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Welcome to the Club!  We are a small but progressive tennis club, with membership open to everyone with an interest in playing tennis. 

 

Junior Membership

Junior member can play on the courts at any time (subject to availability) without paying the normal court fees charged by the Council, which own the courts and pavilion. We do not issue membership cards but we provide a list of members to the Council and the Caretaker at Pavilion.  You may be asked your name and to provide photo ID by the caretaker at the pavilion. 

 

To Purchase a membership, click here

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Summer Visitors tickets

We provide a Summer Visitor scheme and users can enjoy limited membership rights from mid-June to mid-September.   Membership can then be extended to full member status for those who wish to play on over the winter.

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Child safeguarding

The Club is affiliated to Ulster Branch Tennis Ireland and is also Clubmark Accredited through Sport NI. We have strict rules for protection of our junior members.  If you or your child have any issues or concerns including bullying or inappropriate behaviour by coaches, volunteers, or other junior or senior members you should report this to one of the following people:

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Club Designated Person – Claire Bunting   07507-706859   claire@sheepcottages.com

Girls Children’s Officer -    Claire Bunting   07507-706859   claire@sheepcottages.com

Boys Children’s Officer -    Lee Jenkinson   07951-919035    lee@jenkinsonarchitecture.co.uk

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​Booking courts

Courts can be pre-booked from April – Sept through the Club's booking app (available to members only) during normal hours (Mon-Fri 10am to sunset, Sat 10am to 6pm). Over the winter months the courts are closed to the public but the Club plays all year round.  Juniors aged 16+ can have key access to courts.  Outside club sessions it is usually possible to play without pre-booking as there will usually be at least 1 court free.

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Access to courts outside normal hours

The complex is normally closed on Sundays and all public holidays.  However, Adult members and Juniors aged 16 yrs+ can obtain access codes for the gate lock (but not the pavilion) outside normal hours.   Please keep this gate shut and lock up when you leave.

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Charges for non-members

Non-members (eg. parents of junior members) playing with junior members are liable to pay the normal court hourly rates – call in with caretaker at pavilion before play

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Communications with members

The normal method of communication with members by the Club Committee is by email, so please email us with any changes in your email address.  You can also use our Facebook page to keep up with news on club activities.  Information is also posted on our website at www.clougheytennis.org.uk  and the password to access member’s pages is “baseline”.   If you do not use email or the internet, important notices about club matters are also posted on our notice-board in Cloughey Pavilion and on the courtside notice-board.

 

Playing opportunities for junior members

 

Regular coaching courses.  The Club currently organizes junior coaching  courses all year round.  These are in blocks of 8-10 weeks using a qualified tennis coach with appropriate volunteer back-up. Each coaching group will have a 1-hour session each week with structured physical training (balance, coordination and agility)  technical tennis instruction and fun games/drills.

 

Red Ball Group:  Mainly Under 8s + beginners playing with mini-nets

Orange Ball Group:  8-9 yrs on midi courts

Green ball group:  9- 12 yrs full court

Yellow Ball group: 11yrs + full court

There is flexibility in group allocation to reflect the playing level of more experienced players.

Course fees are payable in  advance for 8 week blocks and cancelled sessions will be added on at the end of course.  Club members will receive discount on course fees (currently £4 per session) and non-members will pay full rate (currently £5 per session).

We are currently seeking a new regular coach and hope to have someone in place by September 2017. In the meantime Alistair Dunn will continue with help from visiting coaches.

 

Holiday tennis courses – The club organizes a Parks Tennis Week (5 day course in July) to get kids started at tennis but also accommodating our junior members.  Also occasional 3 Summer or Easter holiday courses with 90 minute sessions with a tennis coach.

 

Parents – play with your children!  Regular practice and playing outside coaching is essential to improve your tennis.   We are planning some ‘Bring your parent to tennis’ days to encourage parents to play with their kids – but you don’t have to wait for one of these sessions – just come on down and play.  There are rackets and balls  available on loan at the pavilion.

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Competitive tennis for juniors.  

League tennis   Subject to availability of enough players the club enters teams in the Belfast & District Tennis League (Boys &  Girls U14, Boys and Girls U18).  We have always enjoyed success in competitive competitions. 

All regular junior players from age 10 will be invited to come to these squads and compete for places on the teams.

 

Tournaments 

The club organizes occasional in-house junior tournaments.  In addition our more experienced players can enter open tournaments at other clubs which mainly cater for the 12 -18 yrs age groups.  However there are now plenty of Mini-tennis and Red/Orange/Green ball tournaments at our neighbouring clubs in Ards and North Down area.

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Private coaching

Club Junior Coach is Josh Bunting  (07843-700311).  Josh is a qualified PTR tennis coach and you can book individual lessons if you want to improve your child’s tennis quickly.  Fee is £15 per lesson (£20 for non-members).  He can also advise you on buying a racket.

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Think about joining as a family?

 If you join as a family and then you can play anytime with your own children – lots of practice with an adult is the best way for them to improve.  Download the membership from from the website to see rates.

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Help us make a better club

Now that we have 3 excellent new courts, our aim is to develop a fully-fledged tennis club providing all-year-round tennis at affordable rates for all sections of the local community.  Please help us recruit new members by bringing along your friends, neighbours and relatives.

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Additional information on the Club and our rules and guidelines can be found on the club noticeboard in the Pavilion.

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Any questions?? – Contact us by clicking the button be… please feel free to ask us to explain anything you want to know about the Club.

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