Keen local tennis player Joy Charman established an annual competition for junior players between the clubs in the Howick area 40 years ago.

Requiring 20 players – 10 boys and 10 girls – meant lots of young people were able to experience the fun of playing in a team and representing their club in a prestigious competition, rather than limiting it only to top-ranked juniors.

Some 140 young players took part in the inaugural event in 1985, and apart from one year lost because of the pandemic, the competition has been held every season since.

“Despite tweaks to the format and the players now tending to start a bit younger than in the past, Joy’s vision of encouraging the club players of the future continues to shine through,” says Fiona Bates, of Bucklands Beach Tennis Club.

“Many of the participants of previous times still play regularly and have even seen their own children play in the Charman Trophy.

“Of course, winning is fun, as Bucklands Beach TC know well, having won this year and 19 of the past 20 competitions under the experienced guidance of top coach Julia Sim, but the emphasis is on participation and building experience.”

An album of photographs, team lists and newspaper clippings provide a treasure trove of memorabilia across the four decades.

“Fashions for playing outfits haven’t changed as much as you might think, although we don’t see so many of the [John] McEnroe headbands and bright tracksuit tops since the 1990s,” says BBTC president and Charman Trophy co-ordinator Fiona Macleod, with a smile.

“In many ways it’s easier for kids to play nowadays.

“Racquet frames are much lighter – hi-tech metal composites – not laminated wood.

“Astroturf courts are more forgiving than the old asphalt, and trainers [shoes] far more supportive than the thin-soled canvas plimsolls that kids would have worn in the 1980s.

“But essentially it’s still all about a Sunday in March when anyone driving past the local tennis clubs will see the courts full of kids out there playing and having fun,” says Macleod.

Tennis continues through the year nowadays, so parents who would like to get their kids into the sport are encouraged to approach their local club, says Bates.

“The participating clubs this year, Cockle Bay, Howick, Sunnyhills, and Bucklands Beach, all run junior programmes and welcome new joiners.

“Adults are encouraged too, whether they have played before or not.”