WESTBURY Park Tennis Club has been celebrating success at the annual Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Awards, winning two titles from Avon Tennis.
At the awards ceremony at the County Cricket Ground, 18-year-old Emily Leask received the trophy for Young Person of the Year while Patrick Dean won an Unsung Hero award.
Emily, who has gained her Level 1 Coaching qualification, was commended in nominations for her “great impact on the club’s junior players, who are inspired by both her personality and playing abilities”.
She has been helping run Westbury Park’s LTA Amazon Prime Video Programme, a collaboration that aims to inspire girls to try tennis for the first time. She was lauded for her rapport with the children and being an “exemplary role model”.
Westbury Park’s head coach, Dan Church, said of Emily: “She has been a fantastic asset to the club, consistently demonstrating great initiative and creativity in her coaching sessions and has made a massive impact on our teenage girls, while the younger players have been inspired by her energy on court.”
Amid her summer A-level exams, Emily will attend a ladies’ event at Queen’s Club in London, where she will receive a Highly Commended national award for her role in encouraging girls into tennis, which was a strong part of her nomination.
Patrick Dean, a playing member of the club for many years, became treasurer and has overseen several projects, most recently the resurfacing of the courts. However, it was revealed that Patrick’s involvement in the club goes “above and beyond money matters – he is also a handyman, roof repairer, lawn mower fixer and cleaner!”
A committee member said: “Patrick keeps us all in line, supporting the committee to drive improvements to the club. Every club should have a Patrick!”
Avon Tennis says the LTA awards, launched in 2015, celebrate the thousands of people who dedicate their life to supporting the grassroots of the game.