Final Standings: 1. Bahamas, 2. Guatemala, 3. Barbados, 4. Haiti, 5. Bolivia, 6. Puerto Rico, 7. Panama 8. Costa Rica.
Bahamas and Bolivia are promoted to Americas Zone Group II in 2008; Costa Rica and Haiti are relegated to Americas Zone Group IV in 2008.
Americas Group IV
Final Standings: 1. Aruba, 2. Honduras, 3. US Virgin Islands, 4. Trinidad & Tobago.
Aruba and Honduras are promoted to Americas Zone Group III in 2008. Congratulations to Aruba on their promotion to Group III at their first Davis Cup by BNP Paribas!
For further information on Davis Cup by BNP Paribas, please click here.
The ITF continues to assist in the further development of promising juniors in the region by selecting the best players to be part of ITF Touring Teams to Europe. Two players from the English speaking Caribbean were selected so that they could benefit from playing higher level of tennis outside their region, as follows: Rodney Carey and Olivia Bennett.
ITF 16 & Under International Team to Europe 2007
Rodney Carey from Bahamas was selected to join the 16 & Under International Team to Europe.
The schedule was as follows:
28 May – 02 June: Crema, Italy 04 June– 09 June: Citta di Montecatini, Italy 11 June – 16 June: Avvenire Tournament, Milano, Italy 18 June – 23 June: Derby Cadets, La Baule, France 25 June – 30 June: Le Pont des Générations, Le Pontet, France 02 July – 07 July: Paris-Cadets, Paris, France
ITF 14 & Under Caribbean Development Championships
The ITF 14 & Under Caribbean Development Championships is scheduled to take place in St. Vincent from 13 - 18 August 2007. The deadline for entries was Friday 13th July 2007 and nations should make sure that they send their travel details to the COTECC office before Monday 6th August to ensure that their teams are collected upon arrival in St. Vincent.
Regional Training Camp
An ITF/COTECC Caribbean Training Camp will be organized in Bahamas from 2-8 September 2007. Further details on the camp will be sent soon. For more information on ITF organized training camps, please click here.
I would like to thank the nations who submitted their 5 Year Development Plan to be in effect by 1st January 2007. I would like to once again appeal to nations who have not submitted a 5 Year Development Plan to please do so as soon as possible in order to receive further ITF assistance in 2007.
The 15th World Wide Coaches Conference is scheduled to take place at the Hotel Resort Casino Yacht & Golf Club in Asuncion, Paraguay from 22 - 28 October 2007. I would like to encourage coaches to attend the Conference; it would be a great opportunity for coaches to receive information from inspiring speakers from around the world.
The ITF launched a new coaching website called ‘Tennis icoach’. The comprehensive website is designed to deliver the very best coaching and playing information to tennis coaches, players and enthusiasts around the world. The ‘Tennis icoach’ website features many hours of exclusive video footage taken of leading tennis coaches and experts presenting at ITF Coaching Seminars and Workshops conducted around the world.
For further information, please go to www.tennisicoach.com
Coaches Courses
An ITF/OS Level 1 Coaches Course was held in Aruba from 14 – 22 May 2007. The course was conducted by Mr. Richard Gonzalez of Uruguay. Six of the nine coaches were successful.
Netherland Antilles will be organizing a Level 1 Coaches Course from 17 - 25 September. The course will be conducted by Mr. Anthony Jeremiah.
Play Tennis Course
The Caribbean slowly understands the importance of a Play Tennis Course. The course is ideal for school teachers as an introduction to the STI Programme and young aspiring coaches as a pre-Level 1. Trinidad & Tobago conducted their first Play Tennis Course from 5 - 8 July 2007, in which twenty four participants took part. I would like to continue encouraging more nations to explore this opportunity of having a Play Tennis Course.
To know more about it, please click here and to read about the course in Trinidad, please click here.
The JTI Programme continues to improve in the Caribbean. There are at present 7 nations with ITF assisted programmes: Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Haiti, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana and St. Vincent.
The ITF continues to encourage member nations to start a JTI Programme which is in effect, a 14 & under Junior Development Programme. If the Caribbean is to continue to produce top players we must create more opportunities for our best talented 12 & under players. I look forward to more nations starting a JTI programme.
To learn more about the programme, please click here.
The EDP Programme continues to assist and encourage developing ITF member nations to have a JTI programme by providing free equipment to support the programme. 2007 shipments are currently being sent out. If you have not yet submitted your completed EDP questionnaires, then you should do so as soon as possible. Please remember that to be eligible to receive equipment assistance, then you should submit your 5 year plan.
For more information on the EDP programme, please click here.
The International Tennis Number is a way to motivate players and to also encourage new players to the game. The introduction of the International Tennis Number could be a great incentive for top players, and recreational players, and coaches can use the ITN in their business to increase tennis participation at their tennis club or centre. I am encouraging Federations to explore this area. A little more emphasis on the ITN, participation will increase at all levels.
Please visit www.itftennis.com/itn for more information.
Mr. Anthony Boyea was elected President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association at their annual AGM.
Mr. Jeremy Superfine was elected President of the Cayman Island Tennis Association at the annual AGM held on the 31st May.
St. Vincent organized an officiating course from 22 - 24 June in preparation for their upcoming events and will be organizing their first ITF Circuit in October 2007.
The Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago legs of the ITF Circuit which is held during Easter has been moved to the month of October 2007. This year there will be four legs in Trinidad & Tobago, Curacao, Barbados and St. Vincent from 1 - 28 October.
On behalf of the ITF, the Caribbean and myself, we would like to express condolences to the Tennis Federation of Trinidad & Tobago and the family of Mr. Errol Jackson who died in a car accident on Friday 22 June and was buried on Saturday 30 June. Errol was an Assistant Coordinator for the JTI in Trinidad & Tobago (South).
