Nearly a year on from the re-introduction of tennis in Tranent... where are we now?
On the 14th of September 2012 Tennis made its first appearance for many years in Tranent with a well attended “Come and Try” Open Day at Forester Park, Lindores Drive. Fast forward not even a year and the sport is now flourishing in the area with over 50 children aged between 5-16 attending the last block of “Tennis Aces”, coached sessions run by East Lothian Tennis Development Officer, Stuart Brown. The sessions started in September 2012 on two old 5-aside football pitches converted in to two tennis courts and over the past 9 months, despite the lack of a real tennis court, tennis has really taken off. Although a club has not officially been formalised the foundations for a new and exciting tennis club in Tranent have been laid and the following 12 months are filled with much promise.
In years gone by tennis in Tranent was situated in Polson Park (off Edinburgh Road) and as many parents of today’s "Tennis Aces" recollected the tennis courts used to be "extremely popular" back in the day. Alas, over time the courts were used less and less, becoming tired, to the point where they for a long time resembled a car park more than tennis courts. Nevertheless, with Tennis being given a huge push in the area and with a real hunger for the sport developing in the local community something had to be done to give the people of Tranent and the surrounding area a place to play tennis. In a good bit of fortune, two unused nets were kindly donated from Port Seton Community Centre at the beginning of July. No sooner had the nets been been picked up from Port Seton were they put up at Polson Park and Tennis was really back in Tranent just as ‘Wimbledon Fever’ and ‘Murray Mania’ hit the country!
The nets will be up all summer and the public are welcome to come down and try tennis at their own convenience free of charge. The “Tennis Aces” programme will continue once the schools have returned from the summer break. With the continued support of East Lothian Council, Enjoy Leisure and Tennis Scotland it is hoped that tennis in Tranent will conitnue to thrive and develop.
With Scotland’s very own Andy Murray (Wimbledon Champion!) at the top of the game there is a real buzz about tennis in Scotland and who knows the next Andy Murray could be waiting to be discovered here in East Lothian.
If you would like to get involved in Tennis in Tranent or anywhere in East Lothian, please contact Stuart Brown, sbrown2@eastlothian.gov.uk
