ABOUT
OUR STORY
Mark Penketh and Pete Mills* founded the Crouch End Tennis Academy (CETA) in 2013 with the ambition to offer something special. Although there are a variety of tennis clubs around the local area, CETA is unique in providing tennis coaching solely for children. CETA offers an environment where ‘kids-can-be-kids’, learning to play and enjoy tennis free from the restraints usually associated with private member’s clubs.
* (Pete stepped back from CETA in Sept 2022 to focus on other projects and we wish him well!)
We are based within the beautiful, secluded grounds of The Hornsey Cricket Club in Crouch End, N8. The adult’s tennis section at the club closed in 2012, which provided the perfect opportunity and location for CETA to open to the community and grow our children’s academy. Since 2013 we have run holiday camps throughout all the school holidays, half terms and even the occasional Christmas camp! As the numbers grew we started running multi-sport camps for the younger ones in the afternoons that are fantastically popular
Really importantly, we bring local primary schools to the courts and run sessions for up to 60 children at a time throughout the summer term. Here we are able to combine tennis coaching and cricket simultaneously – something no other club can offer!
The lock-downs of 2020 & 2021 have shown just how valuable outdoor sport is for children. Tennis was the first sport to be opened-up and, understandably, all fee-paying clubs kept many courts exclusively for their members. CETA was the only place that could offer sport to children, both on the courts and the wide open space of the cricket outfield. The weather was stunning so being able to run accessible, inclusive sessions outdoors just for kids was so important for both them & the parents. The demand was huge and we had all the A-level students on hand to help!
The open space meant we could cater for many children within all the guidelines set by the government and LTA so children could see friends again and play sport. The importance of this cannot be over emphasised, as this parent wrote…
“Hi Mark, Pete and the gang! Thank you for being such a huge part of Oscar’s Lock-down life over the past 18 months and being an all-important part of the puzzle that has kept it all together. I am so happy that you guys have managed to keep going which must have been quite stressful at times but you always show up with smiling faces and a positive attitude which we can hear from our house next to the courts and it makes us very happy. Much love and long may you guys keep providing such fabulous tennis for all the kids.”
Using our contacts with local primary schools, we asked them to get a message to all the Ukrainian families that had children here to get in touch and come to our camps.
This gave the parents valuble time during the holidays to get settled and also helped the children feel welcome which we are delighted to say worked a treat, as this mum emailed to say…
I am so happy that my son got an opportunity to discover British traditional type of sport by doing tennis the whole summer at the summer camp in CETA.
Despite of the lack of his English, as we had recently moved from Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, he felt safe in the environment, had lots of fun, made friends with other kids and improved his skills in tennis as he likes the way how coaches encourage kids to play.
At CETA we know that playing sport as a child not only builds character and confidence but also gives a sense of achievement. It can bring children out of their shell and help prepare them for life, whether working as a team or as an individual within one.
Sport also teaches discipline & respect through competition and helps develop an understanding that the more effort you put in at the start, the greater the enjoyment and reward along the way!
OUR AIM | For children to enjoy tennis in a fun, safe and challenging environment, make new friends and reach their full potential as players and young people
OUR ETHOS | To inspire, enthuse and encourage children into wanting to become better players and take a fabulous life skill with them into adulthood
OUR PHILOSOPHY | Tennis is a fun and exciting sport and should be accessible within the community for all those that want to play. CETA keeps it that way
OUR COACHES
MARK PENKETH
CO-FOUNDER
HEAD COUCH
RHIANNON Basset
LEAD COACH
AGES 11+
DYLAN PENKETH
LEAD COACH
AGES 7 - 11
OUR COACHES ARE DBS CHECKED & FULLY INSURED
TESTIMONIALS
