The Grassroot Tennis Club ( GTC) has once again dispersed its seeds in the rural areas on mainland St Vincent, with the Pamelus Burke Primary School being the recipient of a quantity of balls and racquets last Wednesday.{{more}}

Making the donation to the principal of the school Wayne Dabriel was the GTC’s head coach Trevor Sam, who was accompanied by one of GTC’s coaches, Khir Huggins.

Director of the GTC- Grant Connell, who was also present, said he hopes the game can be included in the Physical Education class at the school and gave the Club’s undertaking to provide a coach in what initially would be a three-month coaching programme at the school, once per week.

Connell indicated that the programme, set to get going next month, would be a talent identification exercise.

“Once the emerging talents are identified, the club will bear the cost of transporting the youngsters every Saturday to hone their skills at the Haddon Hotel courts, located on Murray’s Road”, Connell advised.

Connell said once the Ministry of Education agrees, the club would provide and install a net and removable net poles and paint the lines for a tennis court on the existing hard court on the compound of the school.

This, Connell noted, will facilitate practice during the weekdays for existing players such as Shania Williams and Antonio Cain, who are residents of Byera Hill, and who are already enrolled in the GTC programme for the past four years.

“ It is my hope other clubs can assist in time ….We will put the infrastructure in place and hopefully they will take a break from coaching those who can afford to pay and put some time into those who can’t pay, but can play, and that most of the time, this is where the real talent lies…”, Connell quipped.

“Do it for the love and development of the sport and people…This is the first donation and the second would be at a school on the Leeward side of the island,” Connell projected.

The Grassroot Tennis Club began its operation in February 2010, and has thus far been the beacon for tennis, especially with the hosting of numerous junior tennis tournaments. (RT)