Wimbledon of the North
The tennis greats who graced The Northern’s courts in the past – ‘Little Mo’ Connolly, John McEnroe, Pete Sampras – would be impressed by the scale of tennis activity and opportunity available at the club today.
Our social tennis sessions, leagues and club tournaments are perfect for new and experienced players to enjoy regular matches, improve their game and meet new people.
Our teams enjoy a successful track record at local, regional and national level and we’re always on the lookout for new team members with the motivation to bring home the trophies!
We offer courses and one-to-one coaching for all ages and abilities, delivered on our world-class courts. We have 9 grass tennis courts, 3 American Clay, 6 Tiger Turf (all floodlit) and 3 indoor courts. Off the court, there’s a thriving social tennis scene where long-lasting friendships are forged.
Interested in our tennis facilities? Speak to our team today Contact Us
Junior Coaching
The junior coaching programme is one of the largest in Manchester with more than 200 children taking part in regular lessons.
The Coaching Programme is run over 44 weeks of the year. There are a total of 8 week breaks which include the following dates:
- January 1st – 6th (1 Week)
- February 18th – 24th (1 Week)
- April 15th – 21st (1 Week)
- June 10th – 16th (1 Week)
- August 19th – September 1st (2 Weeks)
- October 28th – November 3rd (1 Week)
- December 23rd (End of 2019 Programme) (1 Week)
- Return 2020 Program January 6th
The programme is costed on 40 weeks of coaching instead of the 44 weeks that we run the programme. This allows you to get a cheaper rate per lesson if you attend all the sessions. If you miss a session due to weather or personal obligations you are able to make these sessions up on different days up to and not exceeding 44 times. When making up missed classes please contact your coach to confirm there is space.
You must provide at least a months notice before cancelling your payment. Any cancellation that is made will not allow you to make up missed sessions after that date even if you rejoin later in the year.
Tots Tennis
Tots Tennis is a play and coaching programme for 2-4 year-olds, taught by The Club’s qualified coaches. Using mini tennis equipment, youngsters can have fun whilst improving coordination and agility and developing vital social skills.
Our main junior programme is arranged in 4 tiers and within each tier all players work together no improve their standard. The structure provides a natural progression from each level to the next and incorporates the LTA mini tennis scheme.
To book on our Juniors course click here
The Performance programme for gifted young players is by invitation only.
To see our coaching pathway click here
STRENGTH & CONDITIONING
It is important to keep young and growing players on track in terms of their long-term athletic development. Regular strength and conditioning sessions were launched by our specialist coach in 2015 to improve stamina and fitness in young players.
Tennis LEADERS COURSE
We regularly run the Tennis Leaders Award, an LTA programme designed to help develop the next generation of coaches, tournament organisers, club managers and tournament officials. It is for young people aged 14 and over and can be delivered in either a school or club.
For information about the next Tennis Leaders course contact us on 0161 445 3093
Adult Coaching
The Northern offers a progressive adult coaching programme which is broken into 3 tiers:
STARTER > CLUB > TEAM
with opportunities at each stage to play with like minded players.
To book your place please click on the following link
XPRESS
Tennis Xpress is a 6-week course aimed at beginners or players returning to the game who want to refresh their skills
Tournaments
The Manchester Trophy
The Manchester Trophy, an $100,000 ITF pre-Wimbledon women’s event, brings elite international players to play on The Northern’s grass courts. The 2019 Manchester Trophy will be staged from 10 to 16th June.
A busy timetable of Club closed tournaments begins with Captains’ Day, which marks the start of the summer tennis season and coincides with the Wimbledon Ticket Ballot, through to the Memorial Tournament, the final event of the summer.
The annual Closed Club Championship is a prestigious event, with the winners’ names celebrated on the Club Honours boards.
The Coaching Team
Jonny Kinsella – Director of Tennis
Jonny is a fully qualified and licensed LTA Senior Performance Coach. He has over ten years of coaching experience and has worked with some of the top coaches in the world. This includes ‘Bob Butterfield,’ former coach to Mary Pearce and Peter McNamara, and ‘Laurie Warder,’ former Australian Open Doubles Champion.
After graduating from Arizona State University in 2006 on a tennis scholarship he competed professionally for two years. Career highlights included winning a Futures event in Tokyo and world ranking in singles of 847 and doubles of 660. After his professional career he broadened his education as a postgraduate at Loughborough University where he graduated with an MSc in Sport Management.
Currently he coaches players of all standards at the club and is working with some of the top junior players in Britian.
In addition to his responsibilities to the Northern he is also the Head Coach of the British Army Men’s Tennis Team and has completed his first qualification as CMAE MDP1.
Cost: £35
Contact Details: 07872969730
Email: tennisdirector@thenorthern.co.uk
Andy Watt – Head of Performance
Head Performance coach Andy Watt joined The Northern in 2015.
He is a former junior county/national player spending a number of years playing in Madrid, Spain at a semi pro level, before moving into coaching at the age of 21.Andy is a Level 5 LTA Master Performance Coach with more than 20 years coaching experience, working with players from county,national and international level.
Prior to the Northern Andy has coached some of the best juniors in Britain at Bolton Arena and VA Middleton. Andy has been involved with the Lancashire County LTA for many years with the Boys U18/U14 teams and is currently the Boys Under 14 county Captain. In addition to his coaching qualifications, In 2015 he gained a Bachelor Of Science Degree with Distinction from the University of Northumbria in Professional Practice in Tennis Coaching Management. Andy has gained extensive knowledge of the game over the years in coaching and is happy to advise and improve all players at every level.
Mobile – 07825516974
Email – andywatttennis@gmail.com
Coaching Fee –
Junior – £35.00 per hour
Adult – £37.00 per hour
Lucy Fletcher – Head of Strength and Conditioning
Lucy is a former world ranked professional tennis player and former top 5 ranked junior in UK. She has 10 years’ experience in tennis coaching and in the fitness industry. Lucy holds a BSc in Applied Sports Science with 1stClass Honours and a Masters in Strength & Conditioning with Distinction.
Lucy has been a tennis coach and headed the Strength & Conditioning program which is an essential part of player development at the Northern, since 2013. Lucy has experience working with junior and adult players and has worked with players at all levels including club, county, national and international level. Lucy works with players both on and off court to develop their technical and tactical game as well as preparing players physically to improve their on-court performance and to reduce injury risk.
Her background as a former professional player enables Lucy to bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Northern. She understands the physical demands required to play at a high level and creates a training environment in all sessions which nurtures the person, performer and the tennis player.
Mobile: 07891772666
Hourly rate: £30
Email: lucyfletcher1@outlook.com
David Drain – Head of Mini Tennis
David Drain has over 20 years professional experience in the tennis industry as a level 4 club coach. Along with his various successful roles as Head Coach he has been able to work alongside national coaches and players during his time at Cheadle and Bolton.
David’s unique approach provides the traction necessary to hit the ground running whether you are a complete beginner or looking to advance your style of play. He uses multiple tennis techniques to build confidence that enable players to unlock their full tennis potential.
His experience with the Davis Cup Legacy Project, The Cliff Richard Tennis Foundation and LTA Tennis For Kids Campaign makes him a valuable member of the Northern Team and a massive advocate for tennis for all.
Cost: £30
Contact Details: 07821845630
Email: david.drain@sky.com
Emil Haye
Emil has been a member of the Northern since 1972 and a life member since 1982.
He currently holds an ITF World Ranking in the 55 and over age group and has been a
Cheshire County player for over 20 years. Emil is a Level 4 tennis coach with 20 years of experience with both juniors and adults. He has been a valued member of the Northern Team and has captained the first teams to success nationally in Team Tennis.
Cost £30
Contact Details: 07799412571
Email:
Mark (Chi) Chiarotti
Has been coaching at the northern for 20 years and a level 4 performance. One of the top players at over 45’s in Lancashire. Currently coaching Manchester Grammar School for 3 years. He has coached at over 50 schools in Manchester and can coach players of all levels from beginners to performance and from juniors to adults. Still competes regularly for club and is a big supporter of participation for all in tennis.
Cost: £30
Contact Details: 07976237410
Email: Markchiarotti@gmail.com
ZENNIZ
We have installed Zenniz – the new ITF approved game tracking solution that provides automated line calling with real-time information on stroke and serve speeds, shot charts, match statistics and more.
Players and coaches at all levels can use Zenniz on and off the court to help improve their game. Check out the video for more information
Club Welfare Officer
Susan Keaney
Mobile – 07510159290
Email – keaneysusan@yahoo.co.uk
keep in touch
Social Tennis
Tuesday night Club Night, together with a range of daytime social sessions, is free to all full members – a great way to meet and play with members of similar ability.
LEAGUES & TEAMS
We field more than 10 teams in local, regional and national leagues and the Club has a successful track record at all levels.
Summer League matches generally start around April. We have a clear time-line of events including captains’ meetings, selections and practices which usually take place in February and March. Regular team practice is organised by the captains.
If you interested in playing team tennis please contact Jonny Kinsella via tennisdirector@thenorthern.co.uk.