Pupil Profile: Tom Harty - SW19 on the horizon?
Tom Harty started tennis at the age of seven. His first coach – June McAvoy – in primary school – provided the basis for his love for tennis at such an early age.
At the age of nine Tom participated in his first national tournament “The Louth Tennis Open in Dundalk”.
Tom experienced fear and panic competing in his first “big tournament” so much so that he left mid match because of the stress that he felt. This could have been the end of a promising career but despite his fear and anxiety he picked himself up, dealt with his demons and re-entered the competition the following year becoming runner up in the tournament.
His inspiration undoubtedly came from Roger Federer, Tom watched his first Wimbledon final which featured Roger against Nadal – an epic match. Tom saw at first hand the style, charisma and gut determination of a true champion. From that day Tom decided that tennis was for him and no doubt the Rodger Federer was his inspiration.
From the age of nine to eleven Tom competed in many local and national tournaments often travelling 100 miles or more to reach a tournament. He worked and trained hard often exhausted at the end of the day. His hard work payed off and by the time Tom was eleven he was ranked fifth in Ulster.
His achievement earned him an invitation to join the Ulster Squad. From the age of 11 to 13 Tom trained 15 hours per week with this squad.
The commitment was huge. His weekends were a mix of training and homework. Despite this he managed both.
Tom entered many national tournaments. Last summer he went on tour with the Ulster Squad entering both the Leinster and Muster open. This was Tom's first time away from home on his own – for 2 weeks. Not only did he learn more about competing and perfecting his tennis skills, he also learnt about himself. In particular, coping with being away from home. This undoubtedly gave him an insight into the world of a professional tennis player.