Covid-19: Tennis Groups Suspended

In line with current national Covid-19 guidelines, Queens Park Tennis Club is suspending all tennis activity run by the club until further notice. We know this will be a disappointment to you but we have a duty of care to all our members and feel that this is the only route open to us in the circumstances.

That means club sessions, juniors coaching and competitions will be cancelled. The courts will remain open for members and visitors to book in the normal way. In order to further protect all visitors, the clubhouse will be cleaned, closed and locked until further notice.

To be specific, the following are cancelled:
Monday club session
Tuesday Brighton College coaching
Thursday Brighton College coaching
Friday club session
Saturday Rusty Racquets
Saturday Juniors coaching
Saturday Amazeballs coaching
Saturday LTA juniors tournament
Sunday Juniors coaching
Sunday club session
Easter Tennis camps: April

Clubhouse events have been cancelled:
Mothers Uncovered: (Thursdays)
QPTC EGM: Sun 29 March
Private Party: Sun 12 April
Parks League social: Fri 8 May
Kids Party (May)

Can I still book a court?
Yes, you can still book and play on QPTC courts as normal. As stated, however, the Clubhouse will be closed from now on as we cannot guarantee the high levels of hygiene required at this time. This means that if you do book a court, you do so at your own risk and should check guidelines for social interaction at this time. We would advise as a basic measure that you have wipes or sanitiser with you for commonly used things such as gate handles.

Can I still book a coaching session?
Yes, you can. Mel Bowden and Jimmy Smith are still offering one to one coaching as this can be completed without close proximity for extended periods. Please contact them direct to arrange.
Mel on 07850 717352, mel.bowden@qptc.co.uk
Jimmy on 07966 210692, jimmy.smith@qptc.co.uk

Once again we are very sorry to have to do this but we take your welfare very seriously. As you may know, the LTA suspended all tennis activities yesterday. Dyke Park is taking a similar course of action. The Brighton & Hove Parks League LTA will make a decision shortly about the 2020 Parks League season. It does not look promising. We will update all  members as soon as things change.

Latest advice from LTA:

Adapting sessions to accommodate the advice on social distancing:

Adopt low player-to-court ratios (such as singles or doubles) or individual coaching as per the Government’s advised social distancing measures (defined by Public Health England as spending no more than 15 minutes and not within a 2-metre distance talking to someone).
Avoid close proximity when giving feedback, or when players are resting.
Ensure no physical contact between players during warm-ups or games.
No other unnecessary extra-curricular or social activity should take place.

Adopting best practice in relation to hygiene, especially before and after training sessions, including but not limited to:

Players should wash hands before and after a tennis session without exception (or use an alcohol gel if washing hands is not possible).
Clean and wipe down equipment, including rackets, courtside benches, cones. Do not allow racket sharing or use of communal rackets.
For tennis balls, consider using new balls where possible, and consider using a small number of balls for a lesson so fresh balls can be used for each session; achieve this in a financially feasible way, coaches can consider using a small number of balls (1-2 cans) for a lesson so fresh balls can be used for each session.
Adaptations to drills will be needed, such as the use of live ball drills over basket drills; furthermore, it is recommended that only coaches touch the balls and players avoid touching the balls.
Avoid touching your face.
Outdoor courts and open spaces are preferable to small indoor spaces.