Sarah Suckling of Advantage School of Tennis believes sport at any age not only keeps you fit, it also helps you develop crucial
life skills.
Sarah Suckling
Advantage School of Tennis
www.advantageschooloftennis.com TURF CITY 200 Turf Club Road, #01-63 Turf City. Tel: 6466 2643
Email: turfcity@advantageschooloftennis.com
EAST COAST 902 East Coast Parkway, Block B #02-08 Playground@BigSplash. Tel: 6346 1247, Email: eastcoast@advantageschooloftennis.com
Business established: 9 years
Niche: Tennis coaching for all ages. While working as a private tennis coach, Sarah was approached by a preschool owner eager to teach her pupils tennis, with the hope of improving hand-eye coordination and subsequently handwriting skills, while also instilling a love for tennis in her students. This inspired Sarah to start the Advantage School of Tennis (AST). Singapore's temperamental tropical weather initially posed a problem for her students, affecting their outdoor training. So Sarah decided to build a mini indoor tennis court, which became an instant hit with kids and adults who could now practise tennis at any time.
TF: Best thing about your job?
SS: AST Tots Tennis lessons allow young students to gain confidence, maintain their interest and improve their tennis skills. I recently watched the Tanglin Trust team play in Bangkok and seeing how much they had improved was a big reward.
TF: Is tennis a sport best learned in childhood?
SS: You can pick up a racquet and learn tennis quickly at any point of your life, such is the nature of the sport. In the UK I coached an 80 year-old lady who'd never played tennis before. I certainly admired her enthusiasm!
TF: What other programmes do you offer?
SS: Corporate Tennis is for companies wishing to have a regular evening tennis session taught by a professional coach. We also run corporate days with a professional life coach to enhance team bonding between colleges. Tennis @ Home sends a coach to your house for a private lesson, at your convenience
TF: Any future plans?
SS: I'd love to see an interest in tennis increase amongst the young and old. My next project is to plan more events, so AST students have even more opportunities to practise what they've learnt.
Top 5 tennis tips:
Grip the racquet correctly.
Position your body well.
Hit from low to high.
Move your racquet back before the ball bounces.
Always return to the ready position to be prepared for your next shot.
Posted Jan 2010
