Junior Tennis in Kenton-on-Sea Meet Nosimphiwe and Granny Nono who hail from Kenton-on-Sea near Port Elizabeth. Nosi’s mum passed away in 2013 when she was just 9 years old. She and her sister were taken in by her grandmother in Kenton-on-Sea. She had no real interests before starting tennis and Granny Nono did a remarkable job ensuring Nosi was not distracted by her environmental distractions such as alcohol abuse, smoking and early pregnancy. She joined the Junior Tennis Programme in 2015. One would not describe her as a natural sportswoman, even ball skills were a mystery. But with the tennis coaching she became part of a group and she soon became the most committed of all the players. Shot by shot she learned to rally and now has a very workable serve! The latest milestone was reached very recently when she and 3 other girls were selected to participate in their first official tournament in Cradock, some 250 kms away. It is impossible to describe just how much the girls benefitted from their 2 days away from home. Ably supported by Coach Khaya, they improved on essentials like scoring and line-calls and what they gained in life skills is immeasurable. They did us proud by their demeanour on the court despite losing all their matches except for one who scored an elusive victory! What excitement. Now aged 14, Nosi says she has no intention of quitting any time soon so we look forward to the next milestone!
