Collieson On Tennis, Gender Balance & More
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Bermudian coach James Collieson has served a rallying call for action as he looks to address the “gender imbalance” in local tennis.
Collieson started his autumn coaching sessions as part of his Vantage Point Tennis Progamme at the Hamilton Princess Beach Club last week and wants to attract more girls’ players.
The former Bermuda Davis Cup player offers bespoke coaching for small groups of players, which he splits into three categories: Futures aged 4 to 6 and 7 to 10, Challengers aged 10 to 12, and Tour aged 13 and above.
“I’m trying to push girls’ tennis,” Collieson told Bernews. “Historically, boys’ tournaments in Bermuda are pretty full, whereas there have always been age groups where only one girl has entered.
“You need to attract players at a young age. I’m experimenting with that,” he said. “Seventy-five per cent of my lessons have been with boys.”
Collieson, who has been coaching for more than 20 years, said there are plenty of opportunities for female players to further their education through tennis scholarships at universities in the United States.
“”Most people don’t that of the 4,000 university tennis scholarships in the US, a percentage of the women’s go unused,” Collieson said.
“You don’t have to be a world-class player [to secure a scholarship], you just have to have played at a competent level.”
To make lessons more affordable, Collieson focuses on coaching players in small groups rather than one-on-one.
“I used to do a lot of individual lessons, but I want to go more to small groups,” said Collieson, who achieved the International Tennis Association Certified Performance Specialist designation in 2018.
“One-on-one lessons are expensive. I’m trying to keep the groups small and cheaper so kids can come out two or three times a week. Repetition is important.
“It’s important for kids to compete before they think they’re ready to compete. Sometimes, kids think they need to have all their skills in place before they play against someone else.”
With Bermuda earning promotion from Davis Cup Americas group four after defeating Cuba in the promotion play-off in Tacarigua, Trinidad & Tobago, last month, Collieson believes there are encouraging signs within the local game.
“Trey Mallory is playing at a good level in the US [with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington] and has big aspirations. He’s making all of the right moves,” he added.
“Daniel Phillips has played some lower-level ITF tennis and done very well.
“We have some excellent kids. It’s great for kids to be active, but it’s important to whittle down [the number of sports you play] when you get to 12 or 13 rather than be a jack of all trades.”
For more details, e-mail Collieson at vantagepoint.performance1@gmail.com.
