Welcome to the Auckland Tennis Inc. Player Development page which provides information about the Junior Coaching Programme in the Auckland area.  In recent years, the quality of the tennis programme for youth has improved dramatically.  In line with Auckland Tennis Inc’s objectives for expansion, the junior programme has succeeded in the following areas:

1. Provided more practice sessions for better juniors
2. Improved tournament scheduling
3. Provided alternative ability programmes for those not selected
4. Increased national and international tournaments
5. Provided courts for training and tournaments
6. Increased user-pay funding

Introduction
In February 1997, Auckland Tennis Inc. engaged the coaching and management services of Chris and Mark Lewis to develop junior tennis in the greater Auckland area.  Chris Lewis is a former number one junior in the world, and was a Wimbledon singles finalist in 1983.  He has coached Ivan Lendl (World #1) and Carl Uwe Steeb (World #14).  Mark is the former coach of 1991 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Champion Michael Stich.

The Lewis’ were engaged by Auckland Tennis Inc. to spark a revival in the playing fortunes of our international players and to lift the overall junior playing standard in Auckland.  Since arriving on the scene, Auckland tennis players have dominated the game at national level and several players have performed well on the international junior circuit.

At the end of 2005, Chris Lewis moved to California and Mark Lewis was further contracted to manage the Auckland Development Programme.

In 2008 Tennis Auckland entered into a partnership with TNZ by establishing a Regional Performance Centre headed by James Greenhalgh (Boys Coach) and Peter Blow (Girls Coach).  The two coaches were charged with developing the more promising junior players in the Auckland area.  With the reintroduction of a heavily funded centralised programme that assumed responsibility for player development, the Auckland Junior Coaching Programme, under the direction of Mark Lewis, shifted its focus towards the coaching of younger players.  In 2009, James Greenhalgh was appointed RPC Coach for both boys and girls in the Auckland area. 

Performance Highlights
Highlights to date include Auckland Coaching Programme member Simon Rea achieving an ITF junior world ranking in the twenties.  His most significant victory at junior level was against Andy Roddick at a major tournament in Osaka.  Simon went on to win the NZ 18 & Under National singles title (twice) before adding the New Zealand Residential Men’s singles in 2001 and 2002.  He was a member of the New Zealand Davis Cup team and turned professional after graduating from the University of Tennessee in May 2004.  After a brief attempt on the pro tour, Simon decided to pursue other interests.

Another player to benefit from the Auckland Coaching Programme was Tracey O’Connor.  Although never considered good enough to represent New Zealand at junior level, Tracey went on to make the top 100 in the world junior rankings and climbed to 406 on the WTA senior list.  She competed at the highest level of junior tennis with appearances at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the United States Open.  Tracey represented New Zealand twice in the Fed Cup competition and recorded an impressive victory against India in her debut singles.

Like O’Connor, South African born Ilke Gers improved dramatically after several years training in the Auckland Development Programme.  Ilke had a career best WTA singles ranking inside the top 400 and was the # 2 ranked female in the country.  She was ranked inside the top 200 for doubles and was a member of the New Zealand Fed Cup team.

Fellow Auckland junior players such as Nick Lane, Jacob Olsen, Adam McNeil and Henry Gers all performed creditably at junior level, and as a consequence, with the exception of McNeil, were able to take up scholarships at American Universities.

In 2003, Auckland juniors enjoyed tremendous success on the ITF World Junior Circuit.  Three Auckland boys, GD Jones, Kiril Tcherveniachki and William Ward, were ranked in the top 60 of the ITF Junior World Rankings at the same time.  The city of Auckland had more players ranked in the top 100 than any other city in the world except for Seoul, Korea, which also had three.  It was a far cry from the junior world rankings at the end of March 1997 when Quichee Wong was the only Aucklander with an ITF ranking of 178.  He was the best of only three ranked New Zealand players at the time.  There were no Auckland girls ranked back then.

Further success was enjoyed in 2004 when Marina Erakovic broke onto the world stage by reaching the doubles final of Junior Wimbledon and winning the US Open Junior Girls.  She finished the year ranked 8th on the ITF Junior World rankings.  Meanwhile, William Ward became the first New Zealand player since 1975 to reach the singles quarter-finals at Junior Wimbledon.  Both Ward and GD Jones reached career high ITF Junior Rankings in the 20’s during the year.  Young Sean Berman was another to show promise.  Sean won the 11 and Under Little Mo Nationals in American, was co-winner of the Australian Clay Courts and in January 2005 won the New Zealand 12 and Under Nationals for an unprecedented third year in a row.

2005 was another bumper year for junior tennis in New Zealand.  Marina Erakovic made a winning debut at the ASB Classic in Auckland and a few short months later her WTA ranking had climbed to the low 200’s after scoring two professional tournament victories.  She won the Australian Open Junior Girls doubles and was runner-up in the Wimbledon Junior Girls Doubles again.  She reached the quarters of the singles at the US Open Juniors which turned out to be her last match of the year when an arm injury curtailed her schedule.  Her junior ranking rose to # 5 mid year – a career high.

Outstanding results were also registered by 14 year old Sacha Jones.  Jones won four ITF junior tournaments and lifted her year end ranking to 68th in the world.  Sean Berman took on America’s best 12 and unders to qualify for the Nike International Masters in France where he reached the semi-finals.  Rubin Statham and GD Jones both made the New Zealand Davis Cup team for the first time with GD scoring an important win on debut.  He also made his first appearance at the 2005 Heineken Open. 

Marina Erakovic continued to improve as a player between 2006 and 2008.  She reached a career high ranking of 49 in 2008 after a string of superb results on the WTA Tour.  Marina became the first New Zealand player to break into the world top 50 since Brett Steven in the 1990’s.  She delighted fans by reaching the semis of the ASB Classic in January 2008.

Sacha Jones made headlines by reaching the quarter-finals of the US Open juniors in 2006 and 2007.  Her junior ITF ranking peaked at number 11 and she has since moved onto the Women’s Circuit.  We have also witnessed the emergence of more good young players with ties to Auckland – Tanya Samodelok, Paris-based Sebastian Lavie, Cameron Norrie, Alex Klintcharov, Imogen Golder and Monica Chen.

Although there is no guarantee of success at the professional level, the future offers more hope.  With significantly more Auckland players achieving in the junior ranks, the chances of one or more of them succeeding in making the difficult transition from juniors to the pros is greatly increased. 

While there is an intense focus on producing players good enough to win at the top international tournaments, the Auckland Coaching Programme also recognises the importance of fostering the game at the grassroots level.  Tennis competes with a growing number of sporting and recreational activities and must continue to work hard to attract newcomers to the sport.  To achieve this goal, a revamped schools programme was launched in 2000.  As a result, tennis has been introduced to thousands of primary school children, and affiliated junior members have increased by 27.8% over this five year period.

The game is thriving in the Auckland area, and the continued success of Auckland juniors will encourage others to pick up a racquet for the first time.  A pro-active approach at grassroots level will further ensure a constant supply of new talent, which will be identified at club level and encouraged to compete in tournaments.

General Objectives

1. To produce champions, both individuals and teams
2. To cause junior tennis to be ranked a number one sport amongst eligible juniors, their parents and guardians, both in terms of participation levels measured by frequency and longevity and in terms of reputation
3. To cause junior tennis to be played better, defining qualitative terms measured in success at competitions whilst achieving appropriate behaviour and enjoyment levels
4. To maintain communications with coaches, clubs, schools, squad members, parents and guardians of squad members

GENERAL INFORMATION

Programme Manager
Mark Lewis

Coaching Staff
Ranjit Shinde
Jonathan Frankle
Brad Paterson
James Greenhalgh (RPC Boys/Girls Coach)

Administration
Mellany Mann

Venues
Scarbro Tennis Centre is the operational base for the Auckland Junior Coaching Programme.  Access to indoor and outdoor courts is subject to a contractual agreement between Auckland Tennis Inc. and the Mark Lewis.
The Manukau Tennis Centre is an additional venue used for coaching as part of the programme.

Duration of Coaching Terms
The Auckland Junior Coaching Programme is linked closely to the four school terms.  The first term starts in February and each term usually runs for nine weeks.  Any additional coaching weeks is at the discretion of the Programme Manager.

Eligibility for Squad Coaching
All players are evaluated by Mark Lewis or one of the appointed squad coaches.  Placement in squads is subject to  suitable places being available at the time of enquiry.  A final decision on the acceptance of players into the programme is made by Mark Lewis.  The emphasis is placed on the quality of players in the programme rather than the quantity.  Fewer players are expected to play more tennis during the week instead of more players receiving less coaching on a weekly basis.  Once accepted into Auckland squads, coaches monitor the attitude, results and tournament participation of each squad member.

Invoicing
Auckland Tennis Inc. is exclusively responsible for the invoicing of squad members.  Coaching fees are to be paid by the date on the invoice.  If fees have not been paid two weeks after due date, the squad member will be notified by Auckland Tennis Inc. and given one more week to make payment.  If coaching fees remain unpaid when this period expires, the player will be withdrawn from squads until payment is made in full.

Squad fees
The base fee for nine 1 1/2 hour afternoon group lessons at Vodafone Tennis Park and the Manukau Tennis Centre is currently $168.75 plus GST.  This base fee for nine 1 hour afternoon group lessons with the Mark Lewis is currently $135.00 plus GST.

Player Funding
The Auckland Tennis Inc. Junior Coaching Programme is on a user-pays basis.  Some individual lessons are partially subsidised through the Top Ten Club which is sponsored by the Shell Beach Road Service Station.

Players from Other Associations
Players from other Associations will be accepted into Auckland squads but will be required to pay a $50.00 (plus GST) fee per annum.  This will be additional to the normal coaching costs.

Talent Identificiation
For young players seeking entry into the programme, but who haven’t played a tournament (7-10 year olds), Mark Lewis will conduct an on court evaluation.  The criteria used are as follows:

1. Athletic ability
2. Coordination
3. Age
4. Number of years played
5. Technique

Players are normally referred to the programme by Auckland’s club coaches or by parents.  The schools programme is also used as a method of identifying talent.  Children identified as having obvious athletic ability are advised to contact their local tennis club to learn the fundamental skills.  We encourage all schools, parents and club coaches to contact the Auckland Tennis Junior Office if you would like a child evaluated by Mark Lewis.

Development Programme Policy for Squad Members
In regard to Player Development Policy, all squad members should be aware of the following terms and conditions:

1. Any player withdrawing after the programme commences, unless for medical reasons, will still be required to pay in full.  Should a player suffer an injury or an illness, a refund will only be paid if three consecutive weeks of squad training are missed.
2. In the event of inclement weather, squad training will still be held unless notified by your coach.
3. Should you have any queries or should you require further information please contact Auckland Junior Tennis at the following numbers:
   - Players designated to Scarbro Tennis Centre contact Mark Lewis on 528 3925
   - Players designated to Manukau Tennis Centre contact Jono Frankle on 274 4577
4. Please feel free to speak to your child’s coach in regard to your child’s progress throughout the term.
5. Given Auckland’s weather, training on wet or damp courts from time to time is unavoidable.  Parents and players please take note that, as a result, in poor weather conditions squad coaching is often held on wet courts.  Therefore, we would like to advise you that participation in the programme will be viewed as agreement with the wet weather policy, and, accordingly, we accept no liability for any injury that may occur duirng squad coaching.
6. Coaching fees are to be paid by the due date shown on your invoice.  If fees have not been paid two weeks after due date, you will be notified by Auckland Tennis and given one more week to make your payment.  If coaching fees remain unpaid when this period expires, the player will be withdrawn from squads until payment is made in full.

Former Coaching Staff
Chris Lewis
Carl Limberger
Julia Sim
Andrew Batie
Richard Barry
John McMahon
Claudine Limberger
John Dutton
Andrew Rogers
Alastair Hunt
Mike Zorocich
David Lewis
Peter Blow
Kevin Burgess
Andrew Pegg

Player Alumni
Simon Rea – National Junior and Senior Champion & Davis Cup
Dan Willman – Davis Cup
Shelley Stephens – National Champion & Fed Cup
Niki Tippens – Fed Cup
Ilke Gers – Fed Cup
Tracey O’Connor – Fed Cup
Jacob Olsen – National Junior Champion
GD Jones – National Junior Champion & Davis Cup
Kiril Tcherveniachki – NZ Junior Rep
William Ward – NZ Junior Rep & Davis Cup
Rubin Statham – NZ Junior Rep & Davis Cup
James Pilbro – NZ Junior Rep
Rade Radinovich – National Age Group Champion & NZ Rep
Andrew Allan – NZ Junior Rep & National Junior Champion
Marina Erakovic – National Junior Champion & Fed Cup
Shona Lee – National Age Group Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Jo Carswell – NZ Junior Rep
Sacha Jones – National Junior Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Kairangi Vano – National Age Group Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Brittany Teei – National Age Group Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Martin Colenbrander – National Age Group Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Adam Siddall – National Age Group Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Sean Berman – National Age Group Champion & NZ Junior Rep
Oliver Statham – NZ Davis Cup Team
Tanya Samodelok – National Age Group Champion, ITF Winner
Cameron Norrie – National Age Group Champion
Imogen Golder – National Age Group Champion
Abigail Guthrie – National Age Group Champion
Monica Chen – National Age Group Champion
Alex Klintcharov – National Age Group Champion
Claudia Williams – National Age Group Champion
Adam Lee – National Age Group Champion
Jamie Eccleton – National Age Group Champion
Sebastian Lavie – Top 50 ITF Ranking
Jordan Cox – Junior Wimbledon Finalist