Schools Delivery Programme identifies 7 year old Ranah as future talent

Chiswick based tennis, golf and ski facility Dukes Meadows, has identified a local Hounslow pupil for its High Performance Tennis Programme, the first child to be selected since the School initiative began.

Ranah Stoiber, age 7, from St Michaels & St Martins School in Heston attended one of the county talent ID days back in January and was put forward to a regional talent ID day just last Friday. The Schools Delivery Programme coaches identified her with having great potential and as a result she is the first child to make it into the mini high performance programme, which runs twice a week. Ranah will now be supported by Dukes Meadows' tennis experts through development monitoring, monthly competitions and ongoing training, to help nurture her tennis talent.

Dukes Meadows' FC Tennis Academy director James Lenton said: "I am absolutely delighted that Ranah has been promoted to the mini High Performance Programme. It's the highest coaching level a child of her age can train at. Ranah is the first child from our Schools Delivery Programme to be selected and it really does demonstrate how our dedicated coaches are able to identify children of a national tennis level and integrate them into our facilities and talent-nurturing programme at Dukes Meadows. Ranah will now have access to some of the country's best training and be given a superb head start for what could be a very bright future in tennis."

Ranah on the court with her trophy

James Lenton was a top ten British senior before his retirement aged 21 and has 20 years coaching experience of which 10 years was as an LTA National coach, helping some of the best names in British Tennis win national and international titles.

The Schools Delivery Tennis Programme is available to every primary school in the Hounslow borough. Since 2008 the successful partnership with local schools has meant they have delivered free in-curriculum tennis coaching to years three and four. The programme means that around 4,000 children will enjoy free tennis this year whilst also developing agility, balance and coordination skills

April 13, 2013