Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/6096/-1/127/
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Anguilla Tennis Academy’s After School Programme Finishes With A Bang “Digicel Headline Sponsors Th
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To conclude the Anguilla Tennis Academy’s 2007-2008 After School Programme, Digicel sponsored a “Fun Day” event this past weekend that began on Friday, June 27 and finished on Sunday, June 29. All of the children who participated in the After School Program throughout the year were invited to attend. In all, there were around 100 participants ranging from age three to seventeen.
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Stephenie Brooks with some of the many children for the ATA Fun Day
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The fun day activities included a prize hit, money and ice cream certificate give away, games, and for the older children a proper tennis tournament. Lunch was provided by the ATA and parents for the children and spectators. This event was made possible only because of the generous support of Digicel. Its contribution towards the ceremony and fun day made it an experience that was unforgettable for the children. The ATA board and parents sincerely appreciate Digicel as well as all the parents who brought food and other supplies.
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The children anxiously await their turn to play in the blow up crocodile
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On the prize hit court, the participants got to hit tennis balls at many prizes which ranged from tennis blow up chairs to Digicel radio backpacks and various toys. If a child hit a prize on the court he/she was then able to keep it. Even some of the coaches participated in the prize hit in order to help the children win prizes. On the second court, or money court, targets were set up with one dollar bills or five dollar gift certificates to Kell’s Ice Cream and Candy Shop in the North Hill area. If a target was hit the child was awarded the money or certificate. The money court turned out to be very lucrative for some of the children. The third court was the game court. Students were put into teams and played different games. All of the members of the winning team received ATA T-shirts. There was also a blow up castle/crocodile provided for entertainment after all of the prizes were given and the games were played. The children spent a great deal of time playing in the crocodile and it was the highlight of the day.
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ATA coaches Alex Horsford and Calyde Hughes with some of the happy children
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At approximately 12:00 pm, lunch was served and the awards ceremony began. The main awards included most improved player and the coach’s award for each respective age division. The coach’s award was decided by all the coaches and the main criteria was attitude and behaviour. Most improved player awards were given to Leo Trimble, Wakeem Richardson, Jovial Barry, José Pablo Estrada, Keyshawn Riley, Jacob Parles and Angelique Laurent. The coach’s awards went to Nandi Edwards, Kayla Hodge, Kniquisha Hughes, Cristian Estrada, Antoine Laurent, Michael Matthew and Janielle Proctor. Head pro Matt Cooper said afterwards, “I am very proud of all those who received awards. Their hard work, good attitudes, and dedication made them all very deserving of their awards.” Stephenie Brooks, Manager of Digicel, spoke at the ceremony in which she congratulated the ATA on their work with the children. She expressed that Digicel is very interested in assisting with youth endeavours in Anguilla, especially with programmes that have a proven track record. She also mentioned that she looks forward to partnering with the ATA in the future in order to have more successful events such as the Fun Day.
There were two separate tournament draws played for the more advanced juniors enrolled in the tournament groups. In the younger division, Aline Geyer came in first place follow by Bernice Brooks as the runner-up. In the older division Olivia Geyer defeated Katie Hawkins to take the first place trophy.
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L-R: Khesim Reid, Jose Pablo Estrada and Keyshawn Riley hold their Digicel Backpacks
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In the end, the fun day and the After School Programme turned out to be a great success. Many children were able to learn how to play and appreciate the great sport of tennis while also having a good time and learning important life skills. The ATA would like to thank the dedicated coaching staff and parents for all their hard work in making the programme a great success. “This year was great. I really had a good time working with all of the children. They were awesome. The coaching staff and I really saw a lot of improvement in all of the children over the course of the year. We are very proud of them all,” said Matt Cooper. Mr. Cooper has been the Head Tennis Professional of the ATA since November and has directed and managed the After School Programme the entire year. He has enjoyed his time in Anguilla but, unfortunately, has to return to the United States. He is scheduled to depart this week and the management and board of the ATA wish to thank him sincerely for his support and dedication to the children of Anguilla. They wish him all the best in his endeavours and look forward to working with him in the near future.
Next on the agenda for the ATA is the annual summer camp which starts July 7. The ATA looks forward to seeing all of its current students as well as some new faces on the court. For more information you can go to www.anguillatennis.com or call the academy at 498-0697.
- Jason Allen