'Good thing' - Former tennis professional praises £180k court upgrades in South Tyneside
Former tennis professional commends £180k upgrade of public tennis courts in South Tyneside, highlighting the sport's evolving accessibility and challenges.
A sports performance expert has praised efforts to get more people to play tennis in South Tyneside – while highlighting the limited pathways open to those wishing to turn talent into tournament success.
Former tennis professional Graeme Foreman, 56, from South Shields, said he welcomed the comprehensive upgrade of the borough’s public courts last year.
The £180,000 relaying of surfaces was funded by the Lawn Tennis Association in a scheme now operated by private firm We Do Tennis.
Sites improved included Readhead Park and West Park in South Shields, Coulthard Park in Cleadon, Cornthwaite Park in Whitburn and Carr Ellison Park in Hebburn.
But it did not come without criticism, with some councillors concerned that those wishing to book a court could only do so online and now had to pay a fee.
However, Graeme, an international performance psychology and lifestyle coach, insisted the upgrade was an important step forward.
The Level 4 Director of Tennis Coach and former world ranked player said: “Anything that encourages people to play is a good thing.
“The issue though, if you’re looking to get people to progress with their game, may be that those who book a court at one of our parks do so to play for fun.
“These facilities do not necessarily stretch people to improve their game. There are tennis clubs, for example at Westoe and Boldon, where there is more of a pathway.
“But tennis is perhaps not now seen as one of the big sports, in the way that football or cricket are.
“I remember the high number of people who would play at Westoe Tennis Club when I was younger.
“There were so many, sometimes over 180 players, that we had to use other facilities, such as Readhead Park, to get the tournament rounds played.
“Kids these days have more things to play and do, including social media, and tennis is still seen as an affluent sport.”
Graeme, the current captain of Durham and Cleveland County tennis team, which pools players from South Tyneside, said the sport still held its delights.
He added: “People can now play Padel tennis, and Westoe has that facility, and perhaps we can encourage people into tennis from that and increase participation.
“At the moment, there is a smaller pool of players coming through and we are finding it difficult to get junior players to progress through to the seniors at county level.
“Tennis does offer many opportunities, including in education. Three of the Durham and Cleveland team are at university in the States.
“Another player is going to the States, and one is at the University of Northumbria.
“Boldon Tennis Club is doing ok, and through clubs like that, young players can find a pathway that they can follow which can lead into competitive tennis and the professional tour.”
Through his sports experience and skills, Graeme is also chief executive of Graeme Foremen International Solutions, which delivers sports consultancy, lifestyle coaching and mentoring.
He is also part of the dedicated sports team at Newcastle-based Okkulo Ltd, which has developed a programme which helps athletes to speed up their response times during training.
This boosts their performance and is ground-breaking in the world of sports technology.