Playing tennis has opened up new and exciting opportunities for a former sports captain at Monmouth School for Girls and increased her confidence on and off the court.
Becky Ashford (pictured, above right) enjoys the social aspects of the sport and recalls representing Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools at an Independent Schools Tennis Association Championships at Eton.
“I really began to enjoy the sport and became passionate about it when I could play with my friends more regularly at school,” said Becky.
“I love the social aspects of tennis and being able to play doubles and singles in school helped foster a close team spirit because we all supported each other.
“Looking back, I have so many lovely memories of playing tennis at school. My favourite memory was competing in the Independent Schools Tennis Association Championships at Eton.
“We did well and progressed through rounds to play in front of mini crowds. The supporters created such a buzz that we weren’t expecting. It was particularly special for me because it was during my final year as the senior tennis captain for the school.”
Becky completed her Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) Level 1 coaching qualification in Year 12 and has just finished her second year as a student at the University of Exeter.
“Tennis has opened a lot of doors for me and playing tennis at school increased my confidence both on and off the court,” said Becky.
“Tennis has also played such an important role in helping me keep a work-life balance both at school and at university as it’s so refreshing to be able to switch off and focus on something completely different.
“I have continued to play tennis at Exeter during my first and second years and I loved being a part of such a friendly and dynamic club. I am now part of the development squad at Exeter and compete against similar squads at other universities.
“I was the social secretary for the University of Exeter Tennis Club this year and it is the confidence that I developed being part of a successful and hard-working tennis squad in Monmouth that helped me put myself forward for this role, organising events for a club with around 900 members.”
Becky is full of praise for coaches Chris and Adam Davis, who run Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools Tennis.
“Chris and Adam are both incredible coaches and I have a great relationship with them,” she said.
“I love coming back to school to help coach tennis and It is so exciting to see the upcoming talent at school. I’m so happy to see tennis at Monmouth thriving.
“There are so many benefits for young people taking up tennis. There are many important lessons to learnt from tennis, such as how to win and lose, dealing with pressure, and staying composed
and positive in challenging situations.”
Becky added: “I would recommend joining Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools Tennis because Chris and Adam care deeply and invest in the players.
As a young player, you always get so much more enjoyment out of it when you try your best.”
A drop-in session for those keen to learn more about Haberdashers’ Monmouth Schools Tennis is being held on Saturday 4th September at Monmouth School for Girls from 10am to noon.
