Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Tuesday, 17th April 2012 @ 12:05am
President 1. Anshuman Agrawal
My name is Anshuman Agrawal, a third year of Physics, and I’m applying for the
post of KCL Tennis President
I’ve had great times at the club and hope to help keep those moments rolling.
Being outgoing, enthusiastic and someone who never shies away from lending a
hand are some of the attributes that will help me be a competent president.
The great characteristic of the club is its ability to allow a very affordable
environment to play tennis for people from different schools and years and do
what we do best, be social. Its wonderful attributes include
• Beginners coaching
• a competitive environment with tournaments and matches with other
university social tennis clubs.
•Additional sessions of play on the weekends
Which are elements I will help ensure continue.
This year some of us were fortunate enough to get the opportunity to see
the ATP masters tournament. I would very much like the club to have that
opportunity again.
Contingent on the number of members in the club and resources available next
year I would like to increase the number of available courts, especially in the first
month of the year due to large demand.
It is paramount that people from the competitive teams representing KCL in
tennis have routine access to courts to practice in.
Interactions between team and social tennis members have been very limited
and is something I would like to see grow, especially at socials.
The tennis club was lucky to have an exceptional committee this year. I hope to
be as supportive to the club as their predecessors.
2. Andre Almeida
Hi Tennis People, My name is Andre Almeida and I am running for KCL Tennis Club President for the 2012/2013 academic year. First of all I would like to congratulate Michael for how well this season went. Thanks Michael for your dedication and enthusiasm. That said, if I am elected president, I pledge to continue with all the initiatives started during Michael's Presidency. In addition to those I would also like to: Team Tennis
- Update the entire Club on the progress of our competitive tennis teams in theirs respective leagues - Improve practice conditions for team players by having one indoor session every month (Budget allowing) - Integrate women and men's tennis by having joint practice sessions throughout the year - Start a club ranking system, allowing members to challenge each other - Organise a team photo at the end of the year
Social Tennis - Start a social tennis team that will have the privilege of practicing with competitive team players - Improve beginners coaching by having more structured sessions - Initiate intermediate and pre-competitive coaching - Increase the number of internal social tennis tournaments including a ladder competition - Arrange for more events with other universities from the start of the season General - Increase the number and variety of social events
Apart from all these, I pledge to the club and all its members my uttermost dedication and hard work. I believe that you should vote for me for the 2012/2013 Tennis Club President because of my vast experience in University Tennis Clubs (KCL and Imperial) as a team player as well as a Committee member.
Loads of love,
Andre
3. Stephan Edey
My name is Stephan Edey and I am applying for the position of President for the KCL Tennis Club.
After a successful year as the social secretary, organising several socials including our final successful club social at the Whitesmith’s Arms, and co-organising the tennis club’s visit to the ATP World Tour Event last November, it is clear that I have a keen interest in the club’s development. There are a few things, however, that I would seek to change/implement:
Investigate and attempt to secure indoor tennis courts for both the Team and Social tennis groups. As many people tend to avoid playing outdoor sports during the coldest points of the winter season, I think that it is a good idea to provide this.
Aim to reduce the annual membership fee of £33. Our club operates on a heavy surplus and so this move is unlikely to affect our ability to finance the club, but instead increase affordability.
Restructure the “Tennis For Beginners” so that it is run within regular social tennis hours, to give more people an opportunity to seek tips and help. This will make it more worthwhile for the individual coaching. I would also implement a rotor for those who will be coaching so it is more organised
Continue to push competitive events within Social tennis and with other universities for the high level competitive social players.
I also believe it is important that everyone has a say in the running of the club and thus I would hold regular surveys to ensure people can have their say on what they want to see done/improved throughout the year.
I believe these ideas could help to develop the club even more and make it more enjoyable for everyone.
Stephan A Edey.
Treasurer
1. Anshuman Agrawal
My name is Anshuman Agrawal, a third year Physics student, and I’m applying for the post of KCL Tennis Treasurer alongside the post of president.As mentioned before I’d like to contribute to the tennis club next year.
Keeping the club running smoothly throughout the academic year involves managing fiscal matters. A good grasp of arithmetic and basic accounting will help me carry out associated tasks suitably. Although I do find tedious paperwork irksome, it is something I will not shy away from.
Financial matters may not only be limited to the assurance of courts but at times include the partial sponsorship of social events and gatherings. The frequent use of sites like “student beans” - in typical student fashion for the last three years - has made me aware of useful offers.
I hope to be an asset to the society for the next academic year and I hope you will vote for me.
2. Trino Cruz Cervera
Hi guys,
My name is Trino and next year will be my third year on the tennis team and of being part of the KCL tennis club. I would like to run for treasurer this year for many reasons, one being to be able to integrate more with the rest of the committee and the club as a whole to work on new ideas and improve our club.
I believe that managing the money of the club and how it is used is a very important task to take on. In the past I have unfortunately spent weeks not being able to play due to weather conditions and at the time felt it would have been appropriate to book, more expensive indoor courts. As a team member this affected the teams performance but I am sure that social players have felt the same way. Managing the money and making sure that it goes to the right place and that no money is used inappropriately is one thing which I, as the treasurer would very much like to work on, to improve all of our tennis.
Thank you very much and good luck with exams,
Trino
Social Tennis 1. Suhani Jahan I'd like to apply for the role of social tennis captain because I have really enjoyed my time at social tennis this year, it's been very welcoming and helpful to a beginner player like me. I started off with tennis4beginners which has been a really useful - i think it's a great idea that's encouraged many new players without previous experience to join kcl tennis. Through social tennis I have had the opportunity to practice and play in a relaxed and sociable environment against people of all different levels and meet new people at the same time.
I'd love to continue with social tennis next year and keep up the great work done by the previous captain. The internal and external competitions have been a great way of motivating social players to get more into a competitive spirit and the various socials throughout the year have been a great way to get to know people better. Next year I'd like to integrate these aspects and make it so we have socials after any competitive matches (maybe even with the other unis that take part) and encourage more people to get involved in tournaments.
As a relatively new player myself I think I would be good at encouraging people who may lack the confidence to come to social tennis to come and make the most of the welcoming atmosphere to beginners, while also keeping a competitive and exciting atmosphere for the more advanced players. And I'd also love to work with the social events officer to throw in a few great socials throughout the year!
BW,
Suhani Jahan
Women's Team Captain
1. Charlotte Ames
I have played for KCL Women's team for the past two years and have loved being part of the team. I feel as captain I could bring alot to the club by ensuring the team is well run, motivated, efficiently organised and of a high standard. I am enthusiastic, approachable, driven and really enjoy playing tennis which is key when leading a team to make sure it is fun and enjoyable for everyone. I have excellent communication, organisational and motivational skills but most importantly I would listen to the team and take on board their opinions. I have played to a high standard of tennis since I was 9 and I am still competing at a county and national level. Previously I was tennis captain at my 6th form college and helped run the team and organise events. I aim to build on the foundations made by Paige this year and to continue and further team members' committment and dedication to training and matches. I would like to have training on another day to ensure all team members come together and play at least once a week as well as matches on a Wednesday afternoon. I will ensure that all team members have regular opportunities to play in matches by rotating the players. I also strive to integrate team tennis with social tennis as I feel the club is currently separated by this division. I hope to achieve this by working closely with the Men's Captains, Social Captain and the Social Events Officer to ensure regular combined socials. I will encourage team members to help with the coaching for the Tennis4Beginners scheme as I feel this is currently working very well. Furthermore I aim to run weekly team socials so that we can develop a strong team bond. If I get this role within the club I ensure I carry through all of my aims as well as possible.
Men's 1st Team Captain
1. Stefan Kemp
Social Events Officer 1. Emily Nelson
I am running for Social Sec because I think that there is so much potential for a lively social life within the Tennis Club, and I want to be the person that develops this. I am already dedicated to the tennis club as a member, and have spent the last year pushing for more socials, and more people to come to the socials. After all of the pressure I have put on the previous Social Sec, I think it is only fair for me to put myself forward this year!
The people in the Tennis Club are lovely and friendly and sociable, but there are a lot of us, and the temptation is always there to turn up, play, make some acquaintances and then go home. If we went out, and spent more time together outside of the courts I am sure that these acquaintances could become friends: you can already see this from looking at the other sports societies (such as Football, Rugby and Hockey). Also, Wednesday nights are a lot of fun!
I already have some ideas about how to do this:
- I realise that going out every week is not feasible, taking into account people's work load, so I propose a social every fortnight. I think that the majority of these should be Waterfront, or Guys bar (open to suggestions of course) and we could meet later to give people a chance to go home and get changed. This way, people will always know when there is a social happening, without having to check, and will spend less than if we went out for a meal.
- I think we should organise a tennis meal, in the style of the lovely ones we have had this year, perhaps once or twice a term, and definitely have an end of term Tennis Dinner before Easter.
- I really want to push for more contact between the teams and social tennis. I think it is a shame that we never come across each other, and hope that there is some way of remedying this!
- Other than that, I will keep my eyes open for anything else that people might want to do - there is always so much happening around London. I hope that people feel that they can approach me with any suggestions or ideas!
See you all at the AGM! (Vote for me...) :D
Volunteering Officer
1. Michael Hua
Hello my name is Michael Hua and I would like to run for Volunteering Officer for next year's committee of the Tennis Club. As President of the Club this year, I feel I have the experience to build on the success of the Club this year. I have gotten to know many great people within the Club, and with the skills and expertise I believe members of the Club possesses, both on and off the court, I strongly believe there is a role for us in the greater community.
This year, already the Club has contributed in this way. In organising internal social tennis competitions, we fundraised for the Wish2Play volunteering group which sends a group of King's students to go to Romania to volunteer at a rehabilitating centre for the mentally handicapped. I would like to encourage more fundraising activites. However, I would also like to see the Club use tennis more directly to help people: organising workshops for people who may otherwise not have the opportunity to play tennis. Whilst it may sound strange for the Club to engage in such activities, our Student Union is encouraging sports clubs to take up a volunteering role, and other clubs have been successful in doing so, like Dance Soc.
I believe it would boost the integration of the Club too, an aim which has been difficult to achieve, although I believe we're getting there! It has been a pleasure to work with the committee this year, and I hope to continue to work on the committee next year too...
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Thursday, 5th April 2012 @ 1:28am
To apply e-mail kcltennisclub@gmail.com. Deadline is end of Thursday 12th April 2012. Include:
your name
the committee position you've applied for (up to 2)
a brief manifesto (<300 words).
Role Descriptions
President
The President is ultimately responsible for the running of the club and will be the primary point of contact for the Student Union in regards to all club issues.
The treasurer is ultimately responsible for insuring that the finances of the club are organised and managed effectively through a specific club account.
to assess whether a certain activity or equipment is financially feasible
to be up to date with the status of the Club’s funds
The Communications Officer is responsible for the effective communication within the Club and promotion of activities.
to update the tennis club related webpages as appropriate
to create posters to promote club related events
to assist other club members when needed to communicate or promote something for the Club
to check the club email regularly to respond to or notify of any emails received
Social Tennis Captain (x2)
The Social Tennis Captain is responsible for the running of Social Tennis sessions.
to ensure the smooth running of Social Tennis sessions
to provide tennis balls and tennis rackets (supplied by the Club) for members
tennis balls should be changed fortnightly
to take a register of the membership status of attendees
to organise internal and external recreational competitions
to manage court bookings for Social Tennis, either booking extra courts or cancelling courts as appropriate
to collaborate with the team captains to appoint someone to take ‘tennis4beginners’ each week
Team Captain (x3)
The Team Captain is responsible for recruiting and managing the Team for which they have been appointed to.
To round up a team to play fixtures when required
If this is not possible, to notify President at earliest notice
To make sure court bookings are correct for both fixtures and practice
To attend all practices
If this is not possible, to notify the team reason for non-attendence
To make sure team members attend practice
To make sure tennis balls are brought to fixtures (Home) and practice
To make sure tennis balls are replaced with new ones when necessary
To input results of fixtures into the LTA league planner
To notify President and Chris Sawyer of results of fixtures
To collaborate with Social Tennis Captain to appoint at least 1 team member to assist the ‘Tennis4Beginners’ session weekly
To check membership status of all team members
To take orders and dispense kit for team members
To instill team spirit
Social Events Officer
The Social Events Officer is responsible for organising the Club’s social events for both Social and Team Tennis.
to organise social events outside tennis
to publicise social events on the relevant club webpages
to facilitate an integrated club between social and team tennis
Volunteer Officer
The Volunteering Officer is responsible for organising activities for the tennis club to participate in for the benefit of the wider community.
to create a wider role for the tennis club in the community involving the tennis club members
In addition, you are expected to take on board any concerns or complaints or questions that come your way from students. You’ll be asked to help out with kit, whether taking orders or dispensing it to members.
Some of this may appear quite hefty, and it’s true that becoming a committee requires some dedication, but effective teamwork between committee members will mean that you can easily achieve everything you need if you stick to your bit. It is a rewarding experience, and the responsibility you take on will definitely benefit you, whether it’s adding a bit of sprinkle to your CV or taking on bigger responsibilities later on in life! It’s also a great way of giving back to the Club. E-mail the Club (kcltennisclub@gmail.com) if you’ve got further questions!
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Tuesday, 20th March 2012 @ 6:38pm
Dear Tennis Club,
It's time to elect next year's committee for the KCL Tennis Club! We will be holdin the AGM meeting on the Thursday 29th March 2012. The purpose of this will be to put forth your views on how the Club has been run this year (good and bad!), ask any questions you have for this year's committee as well as the candidates for next year's committee, and finally elect the committe for next year.
If you would like to put yourself forward for the committee next year, e-mail kcltennisclub@gmail.com. You should include:
your name
the committee position you've applied for (up to 2)
a brief manifesto (<300 words).
Your manifesto should outline why you think you'd be good for the committee position, and what it is that you intend to bring to the Tennis Club. Think about what areas the Club could continue to evolve. Aspects to consider include: integrating the Club as a whole (Social and Team), continue to develop the Tennis4Beginners scheme, giving the Club a wider role in the community. The deadline for applying is the end of Sunday 25th March, whereby I'll then send out an e-mail with all the manifestos to all our Club members on the 26th, and a vote will be made at the AGM meeting. Please note that you can apply for up to 2 committee positions, and write 2 separate manifestos for them.
Here are the committee positions:
President
Treasurer
Communications Officer Social Tennis Captain (2 positions) Women's 1st Team Captain Men's 1st Team Captain
Men's 2nd Team Captain
Women's 1st Team Captain
Social Events Officer
Volunteering Officer
As you can see, the committee is going to be expanded this year. There are now 2 posts for Social Tennis Captain, whereby the responsbility will be shared between the 2. If you have any questions please post this on the Club's Facebook Page so everyone can see, or e-mail kcltennisclub@gmail.com.
There are loads of reasons to apply. First of all it's very rewarding being part of a committee that is able to deliver so much for students at King's. If you're passionate about tennis then this is a great way to show it. As well as enhancing your university experience, it will of course be a plus on your CV, showing your employers that you can take up responsibility and take on an active role in student life. Don't be afraid to nominate yourself, whether you're from Social Tennis or Team Tennis - if you feel you have something to contribute to the Club, put yourself forward! A healthy competition will only drive up the quality of the committee and ensure that the Club continues to grow next year.
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Thursday, 2nd February 2012 @ 9:29pm
Sunday Coaching - sign-up
The Club is going to start running coaching sessions open to all Social members of the Tennis Club on a sign-up basis. The course will consist of 8 lessons following a structured coaching program (take a look here): 1 hour for beginners standard, and 1 hour for intermediate standard - chances are, you fall into one of those 2 categories! Tennis balls are provided, as are spare rackets. The coach will be Matthew Wigham, our Men's 2nd Team Captain, but he is probably more well known from Tennis4Beginners (the guy who tells you to put the racket on the ground and pick it up - there's your grip!). He is a very proficient player and an excellent communicator, and is a qualified LTA community coach.
Sessions start on Sunday 12th of February at 4pm for beginners, and 5pm for intermediate players. The cost of the course is £10 for members, and £20 for non-members. To sign-up for the coaching, please reply to this e-mail from Friday 9am (3rd Feb) onwards (kcltennisclub@gmail.com) - mentioning whether you're a beginner or intermediate player. Please note that spaces are limited and will be given on a first-come first-served basis.
Saturday Social Tennis
The Club will start running Social Tennis on Saturdays, open to all members of the Tennis Club (team or social!). The response from Social Tennis has been overwhelmingly positive this year, and there has been demand for Social Tennis on a weekend for a while now. We plan to start running these from Saturday 11th of February 2012, also at Burgess Park, from 4-6pm. However, we're still unsettled about the number of courts to book, and so to get an idea of numbers, please answer this question on our Facebook Page through this link, or alternatively e-mail us. Please do this otherwise we'll end up over/under-booking courts!
N.B. You'll have to equip yourselves with your own tennis balls for these sessions - the Club will be happy to lend you some from the Wednesday Social Tennis sessions though. The same goes to the spare tennis rackets.
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Friday, 27th January 2012 @ 12:36pm
Hello all!
This term we will be organising a doubles, knock-out tournament in support of the charity 'Wish2Play'. Those of you who played in the singles tournament last term will be familiar with the setup.
In the spirit of the tournament, if you class yourself as a beginner, please pair yourself with a more experienced player. Similarly, if you believe you are 'experienced', pair yourself with a beginner. That way, it is nice and even and gets more people involved. (If you're somewhere in between don't worry too much about it!)
1. Name (if not obvious from the email!)
2. Partner (if you haven't got one, I will pair you with someone who is also without a partner – just indicate whether you are a beginner/experienced player; alternatively join our 'KCL Social Tennis' Facebook Group and find a partner there)
3. Mobile number.
We are looking for 32 players and slots will be given on a first-come, first-served basis (members have priority). Details will follow but for now all you need to know is that the matches will take place at Kennington Park and Clapham Common on Wednesday afternoons, mostly starting at 2pm. Like with the singles tournament, there will be a trophy for the champions!
There is also a £3 sign-up donation which you must bring to your first match.
Cheers!
Huw
Social Tennis Captain
P.S. It was great to see some new faces at Social Tennis the past few sessions - hopefully it was enjoyable for you! Remember that if you'd like to continue coming, just follow this link to become a member (£33 incl. insurance), or go to your Student Union desk.Photos from last week’s Social Tennis have been uploaded onto our Facebook Page, so check them out!
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Friday, 11th November 2011 @ 10:10pm
Ticket Price: Member £15 Ticket Price: Non-member £20
When can I start reserving a ticket?
Member - NOW
Non-member - Monday 13th November 22:00
How do I reserve a ticket?
Email us at kcltennisclub@gmail.com. NB You can only reserve a ticket for yourself!
Why do I have to resend an email to reserve my ticket? Since receiving confirmation of tickets and their prices, the Social Secretary (Stephan) and President (Michael) have profusely discussed the fairest and clearest way to distribute the tickets. Things were being made confusing when both members and non-members requested more than 1 ticket, and because we are now restricting people to reserving only their own ticket, we decided that getting everyone to email us again would make it clearest for us to know who still wanted their ticket. Since making changes to the way people are able to reserve tickets, we thought it fairest for everyone to start from square one again.
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Wednesday, 12th October 2011 @ 8:00pm
*Social Tennis sign-up at Vauxhall Park or Archbishop's Park for 19/10/2011* To sign-up for Social Tennis at either Vauxhall Park or Archbishop's Park next Wednesday (19th October) from 3-5PM, please e-mail the Club at kcltennisclub@gmail.com. You can either sign-up individuallyor as a group (maximum 4), and you will have the court to yourselves throughout the session. In the e-mail, please specify whether you'd like to play at Vauxhall or Archbishop's, and if applying as an individual, please tell us what kind of tennis standard you're at so that we can match suitable players together. There is no extra charge for booking these courts, but you do have to be a member to sign-up. Please tell us promptly lest the courts get booked out! Vauxhall Park: closest station Vauxhall (2 stops from Oval) Archbishop's Park: closest station Waterloo
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Saturday, 8th October 2011 @ 12:49pm
*Social Tennis sign-up at Holland Park for 12/10/2011* If you would like to play Social Tennis at Holland Park (beautiful Kensington Park) this Wednesday 12th October from 3-5PM, please e-mail the Club at kcltennisclub@gmail.com. You can either sign-up individually or as a group (maximum 4), and you will have the court to yourselves throughout the session. We have subsidised the charge rate for the courts so that every individual pays just £1.50 for the session (the Adult Rate is £7/court per hour). Please do this promptly, as there are only 2 courts left available to book this week. We will be in touch regarding equipment and payment.
N.B. You must be a member to sign-up for Holland Park.
Wednesday, 5th October 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 12th October 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 19th October 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 26th October 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 2nd November 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 9th November 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 16th November 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 23rd November 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 30th November 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 7th December 2011 at 3pm - 5pm, Wednesday, 14th December 2011 at 3pm - 5pm
Location: Kennington Park, 145583612149943
*Don't worry if you missed the 1st session, and don't worry about membership just…
Wednesday, 5th October 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 12th October 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 19th October 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 26th October 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 2nd November 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 9th November 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 16th November 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 23rd November 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 30th November 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 7th December 2011 at 2pm - 3pm, Wednesday, 14th December 2011 at 2pm - 3pm
Location: Kennington Park, SE11 4AU
Free voluntary coaching sessions for beginners...we start from the very basics!
Posted by Chuan-Zun Hua, Sunday, 2nd October 2011 @ 12:42am
*if you're in the Men's Team, don't worry about your specifiying your embroidery text - just have us know you're in the Men's Team*
The Tennis Club will be ordering the first batch of kit, so take a look at what's on offer. The deadline for ordering is the end of Tuesday 4th October 2011 by e-mailing us onkcltennisclub@gmail.com Details on how to order are outlined below. All attire are embroidered with the Nike logo and (more importantly!) the KCL crest. You can choose your Embroider text which is situated beneath the crest e.g. your team, committee position, as well as an optional personalisation. On the back there will be written 'KCL Tennis Club'.
The company producing the kit for us is Premier Sports and Leisure.
(A) Hoodies - Navy + White (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL) £25.74
(B) Polo Shirts - White + Black (S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL) £16.74
(C) Shorts - White + Black (S, M, L, XL, XXL) £14.49
(D) Trousers - Obsidian(I know right) (S, M, L, XL) £21.99
In the e-mail, please specify:
1. What you want
2. Your size
3. Your Embroider text (either Men's 1st, Men's 2nd, Women's Team, Social Tennis, 'Committee Position')
4. (+£3.25 optional) Your name
Anything take your fancy? Don't worry about whether you're a paid member - order as you like! If you're unsure whether you want to order yet, don't worry - we'll be taking another order later in the year. However, for those playing for the teams, it's a good idea to order now, otherwise you may find yourself being the odd one out! Remember to reply to kcltennisclub@gmail.com by the end of Tuesday 4th October 2011!
If you have any questions or concerns just e-mail us on that same e-mail and we'll get in touch with you.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in tennis gear!
