Talented youngsters like 10-year-old Roan Jones, a consistent winner of top national junior titles, now have a new tennis studio to aid their strength and conditioning programme at The Shrewsbury Club, which is recognised as a Lawn Tennis Association Performance Club.
Affectionately known to club coaches as The Hut, the tennis studio was previously home to a children’s nursery based at the club.
But it is now being utilised as an additional training tool to aid the progress of the host of talented young tennis players training at the Sundorne Road venue.
The hope is that more players will follow in the footsteps of local girl Lauren McMinn, now a professional tennis player with a world ranking after learning her trade at The Shrewsbury Club.
Nigel Hunter, the club’s director of tennis, said: “To further enhance The Shrewsbury Club’s performance tennis academy, we are really pleased to have redeveloped this area into a tennis fitness studio which gives our tennis specific strength and conditioning programme an area to operate.
“As part of our ongoing plans all geared towards elite performance and creating professional tennis players from our training pathway, an improved fitness space will make a massive impact for our players and is another step towards achieving our goals.
“We have great facilities and a superb coaching team to take any player from starter to elite level.
“Darren Ruff heads up our tennis specific fitness programme and develops our players as athletes to help improve their tennis.
“He can now do so in his own facility that I am hoping he turns into a winning environment where all players train to professional standards.”
Darren Ruff, the strength and conditioning coach at The Shrewsbury Club, added the new facility had quickly proved to be a big hit with the junior tennis aces.
He said: “The guys lovingly refer to it as The Hut which I like as it gives it a real identity.
“I am excited to be starting work in our new home which further allows us to develop our strength and conditioning programme.
“Over the last 12 months we have taken huge strides with the help and backing of the LTA and this new home provides further opportunity to enhance the sessions we deliver.”
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