British Tennis Player Motivates Youngsters at Former Primary School

A tennis professional, who has competed for Great Britain, recently motivated aspiring young athletes at the primary school she once attended. Justice Hall, a 20-year-old from Ipswich, initially began playing tennis at St Matthew’s Primary School during an introductory session led by former British number one Elena Baltacha and her husband, Nino Severino. The Elena Baltacha Foundation, which seeks to provide tennis learning opportunities for children from diverse backgrounds, has been instrumental in Hall’s sporting achievements. Hall recently returned to St Matthew’s alongside the foundation to introduce the sport to the current pupils. Hall recounted her initial encounter with Baltacha and Severino when she was approximately six or seven years old, stating: “[The foundation] introduced me to tennis and I loved the session.” She added: “They saw talent in me and took me under their wing.” Hall further noted: “Since then I’ve been in contact with Nino and the academy ever since and they’ve helped me so much throughout the years.” The Ipswich-based foundation was established in 2014 by Baltacha and her husband to formalize and continue the work she had been undertaking for several years. Tragically, she passed away soon after, at the age of 30, following a diagnosis of liver cancer. Hall expressed her gratitude for the foundation’s consistent support over the years. She elaborated: “Throughout my life so far I’ve been able to use the skills from tennis and put that into my day to day like having a strong mentality, being able to deal with pressure,” she added. Severino, 60, accompanied Hall to St Matthew’s Primary during the foundation’s recent outreach. He continues to serve as a coach and chairman for the organization, visiting numerous schools whenever possible. Severino articulated his perspective: “Sport is powerful, there’s no language so everybody can get involved.” He continued: “We’re driven by the legacy that Elena left us and we really try to respect that.” He emphasized: “Her energy and her legacy carries on today.” Severino further stated: “I think if she’s watching and she’s looking down now, she’ll be so proud of everyone.” He concluded by saying: “We’re trying to have a big effect and everything is about opportunity.” “You give the opportunities to these young people and they embrace it, run with it, and then we have many unbelievable stories that we’re proud of.” Penny Moor, 73, a founding member of the Women’s Tennis Association, which provides sponsorship to the foundation, described Severino as “very inspiring.” She remarked: “Nino has done an amazing job and continues to do so.” Moor added: “I feel privileged to be on board to help the kids, that’s the aim.” She observed: “I noticed on a few clinics that we’ve done that [children’s] knowledge of tennis is pretty low.” Moor concluded: “Some didn’t even know Wimbledon so it’s getting out there in these areas to expose the game that can give a great opportunity in life.” Ben Andrews, the sports coach at the primary school who previously taught Hall, commented that the foundation offers an excellent method for children from diverse backgrounds to engage with tennis. Andrews elaborated: “We’re in an area of economic deprivation in the middle of Ipswich.” He continued: “We have a very diverse group of children and just getting opportunities like this from Nino, who is very well known in the area with his foundation, is massive and hopefully one of these guys might get into tennis.” Andrews concluded: “It’s amazing… you never know what sort of child might pick it up.” When questioned about her feelings on returning to her former school, Hall described it as “surreal.” She stated: “It’s amazing how the academy has been able to come to the school and provide tennis here instead of kids having to go into clubs where it’s a lot harder and expensive for them to do that.” Hall added: “Maybe if they want to do it in the future then they have that opportunity from the academy.” She concluded: “I can definitely see a lot of potential in the kids.” For more Suffolk news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.