The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) wrapped up a week-long training camp yesterday at the National Tennis Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.
The camp was held for the junior players in the program and was led by representatives from the International Tennis Federation (ITF). The sessions focused on technical work, and was just one of the things the BLTA plans to do to raise the level of the sport in the country.
"We are trying to show people that we are trying to take this sport to another level," said BLTA President Elwood Donaldson. "One of the reasons the ITF came and put on the camp was because they realized the potential of the Bahamian kids. The juniors are very talented in the game of tennis."
One of the main issues juniors face when it's time to advance to the next level is the expense involved with the sport. Donaldson admits that tennis can get pricey, and a lot of parents aren't in a position to keep up with the players' growing needs.
"Once you reach a certain age, the sport does require a lot of financing," he said. "You have to do a lot of traveling to play in the tournaments outside of The Bahamas, which parents can't afford and the association is not really in a position to help.
"We are trying to raise the level to get these kids to become better competitors, and also appeal to corporate Bahamas, because we need assistance."
Traveling is important when it comes to tennis, because it's important to measure yourself against opponents you are unfamiliar with. If a player only plays against players he knows, that can give him a false sense of where his or her skill level really is.
"If you see a player like Mark Knowles, who was one of the top doubles players in the world at his time. He had a lot invested in him and his career on the way up," said Elwood. "We are trying to express that we need funding if we want to produce more than one Mark Knowles. The ITF is interested in what we have going on here, they went to the Ministry of Sports and some of the other persons in government to talk about a new tennis facility, so things are going on."
The BLTA will remain busy as they host an ITF junior tournament entitled "Goombay Splash" at the end of November. Elwood expects over 100 juniors from outside of the country to come down for the event.

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