My Passion - Harry Cummine
Harry Cummine is Operations Director of insurance prospect data firm, The Trading Floor.
Even though I only picked up a tennis racket for the first time six years ago, the sport has quickly become a huge passion of mine that I now play several times a week.
My 20 year old daughter has played the game to a high standard since she was five. We have always supported her and she now plays in the first team at Loughborough University. It was on a family holiday that she challenged me to a game and taught me to play and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I am now a member at Thongsbridge Tennis Club near Holmfirth where I play at least three times a week, all year round, as well as regularly competing at mixed doubles in weekly box league competitions. The sport keeps me extremely fit and active and I find it a great way to relax.
There’s also a great social side to the sport and I have made some very good friends since I started playing. We even holiday two or three times a year at the famous La Manga Sports and Leisure Resort which has an internationally renowned Tennis Centre with 28 floodlit courts so you can play day or night.
The club has playe d host to a wide range of prestigious events as the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, as well as numerous ATP tournaments. It is now the official winter training base of Britain's Lawn Tennis Association and the official training centre of the Bavarian Tennis Federation. For any tennis fan, it’s great to be able to follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest players and play on these courts against people from all over the w orld.
Even though Mrs Cummine doesn’t play I am lucky that she is a huge fan of the game and a keen spectator so when I’m not playing we will regularly be watching tournaments on television. Tennis is home to some of the world’s biggest sporting giants with the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who are both stunning to watch, highly skilful athletes and most importantly, they are great winners.
Although it’s been a while since UK tennis has won any major events in recent years we still have some great ambassadors of the game and the future looks very encouraging. Tim Henman always plays with huge amounts of determination and will always keep fighting whilst remaining controlled and composed. He’s a great role model for young people watching how sports people act and behave.
In addition to this Andy Murray is making a big impact on the world stage and all the signs suggest that he has a promising career ahead. Again he seems to have his feet on the ground and has a supportive family that will help to nurture his talent.
The future of UK tennis now looks exciting as the Lawn Tennis Association is investing heavily in sponsoring coaching programmes for children at tennis clubs throughout the country. At Thongsbridge Tennis Club for example children as young as three years old are already being coached.
When talents are identified as early as this it should lay the foundations for a promising future and help to lift UK tennis back into the world’s spotlight. If only I’d have realised 30 years ago what a great game it is, maybe things could have been very different!!
(Yorkshire Business Post - May 2007)
Even though I only picked up a tennis racket for the first time six years ago, the sport has quickly become a huge passion of mine that I now play several times a week.
My 20 year old daughter has played the game to a high standard since she was five. We have always supported her and she now plays in the first team at Loughborough University. It was on a family holiday that she challenged me to a game and taught me to play and I’ve been hooked ever since.
I am now a member at Thongsbridge Tennis Club near Holmfirth where I play at least three times a week, all year round, as well as regularly competing at mixed doubles in weekly box league competitions. The sport keeps me extremely fit and active and I find it a great way to relax.
There’s also a great social side to the sport and I have made some very good friends since I started playing. We even holiday two or three times a year at the famous La Manga Sports and Leisure Resort which has an internationally renowned Tennis Centre with 28 floodlit courts so you can play day or night.
The club has playe d host to a wide range of prestigious events as the Davis Cup and the Fed Cup, as well as numerous ATP tournaments. It is now the official winter training base of Britain's Lawn Tennis Association and the official training centre of the Bavarian Tennis Federation. For any tennis fan, it’s great to be able to follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s greatest players and play on these courts against people from all over the w orld.
Even though Mrs Cummine doesn’t play I am lucky that she is a huge fan of the game and a keen spectator so when I’m not playing we will regularly be watching tournaments on television. Tennis is home to some of the world’s biggest sporting giants with the likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal who are both stunning to watch, highly skilful athletes and most importantly, they are great winners.
Although it’s been a while since UK tennis has won any major events in recent years we still have some great ambassadors of the game and the future looks very encouraging. Tim Henman always plays with huge amounts of determination and will always keep fighting whilst remaining controlled and composed. He’s a great role model for young people watching how sports people act and behave.
In addition to this Andy Murray is making a big impact on the world stage and all the signs suggest that he has a promising career ahead. Again he seems to have his feet on the ground and has a supportive family that will help to nurture his talent.
The future of UK tennis now looks exciting as the Lawn Tennis Association is investing heavily in sponsoring coaching programmes for children at tennis clubs throughout the country. At Thongsbridge Tennis Club for example children as young as three years old are already being coached.
When talents are identified as early as this it should lay the foundations for a promising future and help to lift UK tennis back into the world’s spotlight. If only I’d have realised 30 years ago what a great game it is, maybe things could have been very different!!
(Yorkshire Business Post - May 2007)
