At the beginning of Easter Break, a group of 18 students from Fourth Form to Upper Sixth went on a preseason tennis tour to the Algarve in Southern Portugal. The trip's focus was to establish solid tennis foundations for the term ahead and use down time to revise and relax.

Each day the group had two tennis sessions, two hours in the morning focused on skills and drills, and a two-hour session in the afternoon to showcase these in match play. The sessions were taken by a dynamic group of coaches, who all had different strengths. The depth of coaching allowed the students to receive a well-rounded experience over the week. The sessions were engaging and high-energy. With music-filled intense warm-ups and fast-paced basket drills in the morning, followed by strategy and tactics in the afternoon. There was never a dull moment on the court.

A highlight of the tour was a friendly match play competition against Tonbridge School. Where the students got to put into action the doubles techniques they had been learning over the week. There was also an opportunity for a few of the students to play an exhibition-style match with current Pro Tour players.

Maximilien C and Thea W were voted by the coaches as the best players on tour. A well-deserved accolade for the two who trained hard and at a high level all week long.

We were delighted to receive feedback from the Head Coach that our students were ‘of the highest calibre, always putting in 100% and having fun while doing so”.

An excellent experience for all the students, who look forward to getting back onto the tennis courts here on campus to put their skills into practice.