9 April 2018

Dorchester's home of tennis

Cameron Spence

Since the Autumn of 2015, Cameron Spence has been battling away in his most local tennis leagues. Having studied at University in Manchester, the 30 year old has played in both our local Manchester and Dorchester tennis leagues. 

'I moved to Dorchester for work. There were 6 leagues when I played in Manchester, compared to two leagues here currently. Because of the number of people, the opponents in leagues in Manchester were slightly better matched, but this hasn’t been a big problem. It seems that the Dorchester league is growing in popularity now.'

Being the newbie in town meant that Cameron was in need of some help in finding players to play;

'I’ve been playing in the leagues since Autumn 2015. I had a few lessons as a child but wasn’t that enthusiastic. 5 years ago I suddenly became a lot more interested in tennis and started playing with my wife and one or two friends. I was really keen to meet new people to play with, but couldn’t afford to join a club. LTL has been just the thing I’d been looking for all this time!'

Joining our Dorchester league might have made geographic sense, but the town is also a growing tennis hub, with the option to play both inside and out, and with new court refurbishments ongoing, local players really can make the most of the leagues;

'Most of us use the courts in Borough Gardens. You can get a key fob from the council for £25 per household per year. There’s three out of four courts currently in use (with ongoing refurbishment nearly complete) (http://www.dorchester-tc.gov.uk/Services/Sporting+facilities/Tennis). When it’s raining/dark/icy etc., we play at Wey Valley School (indoor courts) for £6 per hour.'

As Cameron explains, Local Tennis Leagues has found a great home in Dorchester.

'I used to play a lot of rugby and football. Now I work all sorts of hours at the hospital, so it’s difficult to commit to regular training and fixtures in team sports. Being able to play an individual sport at times that suit me (around my crazy rotas) is a real positive for my lifestyle.'

And whilst Cameron admits he hasn't won all of his matches, the vast majority have been very close.

'I lose most of my matches! I’m quite happy with that as I find I'm learning a lot more by playing against people who are better than me. They’re always very helpful and offer me pointers to help me keep developing. Usually they’ll just keep trading nice shots until I make the first mistake, most people quite enjoy rallying. I’m getting better all the time.

I’ve enjoyed every single one of my matches, the sunny days make for the best memories. I’ve made one or two friends from the league too, so we play friendly matches when the league isn’t on, and have had a few group lessons together too.'

So, does Cameron have any advice for other Dorchestonians!?

'If you’re thinking about it, go for it! I have absolutely loved all of it, I’ve met lots of nice and interesting people, I've now got a big list of people to contact when I fancy a friendly game on a sunny weekend, I’ve made a few good friends, and have got so much better at tennis as a result. Thank you Local Tennis Leagues.'

You can sign up to the Dorchester tennis league here!