After an immensely popular return to ‘socially distanced’, singles’ tennis last week at Sidmouth Tennis Club, the club has moved on and now resumed individual coaching with head coach, Sue Wiltshire.

Sidmouth Herald: Sidmouth Tennis Club assistant coach Katie Wiltshire working with a junior member.Sidmouth Tennis Club assistant coach Katie Wiltshire working with a junior member. (Image: Archant)

With sessions strictly adhering to LTA distancing regulations, and with a brand new coaching hut (thanks in a huge part to the efforts of Bob Hefill), the head coach is delighted to be ‘on the job’.

She says: It’s great to be back on court in any shape or form!”

Both juniors and adults can now take the opportunity to have bespoke, one-to-one-lessons with Sue, who has played GB senior ladies’ doubles tennis and played for Devon in LTA county competitions, or one of her assistants, to perfect their game before resuming their singles’ or doubles’ competitive campaigns whenever league competitions start up again.

Meanwhile, both Exeter & District Lawn Tennis League (which runs ladies’ and men’s leagues) and the East Devon Tennis League (which runs a mixed competition) have come up with different ways of deciding the final positions of the Winter League as some divisions remained incomplete before ‘lockdown’ brought the respective seasons to a premature end.

Sidmouth Herald: A Sidmouth junior in action during a coaching session at Sidmouth Tennis Club. Picture; STCA Sidmouth junior in action during a coaching session at Sidmouth Tennis Club. Picture; STC (Image: Archant)

The Exeter & District League decided on a points per game average approach which, sadly, sees both the Sidmouth ladies A and B teams demoted from Divisions 1 and 2 respectively, though there’s better news for the ladies C who retain their Division Four status.

In the men’s competition both Sidmouth A and B will start next season where they began the last, as members of Division One and Two respectively.

The East Devon Tennis League had mostly finished their fixtures and, in terms of Sidmouth teams, the Mixed A have been promoted to Division Two and Mixed B finished a creditable third in the Division Six table.

It looks unlikely that competition will return this Summer which means there is going to be plenty of time to take advantage of the coaching on offer in order to be ready for next winter’s campaign beginning in the Autumn.

Sidmouth Herald: A Sidmouth junior in action during a coaching session at Sidmouth Tennis Club. Picture: STCA Sidmouth junior in action during a coaching session at Sidmouth Tennis Club. Picture: STC (Image: Archant)

If interested in coaching, please contact Sue Wiltshire via email at sue.wiltshire@talk21.com

Sidmouth Herald: Sidmouth Tennis Club’s mother and daughter duo, head coach Sue Wiltshire and assistant coach Katie. Picture: STCSidmouth Tennis Club’s mother and daughter duo, head coach Sue Wiltshire and assistant coach Katie. Picture: STC (Image: Archant)