Top tennis coach quits in frustration

GEOFF MARTEL has taken a parting shot at the Channel Islands Lawn Tennis Association as he steps down from coaching.
The well-liked 63-year-old has been teaching tennis to the island’s budding young players for more than 40 years and for the last 20 he has organised the highly popular Mini Wimbledon competition.

But this year’s event, which had its finals day at St Martin’s Tennis Club on Saturday, was the last that Martel will run. He will not organise another Mini Wimbledon and has decided to quit as St Martin’s junior coach, a post that he held for the last two years, because he has had enough of the Channel Islands LTA.

His main concern is that there are no indoor facilities for juniors to train in. The Guernsey Tennis Club at Longs Camps has indoor courts but is a private club. ‘There’s no opportunities for youngsters to play indoors on a play and pay basis,’ said Martel. ‘That’s an inhibiting factor. I’ve got no opportunity to help youngsters in the winter. we’d be up here [at St Martin’s] whatever the weather but it doesn’t help their games.’

Martel claims that during the 1990s the Channel Islands LTA had £250,000 from the British LTA to spend on indoor facilities on the island. However, no land could be found and the money went towards Jersey’s Les Ormes centre. (from thisisguernsey)