Anguilla Tennis Academy

After School Program

Fall, 2005

Anguilla Tennis Academy After School Program is progressing

The Anguilla Tennis Academy is working hard in the community to provide social outlets for the children. The After School Program has been in full swing since its commencement on September 5 this year. To date, the program boasts having 55 faithful participants, spread out over four groups. The ages of the children range from 4-17 and they are put into groups according to age and playing ability. Jason Allen is currently overseeing its daily operations while Marvin Hazell, the ATA head professional, is conducting the daily classes. Denny Derrick and Vallan Hodge are also assisting Marvin with the coaching aspect. Jason commented, "this is an incredible learning experience for all parties involved. The children are learning life skills, a challenging sport, how to give back to the community, social interaction and concentration skills. The coaches are also learning how to handle large groups and are refining their coaching skills. This is an ideal situation for everyone and I am excited to be a part of it and I can speak for the other coaches when I say that teaching is one of the most gratifying experiences one can have and we are proud to be able to do so."

There are many kids who have improved a great deal over the past two months. Yet, the ATA would like to utilize this forum to be able to highlight a number of players who have shown an extraordinary amount of improvement. In group one (4-6 years), Janelle Buffonge deserves recognition. Head pro Marvin Hazell commented, "Janelle is one of the youngest kids in the program and she has made advanced improvement over the past three weeks." In group 2 (6-10 years), Jacob Parles stands out. Marvin said, "he has shown immense improvement. He is also very attentive and listens well to his coaches." In group 3 (11-17 intermediate), Tamisha Richardson deserves the spotlight. "She is enthusiastic, a great listener and learns extremely well," Marvin commented. In group 4 (11-17 Advanced), Katie Hawkins is deserving of acknowledgment. Marvin said, "she is easy to teach and has made a great improvement over the past two years of the program."

The ATA will continue to highlight children in the community who do well in the program. The After School Program also encourages exemplary work in the classroom. One of the mains goals of the ATA is to send students to college on athletic scholarships; therefore it is imperative that the coaches instil a sense of educational and athletic intrinsic motivation. The program continues to be successful. Marvin Hazel commented, "the program has progressed in a great way since we started and I am seeing a lot of great potential in our kids as they grow from year to year."