Tennis Academy

Tennis at Sherfield

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Sherfield School offers entry-level tennis programs designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of the sport in a fun and supportive environment. The program includes:

After-School Clubs: These tennis clubs are held after school and provide a great opportunity for students to practice and improve their skills. The sessions focus on basic techniques like forehand, backhand, serving, and footwork while also fostering teamwork and sportsmanship in a relaxed setting.
One-to-One Lessons: Tailored private lessons are available for pupils who want individualised attention and faster progression. These lessons focus on personal strengths and areas for improvement, allowing for a more customized approach to learning tennis.
One-to-Two Lessons: For pupils who prefer to learn with a partner or friend, we also offer semi-private lessons. This allows for personalised coaching while maintaining a social and interactive learning experience.

All programs emphasise physical activity, coordination, and confidence-building while keeping the lessons enjoyable and suitable for beginners.

Progress Programme

Sherfield School's Tennis Progress Programme is designed for pupils keen to advance their skills and prepare for competitive play. The programme offers a structured pathway to help players reach their full potential, with the following key features:

Minimum Two Group Sessions per Week:
- These sessions focus on refining advanced techniques, tactics, and strategies for competitive tennis. Drills aim to improve consistency, power, accuracy, and court awareness.
- The group dynamic allows match play practice, helping players adapt to real-game situations and develop competitive mental toughness.
- Sessions also place an emphasis on physical conditioning, footwork, and endurance to meet the demands of competitive matches.
Optional One-to-One or One-to-Two Lessons:
- Players can supplement group training with personalised one-to-one or one-to-two lessons. These sessions offer targeted coaching on specific areas of their game, such as stroke precision, serve techniques, and mental resilience.
- Individual attention enables rapid skill development and tailored training plans suited to their competitive goals.
Competitive Opportunities:
- Pupils in the Progress Programme are encouraged to enter school-organised competitions or local tournaments, providing valuable match experience and the chance to apply their training in a competitive environment.

This programme helps pupils enhance their technical abilities and tactical understanding, preparing them to compete at higher levels.

Tennis Academy

Sherfield School offer a unique full-time tennis and education programme for those who aspire to play at the highest level. The programme allows players to combine an outstanding education with a world-class tennis programme.

Our academy offers the following benefits:

Tennis coaching (10 hours per week)
Additional individual lessons available (additional variable cost - coach dependant)
Strength and conditioning programme (2 hours per week)
Full board accommodation if required (additional cost)
Fitness testing
Tournament support (subsidised)
Weekly athlete seminar
Professional racket stringing service (additional cost)
Access to physiotherapy if required (additional cost)

The weekly athlete seminar will cover key areas of performance, such as mental performance strategies, nutrition and lifestyle, recovery strategies, video analysis, and match charting.

There is no extra charge for the academy on top of the standard school or boarding fees.

Entry Requirements

The full-time tennis and education programme is aimed at pupils entering Year 7 or Year 12. However, entry into the programme will be considered at all age groups if the pupil’s level of tennis and academic ability meet the programme's demands. Players on the programme typically play county or national-level tennis. However, players will be selected according to their athletic ability, willingness to learn and work hard, and technical and tactical tennis ability.

A day in the life of a tennis athlete

Each player’s programme will be flexible and tailored to their age and academics. However, please see an example of a typical day that includes both the tennis programme and academic lessons.

Facilities

Tennis

There are three hard courts and three AstroTurf tennis courts on-site. During the winter months, when it is cold and wet, we use the indoor courts at Hampshire Court Hotel, which houses 5 premium-quality acrylic hard courts.

Accommodation

Flexi, Weekly and Full Boarding

Archer’s Lodge is a brand new purpose-built boarding house with 50 en-suite single or double rooms. The hotel-style rooms include internet access, a study area, a comfortable bunk bed, chest of drawers, a wardrobe and a spacious en-suite bathroom. There are also generously-sized common rooms with living, dining and kitchen facilities with comfortable seating, video and digital TV, a games console, board games and books.

Admissions

To apply for a place as a tennis-athlete on Sherfield’s full-time tennis and education programme please contact the admissions team using the contact form or details below.

admissions@sherfieldschool.co.uk

01256 884800

Meet the team

Debbie Hale - Director of Tennis

Debbie is a LTA Senior Performance Coach and trained from 14 years old before going to Bath University to study and play full-time. Debbie has worked in performance for 20 years, in various roles from the Performance Programme in La Manga Spain to LTA Talent performance co-ordinator, lead performance coach at West Hants and JTC, Aldershot. Debbie continues to play and represent Hampshire County, England and Great Britain in the open age group, 35’s and 40’s teams.