International coach promotes Belizean Tennis

Over the last fifty years the worldwide sport of tennis has undergone a radical transformation from being a pastime for the elite to a passion for people of all classes. And while that egalitarian shift has not been fully felt in Belize, tennis here has come a long way from the days when the Pickwick and Newtown clubs were the only game in town. Alyssa Noble reports on the latest athletic initiative.

Alyssa Noble, Reporting
The Belize Tennis Association along with the Belize Olympic Association have joined forces in an effort to bring tennis to every single Belizean.

Anthony Jeremiah, I.T.F. Coach
?The purpose of the coaches doing this course, is to actually get out into those areas, into the grass root areas and put structures in place that will help find the talented players. And eventually do follow up programs that can get these talented players to actually become tennis players. Then as I said, its doing very well in the grass roots areas in other countries, and I expect it to do just as well in Belize.?

Billy Musa Sr., President, Belize Tennis Association
?We are trying to erase from people?s minds, that it?s only a game for the elite. Tennis is for everybody. The reason for training these coaches is so that they can go back to their schools and their districts because we have coaches here from San Ignacio, from Belmopan and from Belize City. We have school teachers, we have players and we have coaches, but they have not been qualified. That?s one of the reasons why we decided at least to start.?

According to Anthony Jeremiah, a Trinidadian coach representing the International Tennis Federation, Belize has him pleasantly surprised.

Billy Musa Sr.
?Well when I first was coming to Belize, you know there was a lot of speculation that Belize don?t have anything happening. You know, there?s no tennis courts in Belize, there?s no tennis players and there?s no coaches. And I?m like ok, well I?ll probably have a very easy task, probably about ten participants. But I got here, we had eighteen participants sign up, and we have seventeen who have been consistent for the past five days.?

While those seventeen players are hoping to be Level one certified, meaning they hope to become proficient in the basics of coaching, playing and teaching, that hasn?t stopped them from enjoying themselves.

Jermaine Hyde, Teacher, St. John?s Primary School
?Well it?s been a challenge, but so far I must say it was definitely fun. I can?t wait to get back into the classroom to actually implement some of the same techniques we?ve learned here. One of the main goal of the Tennis Association was to get tennis incorporated into the primary school sector, and this I must say, was a good effort on their part.?

Derrith Roberson, Junior Tennis Player
?The course has been going really great. It?s a really great opportunity for everyone that?s here to improve tennis for Belize. You know, taking it to another level, and I got interested in it, just hearing it from other tennis people, you know, I?m kinda around tennis people all the time here.?

Mike Sosa, Coach
?Personally, as a coach it?s an opportunity to broaden the base of knowledge that I have and the service that I render to my clients. But from a larger vantage point, it constitutes a great opportunity for the country to finally make a significant step to develop tennis and consolidate tennis as a premier sport in Belize. We have a lot people from different walks of life, from different areas of the community, participating in this course so hopefully it will give us the opportunity to help spread the sport of tennis to other sectors and parts of the community.?

Let?s hope Belize is ready…

Alyssa Noble reporting for News Five.

Although the number of public courts in Belize is limited, many of the newly constructed private courts, largely in resort areas, are open to local residents.