The doors of the Anguilla Tennis Academy finally opened on Friday, May 23 at 6 pm. To kick off the opening, the very first tournament was held that night and throughout the weekend in which many players from Anguilla and Sint Maarten participated. The opening ceremony was carried live by Radio Anguilla and Kool FM and many turned out for the momentous celebration.

Mr. Martineau receives recognition

There were many speakers and presenters that played a major role in the construction of the ATA. The ATA’s Executive Director, Mr. Jason Allen, chaired the ceremony and made welcoming remarks in which he cited the mission and philosophy of the ATA. The first round of people to speak included the four major private sector sponsors who have been monumental in the opening of the facility.

National Bank of Anguilla’s biggest sponsorship came in the form of a USD $75,000 pledge towards the construction of a court. Besides that, it has continued to sponsor the summer camp since inception. Moreover, it has consistently pledged its support for many other events. NBA was also recognized for sponsoring the very first tennis event at the new facility: the National Bank of Anguilla Tennis Invitational. This tournament plans to be the premier regional junior and adult event. NBA’s CEO Mr. E. Valentine Banks spoke on the board’s behalf.

Ceremonial ribbon being cut

The Social Security Board was recognized as well and is one of the most important institutions in Anguilla. Its commitment to the community has been outstanding in its 25 year history. It also gave $75,000 towards the construction of a court and has generously supported every ATA programme since inception. It has also paid for the resurfacing of the public courts in The Valley and The East. Speaking on its behalf, Dr. Aidan Harrigan, Chairman of the Social Security Board, made some remarks in which he highlighted the importance of sports and a healthy lifestyle which in turn help the SSB with its overall mission.

Caribbean Commercial Bank’s Director of Public Relations, Ms. Cherecia Lewis, spoke on behalf of the bank. CCB has been supporting the ATA since its inception as well. It has generously supported every summer programme since 1996 as well as every other major function. It also made a substantial commitment by giving USD $85,000 towards the construction of the stadium court. At the end of the remarks, all three institusions that gave money towards a court were presented with a court sign that will be placed on the fence directly in front of the court.

Cable and Wireless was also highlighted as it has made a substantial contribution to the ATA. Besides sponsoring almost every event in the history of the ATA, it has also given USD $100,000 towards the construction of the stadium. Moreover, it has pledged free internet for life at the facility and have agreed to provide all telecommunications infrastructure for the building and stadium. This has been the single biggest contribution made by Cable and Wireless in Anguilla to any one organization. Corporate Communications Manager, Ms. Avon Carty, spoke on behalf of the company.

It was a wonderful coincidence that the former Deputy Governor of Anguilla, Mr. Mark Capes and Mrs. Capes, were on island at the time of the opening ceremony. Now, the Deputy Governor of Bermuda, Mr. Capes was monumental in helping the ATA fundraise for four years. His advice and constant commitment assisted in too many ways to mention. He was therefore asked to say a few words in which he congratulated Mitch Lake on his perseverance throughout the years. He spoke about how the Anguilla Tennis Academy might as well be called the Anguilla Life Skills Academy or the Anguilla Character Building Academy as the children learn far more than just tennis.

The Minster of Sports, the Honourable Mr. McNeil Evans Rogers, was quite excited about the opening. In his speech he gave an enormous amount of credit to Mitch Lake for the tireless work he has done over the years to provide positive social solutions for youth. More importantly, he recognized and stated that the Anguilla Tennis is, without a doubt, the model of what all organizations should be striving to do in Anguilla. He hopes that other non profits, sports clubs and NGO’s look at the ATA and attempt to match its standards. Mr. Marcel Fahie, also known as the godfather of the ATA, was invited to speak as his work when he was the Permanent Secretary of Finance was paramount to the beginnings of the new facility. He personally made a USD $5,000 contribution over five years and during his speech challenged the rest of the community to pledge their monetary support as well.

The keynote address of course was given by Mitch Lake, the Founder and President of the ATA. Although Mr. Allen previously read the mission and philosophy of the ATA, Mr. Lake once again pointed out some of the salient aspects of what the ATA is trying to do. In his speech he said, “The Anguilla Tennis Academy started with humble beginnings back in 1996 when only a few children were involved. The children seemed to love the game so much that the numbers grew from 25 to almost 100 in the matter of a couple of years. It was then that it became evident that tennis could not grow in Anguilla without a proper facility. In spite of the fact that these courts and building have only been functional for a year, over 2,500 children have learned to play tennis on courts all over the island. Now, it gives me great pleasure to say that the children now have a place they can call their own. We are all here today to witness the power of a dream. The dream has been realized because everyone here has joined together to share my vision to bring a world class tennis facility to world class children. We would not be here today without the help of all of the sponsors and this structure and the children’s programmes are proof that your money and resources have been well spent. The Anguilla Tennis Academy was built for Anguillians and by Anguillians and I am happy to declare its doors are open to the public.”

After Mr. Lake’s speech, a very special presentation was made to Mr. Eric Martineau. Everyone who plays tennis island-wide knows that Mr. Martineau began the very first classes in Anguilla many years ago. In that respect, he is the undisputed pioneer of tennis in Anguilla and was therefore presented with a plaque which will be placed on the walls of the ATA. It reads: “The Anguilla Tennis Academy presents this plaque to Mr. Eric Martineau – The pioneer of tennis in Anguilla.” Mr. Martineau felt overwhelmed by the presentation as he is extremely humble, but it was apparent that the ATA would not even exist if it were not for his hard work and dedication to the youth of Anguilla. He will forever be recognized at the ATA and Mr. Allen and Mr. Lake hope to bring honour to him.

To close the ceremony, Millie Hodge (Vice-President of the ATA), Mr. Evans Rogers, Mr. E. Valentine Banks, Mr. Lake, Ms. Lewis and Mr. Sutcliffe Hodge cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially open the facility to the public. Shortly thereafter, junior players and the professionals began the tournament and many stayed on after hours to watch the players compete. For more information on the ATA, go to their new website at www.anguillatennis.com.

- Jason Allen

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