Talking Tennis with… Kathy Curling, Chair of Avon Tennis
We chat to Kathy Curling, Chair of Avon Tennis, about her lifelong love of the game, and what it means to run a County tennis organisation…
“...All these years later, I still play regularly with my Belfast school tennis partner!...”
Kathy Curling has been Chair of Avon Tennis since 2018. A very well-connected figure in Bristol, she is also Chair of the Royal West of England Academy and has voluntary roles with the University of Bristol and the Bristol Drug Project.
At Avon Tennis her responsibilities include providing leadership, strategy and governance for the county organisation, supporting clubs and coaches, and working with the regions and LTA nationally. Here’s our Q&A…
Tell us about your tennis history…
I’ve been playing tennis since I was ten years old. It was the first sport I played growing up in Belfast, and believe it or not I still play with my school tennis partner Anne, as we both ended up moving to Bristol. She was also my badminton partner and was the right inner to my right wing at hockey!
I’m a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none when it comes to sports. I got half-Blues at Cambridge for badminton and hockey at Cambridge, but tennis has been the longest sporting love of my life (though sadly no Blue for that as I only played for the University second team!) I have been a member at Knowle LTC since I moved to Bristol nearly 50 years ago, where I’ve also served as Chair. I still play regularly at Knowle and Coombe Dingle.
Why do you love tennis?
It’s just a great game because it’s so multi-faceted. It can be competitive or social, professional or recreational, and there needn’t be any barriers to inclusiveness. It’s great for fitness and it’s a sport you can play into late age.
Tennis is for life! Strathearn School tennis team, Belfast c.1969. Kathy (second from right) still plays regularly with Anne (far right). And both still meet up for lunch with Margaret (second from left).
What excites you about what’s happening now in Avon tennis?
The energy, commitment and innovation coming from people across all the age groups, especially in terms of competitions and also inclusiveness – such as the opportunities we actively support for wheelchair tennis, walking tennis and tennis for the visually impaired.
What ambitions do you have for tennis in Avon?
The Covid lockdowns have been a hugely challenging time for tennis generally. Without the usual income from Wimbledon sponsorship, finances have been hit hard at every level. We have a goal for Avon Tennis to become truly financially sustainable, which means ambitious restructuring and improving liaison with the LTA.
We also want to develop coach and club networks, increase the range of competitions and to continue to promote inclusiveness in participation, including for different abilities and ethnicities.
What achievements are you most proud of in your time as Chair?
One of the most important terms of governance was achieving CIO status [a type of charity structure] for Avon Tennis. Otherwise I’m proud of the way we managed to keep clubs, coaches and players connected online during Covid when playing wasn’t possible…And then to support them during re-opening, maintaining the competitions and leagues where possible, and all while running at a loss.
What has tennis taught you that has helped you in other areas of life?
As a player, the value of exercise and staying fit and active. Being involved in running clubs has given me great insights into people management, which has been so important in my work. And it’s also taught me about how to help youngsters develop and make the most of their talents – for example, it’s been great to see some of the young players at Knowle go on to become fantastic coaches.
If people would like to help out in Avon tennis, what should they do next?
It’s really important for clubs to keep their main contact info up to date and to spread County info and news at your club. We also want to hear your priorities for training.
Otherwise, the main thing is…Volunteer!
The more volunteers we have, the more we can do as a county. We particularly need support in finance, running competitions and website updating - but anything you can do to help will be appreciated. Find out more on the Avon Tennis website or email admin@avontennis.org.uk.
We’d love to share more stories from people who love tennis! If you - or someone you know - would like to be featured in a Talking Tennis Q&A, please drop us a line at lizzie@talkingtennis.co.uk
