TENNIS: YOUNGSTERS throughout Mid Cheshire are being given the chance to brush up on their tennis skills as part of training sessions held in Northwich and run by an expert in the game.

The squad sessions are held at Sir John Deane's College and the budding players are being given a double incentive - either of winning a place in a tennis team for the Cheshire Youth Games or just to improve their skills.

Most of the children involved are already members of tennis clubs and some have even been competing in their senior teams at club level.

They are being coached by John Walsh, 35, a Lawn Tennis Association coach from Sandiway who says the kids can get a lot out of the training.

He said: 'The squads were first started about five years ago to help select players for the Cheshire Youth Games and it has carried on from there. The children mainly come from three clubs, Hartford, Cuddington and Acton Bridge.

'There are 50 children on our books at the moment and we have kids aged from eight through to 16 coming along. There is a team for nine to 10-year-olds and a team of 11 to 13-year-olds that can be picked to go into the Cheshire Youth Games. The rest are all improving on their practical side as well as technique and learn how to play doubles as well as singles.'

The sessions also seem to be having a positive impact on club membership in Mid Cheshire. Bosses at Hartford Tennis Club, the largest in the area, say they have seen the number of junior members increase dramatically. But Walsh says this is more to do with the improved facilities locally rather than any form of tennis - or Henmania.

He added: 'When I first got involved at Hartford Tennis Club there were about 28 junior members and now there are between 150 and 170.

'It is important to provide a decent place for them to go and people who have joined have told their friends about it. The local clubs are also providing better facilities now as opposed to when I was a junior when you could never get on the court because of the seniors. But now there are allocated times for the juniors on the courts so they can get their practice in.' To find out more about the junior clubs, call John Walsh on 0780 1822 855.