials, I should say that I played rugby in Bective Rangers many years ago. I also joined the tennis club where I learnt my particular brand of tennis along with falling for my current wife, Carolyn. In an attempt to bolster my reputation in both clubs, I would say during the tennis season that I was more a rugby player and in the rugby season more a tennis player. I am not sure anyone was convinced by either assertion.
Trump has been a real boon for us in the media. He is off the wall and is taking no time at all to insult all and sundry. Not everything he says is wrong, of course, but I will honour the Ireland Democratic Party love affair and assume it is. However, I have real trouble understanding why Europe and everyone else relies on the US to step in when Putin or Gadhafi or someone else steps out of line and threatens the international community. Europe sat on its hands as Yugoslavia and Srebrenica unfolded and we watched in horror as thousands of men and boys were put to death by Bosnian Serbs. It took the US to come in and sort matters out and restore order. Should Europe not pay for its own military and not rely on US money and bodies. I have even more trouble understanding how after the US exported its technology, economic model and capital to the rest of the world, the main beneficiary, China, who were as poor as a church mouse to the point of having regular famines, end up being owed gazillions by the States. Maybe the Donald is right on some matters. All joking aside, Trump is a reprehensible character and his appointment of Steve Bannon proves it.