US backs local tennis talent

Some budding lawn tennis talent could be located at one of the island’s several primary schools.
And the United States Embassy in Barbados intends to do its part in assisting to unearth that embryonic promise.
That was the suggestion on Thursday from US Ambassador to Barbados Larry Palmer during the hosting of a tennis tournament for primary school children at the National Tennis Centre. The event is being staged in conjunction with the National Sports Council, the Barbados Olympic Association and the Barbados Tennis Association.
Speaking prior to the action on the court Palmer told the several
children aged between seven and nine and drawn initially from Luther Thorne, Blackman and Gollop and Grantley Prescod that their future in the sport rested in what they put into it. He urged them to practise frequently and to be committed to improving and there was every possibility that they too could rise to the heights of some of the sports’ superstars.
Palmer told the children it was important at this early stage of their lives that they listened attentively to both their teachers and coaches who would guide them.
“You know how important it is to go to school, listen to your teachers, and work hard at reading, math, and science. But, sports and athletics are important, too. By learning how to play tennis, you are
learning discipline and sportsmanship,” he said. Children in the programme which has been going for about a year receive weekly training.
The sessions are funded by the US Embassy. President of the Barbados Tennis Association Dr. Raymond Forde outlined the details of the training programme and indicated that there would be adjustments to the size of the court as well as to the type of ball used to accommodate the age group being targeted.
About 60 children are participating in the sessions. (WG)