As it’s Wimbledon fortnight we’re taking a look at the tennis in Barnet. Jackie Czuprynski, keen local player and member of Barnet Lawn Tennis Club offers us some useful pointers.
Given that we are on the edge of London where there is a decent amount of space, there are several options for tennis in the neighbourhood. Free courts are dotted around such as those at the bottom of the Courthouse Gardens near Mays Lane and there also courts in Tudor Park. Some parks have courts that can be booked in advance like those in Oak Hill Park (book at café). Barnet also has several tennis clubs where you can also have tennis lessons without being a member, for example weekly term time or holiday camps at Barnet LTC in Gloucester Road.
For something a bit more committed, why not join a local club? Ravenscroft, Totteridge, Barnet and Oakleigh Park all welcome new members. The benefits of joining a club – access to courts to practise/play, competition (in-house and inter club), social tennis events at bank holidays etc, chance to meet other players and make friends. Most clubs will have different rates for families, juniors, students and OAPs.
Summer camps
With the school holidays coming up, it’s useful to know that Barnet LTA still has places available for their summer camps. There are camps for mini tennis (5 to 9 years) and older juniors playing in full court. The camps are great value and fun, with a mixture of technique, tactics and matchplay appropriate to each age and ability. You can book for a full week or pick and choose and number of days to suit. Here is a link to the coaching page of the club website, where you can download a form.
Tennis open days
The Lawn Tennis Association hold Great British Tennis weekends and the next one is Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd July. Clubs participating in these open days have sessions for you to try out tennis for free. Barnet and Totteridge are taking part and you can find out which other clubs are involved by checking here. These are often good opportunities to snap up good membership deals if you sign up as a result of attending.
The Great British Tennis Weekend at Barnet LTC offers sessions for under 10s, juniors (11+), adult beginners/Rusty Rackets, adult improvers, family time, and also a girls only session (as they are trying to particularly recruit more girls to the game).
Photo courtesy of Jackie Czuprynski.
