Men’s 1st team win Team of the Year
Congratulations to our men’s 1st team who scooped Team of the Year for the second successive year at the Tennis Wales awards held on 20th February 2016.
The men’s first team continued their winning streak by winning the Premier 1 South Wales Doubles League for the fourth year running and unbeaten in 4 seasons, something that hasn’t been done by a club team for over 50 years. The team were also winners of Aegon county division 1 and 3rd in the Regional competition.
John Williams, head coach of the club and men’s first team captain is rightly thrilled with the team and individual performances throughout the season. 3 players represented the team in every one of the 10 matches of the doubles season, which built a strong foundation for the other squad players to add to. The success of the first team squad did not come at the expense of the second team either, which won promotion from Premier 2 to join the first team in Premier 1 next season, showing a great strength in depth to competitive tennis at the club.
The first team squad lead from the front in other ways too, always training on the regular Tuesday team coaching evenings with real intensity and purpose. Travelling to matches also showed commitment with one player completing a 300 mile round trip for just one match, a great example to the other squads.
The first team squad was made up of a mixture of youth and experience and both age groups did well in other competitions too. Experienced members John Williams and John Stott both played for Wales this year in the over 35’s Four Nations competition. Whilst at the junior end 17 year old Tiarnan Brady won the Men’s Welsh Singles Championship and under 18 Doubles and Aeron Evans and Finn Bult won the under 16 Doubles. Tiarnan also represented the senior County team.
Following dedication and commitment to their tennis and studies, a second first team squad member has been awarded a scholarship at Millfield School in Somerset so Aeron Evans has now joined Tiarnan Brady.
As you can see the men’s first team have performed and lead in so many ways that have benefited the whole of the club. They have raised tennis standards and aspirations of a wide group of other team players through their encouragement, coaching and support of seniors and juniors alike. They have joined in at team social events and even voted for a player of a lower team as player of the season, how’s that for wider team spirit.
Both on and off the court it has been an exceptional year for the men’s first team here at Cardiff Lawn Tennis Club and it’s great this has been recognised by Tennis Wales.
