TENNIS MEMBERS

COVID-19 Coronavirus Update. Please read the whole document as there is important information about your health and safety.

Restricted Club Re-Opening This Weekend on Saturday 16^th May, 2020 from 8.30am.

Following the Prime Minister’s statement on Sunday 10 May and guidance from the LTA, we are pleased to announce that we will be re-opening the Tennis Club this weekend on Saturday 16^th May, 2020 from 8.30am but on a restricted basis AND subject to strict social distancing and hygiene practices being employed and at your own risk.

RESTRICTED PLAY AS FOLLOWS:

• ALL 5 COURTS ARE OPEN BUT COURTS MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE
• SINGLES PLAY – ALLOWED. MAXIMUM 2 PEOPLE PER COURT
• DOUBLES  – ONLY ALLOWED WHERE PLAYERS ARE ALL FROM SAME HOUSEHOLD
• ONE-TO-ONE COACHING ALLOWED
• COURT BOOKINGS WILL BE RESTRICTED TO TWO HOURS PER DAY PER PERSON
• VACATE COURT AT LEAST 10 MINUTES EARLY TO AVOID CROSS OVER WITH NEXT BOOKING

For clarity, the following will still remain closed:

• Clubroom and Summer House.
• Social tennis which normally takes place on Tuesday and Thursday morning, Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon.
• The fact that the Clubroom is closed will mean the lights for Courts 1 and 2 will not be in operation but the lights for courts 4 and 5 can be used.
• No toilet facilities will be available as the Church remains closed.

Getting the Courts Ready for Re-Opening and Minimising Risk of Contamination

The courts have been prepared and made ready for re-opening and to minimise the risk of potential contamination as follows:

• Courts cleaned and swept.
• Locks, Handles, Sanitizer Benches and Light Switches – cleaned and disinfected.
• Nets made ready to the appropriate heights. Wind Handles removed to avoid use and contamination.
• Access to all Courts now only via the general gate leading to Court 3. There is No Access via the single gate entrances which are now locked.
• Hand Sanitizers, Disposable Gloves (arriving later next week), Disinfectant and Wipes have been provided on a bench as you enter the area between court 2 and 3 and a bench for the sanitizer by the double gate entrance to courts 4 and 5.
• Benches have been removed from inside the courts to avoid use and contamination.
• Communal Benches in between courts 2 and 3 are to be out of use.
• Leaf Drags have been removed to avoid use and contamination.
• Directional Signs and COVID-19 Guidance Signs have been put up.
• Grass mowed (to make the place look tidy and enjoyable!).

In Case of Emergency

• The First Aid Box and First Aid Book have been placed in the Summerhouse and ice pack in the freezer section of the fridge.
• The Defibrillator has also been moved to the Summerhouse.
• For Emergency Use Only, the Summerhouse Code is 6102.

Access and Security

• Please enter the Tennis Club via the car park and NOT the wooden side gate on Brockley Grove to avoid chance of contamination.
• Access to the tennis courts will be via the general gate leading to court 3 (along the corridor near the steps). First person using the courts will need to open the general gate (usual code on lock) and then keep it open. The double gates to the tennis courts will be and should remain open. We request that if you are the last person playing in the evening that you close and lock the general gate shut as you leave. If you are the first or the last person, please sanitize your hands after opening or closing the general gate.

Reduced Court Availability

• To ensure everyone gets a chance to play, court booking will be restricted to Two Hours per day per person. This also means you cannot play again the same day under another booking by someone else.
• Courts will need to be vacated at least 10 minutes early to avoid cross over with next booking.
• Best times to play:

o   Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 1.00pm for adults and coaching

o   Monday to Friday 1.00pm to 7.00pm for juniors, adults and coaching

o   Monday to Friday 7.00pm too 10.00pm for adults and coaching

o   Saturday 8.30am to 4.00pm for adults and coaching

o   Saturday 4.00pm to 10.00pm for  juniors, adults and coaching

o   Sunday 1.00pm to 5.00pm for Juniors, adults and coaching

 

Introduction of a Singles Box League

We will run a singles box league open to all members to include men and ladies, coaching category and cadets. This will be played over a 6 week period. Details on the box league will be sent out shortly.

Preventative Measures

To prevent the spread of the virus, we ask all members to observe the following practices for the time being:

• Do not play tennis if you are showing symptoms, including a persistent cough or a fever that means you might be carrying the virus.
• Anyone who has been advised to self-isolate as a result of developing symptoms should clearly not, therefore, take part in tennis activities for the duration of the self-isolation period.
• Only handle your own racket.
• We recommend that you bring your own balls which are clearly marked but we are making balls available next to Sanitizer station on court 2 which you can take away and keep. Do NOT put them back in the box. We also recommend that you bring your own marker to mark the balls but there is a marker available (tied to the sanitizer bench). Please wipe the marker clean after use.
• Avoid chasing the ball down to another court if other players are using it.
• Avoid using your hands to pick up tennis balls that aren’t yours – use your racquet/foot to hit/kick them to your opponent or return them to another court.
• Avoid changing ends or change at opposite sides of the net.
• Maintain social distancing of 2 metres from other people at ALL times.
• No Spectators. Only one parent per child permitted to observe.
• No person to person physical contact.
• Do not touch or adjust the nets. Net wind handles have been removed to avoid chance of contamination.
• Avoid congregating in groups in the Club grounds before or after playing.
• No extra-curricular or social activity should take place.
• Avoid close proximity when resting or giving feedback.
• No shaking of hands before or after play, just touch rackets.
• Try to avoid touching your face.
• We request that you bring your own hand sanitizer with you and that you sanitize your hands and equipment before and after play. Hand sanitizer will be provided just in case you forget to bring your own.
• Clean and wipe down gate handles and locks and other surfaces touched BEFORE and AFTER use.
• We recommend that you bring your own disposable gloves. Disposable gloves will be provided if needed but please take home after use and discard safely. These have been ordered and we expect them to arrive sometime next week.
• One-to-one Coaching – there are additional preventative measures and guidance which will be provided by the Coaches.

In addition to the above, the main touch points will be cleaned and sanitized every Friday and Tuesday.

LTA Guidance for Tennis Players

Please take time to read the ‘Guidance for Tennis Players’ provided by the LTA (attached). It can also be found here https://www.lta.org.uk/about-us/tennis-news/news-and-opinion/general-news/2020/march/coronavirus-covid-19—latest-advice/.

The Tennis Committee have undertaken a risk assessment and put together the measures above to ensure that members and volunteers are protected. These measures will be continuously reviewed and we will undertake spot-checks to ensure compliance.

We request that all of our members play their part in minimising the risks to themselves and others whilst enjoying playing tennis and keeping the club an enjoyable place to play.

Should the playing rules and preventative measure not be followed, or should the guidance from the Government and the LTA change, we will revert to closing the club again.

Please do contact Welfare Officer, Matt Dyson on 07834 789164 or mattjdyson@gmail.com or Chris Rastin cm.rastin@btinternet.com as Health and Safety Officer or Nigel Malcolm nigel.malcolm@btinternet.com as Compliance Officer or a Committee Member ASAP if you become aware of any cases involving members or visitors.

You may continue to play tennis if you have yet to renew your membership. However, should you play, please ensure that you renew your membership by the end of this month.

Take care and enjoy playing tennis safely as per the restricted guidelines.

Thank you for your support

 

Ian Gunn (Chairman) & Jitendra Valera (Club Secretary)

LTA Guidelines