DESPITE winning her way through to the final of an international tennis tournament, modest Sally Parsonage was more happy to pick up an award recognising her contribution to educating coaches.
Sally, from Bexleyheath, was taking part in the Professional Registry's International Tennis Symposium and $25,000 Championship, held at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
She advanced to the finals of the 27-division tournament at the annual event which allows the world's best tennis teachers and coaches to compete against each other.
Sally said: “It was nice to get to the final as it was the first time a Britain had ever made it. But the best part was beating the number one seed in the semi-final 7-6, 6-4, which was good.”
Most of the Britains in Ameirca performed particularly well in the tournament, but Sally says they won't be remembered just for that.
She said: “We had a noisy reception from the Americans as we put away a lot of beer. They won't forget that, but wine's my tipple.”
Sally is a coach tutor and national tester for PTR-UK and lectures on professional tennis coaching and sports nutrition at the University of Greenwich.
She is also coaching co-ordinator for Kent LTA and has been playing tennis since the age of 13 while reaching club-level class.
About 13 years ago, she became a tennis coach and four years ago started to teach tennis coaches.
During the symposium, she received an award recognising her contribution to PTR-UK education.
The week-long PTR International Symposium attracts more than 1,000 tennis teachers, coaches and tennis enthusiasts from more than 50 countries.
In attendance were representatives from the International Tennis Federation, the United States Tennis Association, as well as associations from the Bahamas, Italy, Vietnam among others.
Celebrating 25 years of setting the standard for tennis teaching excellence, the PTR is the world's largest international tennis teaching organisation with more than 10,300 members in 120 countries.
It has the greatest percentage of minority and women members of any such organisation. It is dedicated to educating, certifying and servicing tennis teachers and coaches worldwide.
Anyone interested in PTR coaching should call 0700 877878.
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