Little Aces Tennis
Local mum Emma Hellewell has been playing tennis since she was four years old, has travelled around the world coaching the sport – and has even played at Buckingham Palace. Now she's set up Little Aces Tennis for three to six-year-olds, plus runs adult classes in Cookham
Tell me about you and your family/where you live…
I live in Marlow with my husband and two girls, Lucy, six, and Anna, four. I grew up in the Lakes, and after a stint in London, moved out to Marlow with my husband eight years ago. We love it – it's such a great place to bring up a family and there's so many brilliant things to do.
Tell me about your business/tennis sessions...
I run Little Aces Tennis, which are weekly mini tennis lessons for three to six-year-olds. I set up the business in April this year, after realising that there was no tennis provision for under-sixes in the local area. I use mini rackets, sponge balls, small
nets and lots of fun equipment like balloons and beanbags. It's all about developing fundamental ball skills and hand-eye coordination through fun games, which gives them a great introduction to tennis. At five, they are introduced to the red ball programme, and we use low pressurised red balls, which extend the basics and develop strokes, rallies and match play. At six, I then feed them into Marlow Tennis Club, which is a great set up.
Have you always been interested in doing this? How did you get involved?
I’ve been playing since I was four and have always loved tennis. It helped that both my parents played and I had some really inspiring coaches. Having done my coaching qualifications at university, I then travelled round the world coaching, which I loved, and then came back to the rainy Lake District for a few years. After having a break from it whilst working in London, I knew I would come back to tennis when I had kids.
What do you like about it the most? What did you do before?
I just love inspiring kids at this age. Their enthusiasm and energy is amazing and
I think it's so important to give them a good introduction to not just tennis, but
the fundamentals of sport at such an early age. My aim is to make it as fun as
possible whilst also teaching them some core skills. It's also lovely to be able to
fit my work around my children at school, and still be there to be their taxi driver
and snack provider!
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Who is your idol/fave tennis player?
Growing up, I loved watching Stefan Edberg – such a gracious player and master of the serve and volley. However, now I love Rafael Nadal. I was really fortunate to watch the Men's Quarters at Wimbledon this year with Rafael and del Potro. The last set was just epic, totally nail- biting and so exciting. Andy Murray described it as one of the best sets of tennis ever.
What are your goals for the future of the business?
My youngest has just started school, so with more time, I will be looking to increase classes and develop the programme in other areas. I am also now running 'Big Aces' on a private court in Cookham. This is individual or small group adult classes for those starting tennis or getting back into it. Lastly, I'm keen to work with local schools and give taster sessions to Reception and Year 1 children in their PE lessons.
Anything else we don't know about you and should?
I once played tennis at Buckingham Palace...I was very lucky!
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