Mr. John Goede, International Tennis Federation(ITF) Development Officer for the Caribbean had a very fruitful visit to The Bahamas recently. His visit encompassed not only New Providence but also Grand Bahama. Mr. Goede met with the Grand Bahama Tennis Association (GBTA). The focus was on the development of tennis and growth prospects with an emphasis on school tennis clinics and advanced juniors clinic. Grand Bahama has always produced really good tennis talent and in order to continue this trend, development at the school and junior level is key.
Natishka Barrett, the president of GBTA is excited about Mr Goede’s presence. In an interview she stated that “John’s visit to Grand Bahama has been a very beneficial one in that we were able to capitalise from his 35 years of tennis experience and his passion for the game. His ability to give articulate strategies for taking Tennis to a whole new level not only speaks to encouraging a change in the mindset towards Tennis but also takes into consideration various activities for enhancing performance and participation in the game. The GBTA has certainly learned a lot from him in such a short space of time and we certainly hope that we can implement his ideas timely and effectively. We are looking forward to his next visit to Grand Bahama”
During his stay in Nassau, John held two (2) tennis fitness clinic for the junior tennis athletes in Nassau. The emphasis was on fitness testing of performance players. Fitness is a very important element to the game of tennis and the level of fitness determines the level of play. Mr Goede continues to be a great help to The Bahamas and his insight into the game of tennis adds extreme value for The Bahamas Lawn and Tennis Association (BLTA) and the junior tennis athletes.
The BLTA thanks Mr Goede for his visit to our shores as we realize that the development of tennis talent is key to the future growth of the sport in The Bahamas. With this recent assignment by John the awareness of tennis has increased along with the developmental ideas and strategy. With his wealth of experience and knowledge, John is an invaluable asset to the BLTA and to the Tennis World at large.
Original Post Date: 09/06/2016
