Officiating course conducted at national tennis center

Officiating course conducted at national tennis center
ITF Officiating Manager Mickey Williams conducted a level one officiating certification course at the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s National Tennis Center this past weekend (BAHAMAS LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION)

NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) ended its first hosting of a level one officiating certification course this past weekend with live sessions on the courts at the BLTA’s National Tennis Center inside the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre on Sunday.

The course, which is being conducted by ITF (International Tennis Federation) Officiating Manager Mickey Williams, a Bahamian, is being held in two segments. The other segment will be held from November 28 to 29 at the BLTA’s National Tennis Center.

Earlier, Williams spoke of the opportunities presented.

“This level one course, designed by the ITF, is intended for persons with an interest in officiating and others who may have done some umpiring on a limited basis before and want to expand their knowledge. It will provide a detailed introduction to the rules of tennis, the code of conduct and the procedures for overseeing competitive tennis matches,” he said.

“It also introduces the participants to line umpiring techniques and chair umpiring procedures. At the end of the course, the successful students will be considered ‘national officials’ and will be expected to upgrade their skills at local tournaments at all levels — junior, open and senior.”

Taking part in the first hosting of the course were individuals from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera. Participants from Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera took part remotely via Zoom. About 15 individuals took part in the first hosting of the course, and another 20 are expected to participate in the second hosting of the course in about two weeks.

Of the participants this past weekend were six women from New Providence.

BLTA President Perry Newton said that safety measures were followed and a number of protocols were in place.

About Randy Smith

Randy Smith is the producer of the widely-watched local television show “Beyond The Headlines” and the web content manager of Eyewitness News. He joined Eyewitness News as a sportscaster in 2018, a role he still performs, and has previously covered a slew of international sporting events, including the 2015 Pan American Games, the Nike EYBL Showcase, several IAAF World Relays, the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, the Commonwealth Youth Games, the Bahamas Bowl and multiple CARIFTA Swimming and Track & Field Championships. Randy has been recognized by the Bahamas Press Club with awards for “Best Sports Broadcast” as a sportscaster and “Best TV Talk Show” as a producer.