Deaf Students Train With Champion

Our Deaf and Hearing Impaired students continued their tennis training this term at the Chippenham Tennis Club. The students are regularly coached by Chippenham Tennis Club Head Coach, Peter Evans and his team of volunteer coaches. They have done a wonderful job of developing our students’ skills and confidence, as well as making their tennis lesson lots of fun.

Recently, our students were visited by Catherine Fletcher, the Lawn Tennis Association National Deaf Tennis Coach and former Deaflympics champion. She represented the Great Britain Deaf Tennis team from 1997-2013 and even won Gold in the Mixed Doubles event at the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei in 2009. Our students were very excited to train with Catherine. She showed them great tips on how to improve their form and even played a set against Coach Peter to show how the pros do it!

Of the experience Catherine said:

Deaf tennis has been a huge part of my life, competing for many years as a GB player and achieving many medals was a highlight, but more importantly gaining many deaf friends along the way and the opportunity to represent my country playing a game I loved. Now in my coaching capacity I love being able to give back to the sport that gave me so much over the years – and helping / coming along to sessions to see the kids with the enthusiasm and eagerness to improve their game is amazing to see. Peter and his support team have done a fantastic job, have a great rapport with the players and the fun they were having was clear to see so huge credit to Peter and his team.

Our students clearly all enjoying their time on the court! Their skills are improving week by week, but one of the best outcomes of the lessons has been the friendships formed between our Deaf and Hearing Impaired Students across different year groups.

Thank you to our Teacher of the Deaf, Mrs Freeman, the Chippenham Tennis Club and the LTA for helping to arrange this wonderful enrichment opportunity for our students.