Abbie Allin from Derby has been awarded a place at the first ever Youth Sport Trust National Talent Camp which will take place at Loughborough University in December. Athletes, officials and coaches will attend the four-day residential camp between Friday 19 and Monday 22 of December.
The 15-year-old was chosen after being part of a programme called Tennis Futures, also held at Loughborough University and designed for tennis officials and coaches. Abbie said she was thrilled to have been selected to attend the camp: “I took up tennis when I was about four and now I do it more for the social side of things and I focus on the officiating and coaching. I coach the junior members at my club, Church Broughton Tennis Club, and I’m excited to have been chosen for the camp.
“I was really happy when I found out because I had been waiting for about three weeks to see if I had been selected. I think it will really benefit me because it will boost my confidence as a person, not only as a coach. I do enjoy the officiating side of tennis, I would love to officiate at Wimbledon one day.”
Judith Hancock, head of PE at Derby High School, said everyone was extremely proud of Abbie: “Abbie is a fantastic ambassador for the school and is always striving to develop her sporting talent. Selection for the YST camp is a great achievement and DHS is extremely proud of her.”
A spokesman for the Youth Sport Trust said: “Selected and supported by National Governing Bodies of Sport, 200 young coaches, 100 young athletes and 50 young officials, who have all demonstrated talent within their strand and shown a commitment to push themselves further, will be supported and challenged through a series of theoretical and practical sessions designed to take the young people out of their comfort zone and encourage them to realise what it takes to achieve their sporting best.”
