Caerphilly teenager Jonah Jones named 'Young Person of the Year' at LTA Tennis Awards
• 4 MINUTE READ
A Caerphilly teenager who completed more than 160 hours of volunteering has been recognised for his efforts at the 2020 LTA Tennis Awards.
One of 18 national winners, Jonah Jones received the ‘Young Person of the Year’ accolade from the governing body for tennis in Britain on account of his tireless work both on and off the court.
Thousands of young people in tennis give back their time every year, with many learning valuable leadership skills to set them up for life through LTA Youth and Tennis Leaders programmes.
Last year saw Jonah set up his school’s first after-school tennis club, with his inbuilt drive seeing numbers grow while ensuring a fun on-court experience for all.
In a virtual ceremony held on Thursday, Jonah was presented with his award by Gordon Reid MBE, multiple wheelchair tennis Grand Slam champion.
I am overwhelmed by the fact that I won the award, and I hope that I can continue to provide for the club, school and community through the acts of leadership.
Speaking about his award, Jonah commented:
"I am exceptionally proud of the achievement that I have made. After only starting in November 2018, as witnessed by my head coach and peers, I have gone from strength to strength finding new ways in approaching new areas of leading.
I am overwhelmed by the fact that I won the award, and I hope that I can continue to provide for the club, school and community through the acts of leadership.”
Currently in their fifth year, the LTA Tennis Awards celebrate the achievements made by outstanding tennis volunteers, coaches, officials, venues and players in Britain. To be in contention for the national award, Jonah had already claimed the Tennis Wales award.
Streamed live on LTA channels and presented by Leon Smith OBE, the national ceremony – which was digital for the first time in the awards’ history – saw Jonah pick up his award alongside 17 other national winners, including current British No.1s Dan Evans and Johanna Konta who were named the LTA Men’s and Women’s ‘Player of the Year’ respectively.
This year saw more than 2,000 nominations across grassroots categories including Young Person of the Year and Club of the Year.
Nominations were drawn from more than 25,000 volunteers, 4,400 coaches, 940 officials, 20,000 schools, 2,700 clubs and more than 9,700 LTA approved tournaments, demonstrating the extraordinary contributions of individuals and venues who help to open up the sport and bring new fans and players to the game.
“The LTA Tennis Awards are a real celebration of the people that make our sport thrive,” said LTA president, David Rawlinson.
“They celebrate the achievements made by outstanding volunteers, coaches, officials, venues and players, who are all vital in helping us to grow the game.
“To be named a national winner out of over 2,000 public nominations is a fantastic achievement so I’d like to congratulate all of this year’s winners and extend my thanks to each and every one of them for all that they do to help tennis in Britain.”
National Runners Up
Ellie Lake
Ellie has made an outstanding contribution as the Tennis Activator at Sheffield College, putting in place a broad tennis programme, including a student enrichment programme delivering mini tennis.
Tom Roberts
Tom is a volunteer at the Sound Ball tennis sessions for blind players with Metro Blind Sport. Tom enables play by meeting players at the tube station, guiding them to the tennis centre and around the court. He is a role model for other youngsters, displaying excellent skills in how to guide and communicate with blind players.
LTA Young Person of the Year 2020 – National Shortlist
- Alanna Dunn from Kings Lawn Tennis Club in Avon
- Arun Bhogal from Knighton Tennis Club in Leicestershire
- Ellie Lake from Sheffield College in Yorkshire
- Jonah Jones from Caerphilly Tennis Club in Wales
- Stanley Pattison from Flitwick & Ampthill Lawn Tennis Club in Bedfordshire
- Tom Roberts from Metro Blind Tennis in Middlesex
To see a full list of winners from the LTA Tennis Awards 2020 click here.
