Elite and recreational programmes providing tennis for all
The College provides tennis for all, including an all-year-round programme for elite senior players. Our programme successfully puts the Eastbourne name on the national stage every year.
The summer is the key term for tennis: team and recreational players are involved in a full training programme with fixtures against other tennis schools in the South East. In addition, there is all-year-round tennis available for those who follow other sports. The girls senior team has reached the School’s National Finals six times in the last eight years.
We benefit from our close proximity to Devonshire Park Tennis which allows us to play on some of the finest the grass courts in the country. The Eastbourne International Tennis Championships takes place at the end of June which College pupils can attend; and there’s more.
The College has developed its close relationship with the championship further so that coaches, officials and players could benefit from the proximity of the world-class facilities housed in the College’s new state-of-the-art Winn Building. The College fed all of the officials, event and ball crews for the duration of the tournament, and was delighted to provide some ball boys and girls too.
Elite Tennis Programme
Alongside a strong academic programme, the elite tennis programme is in place to provide tennis excellence for players who aspire to county and national standards of play. The programme runs all year round with a capacity for 12 players to train and play throughout the winter and into the summer. In addition, there is a ‘Bridge Squad’ with St Andrew’s Prep to include a number of their talented 11 to 13 year olds joining in with Eastbourne College pupils. On top of squad sessions, there are one-to-one sessions with top coaches as well as player-led sessions. Winter squad sessions move indoors to the local David Lloyd Centre (DLC), or to the College’s recently built sports centre where individual practise and group strength-and-conditioning sessions take place. This programme of tennis and academic pursuits enables players to achieve full tennis scholarships to top US universities.
Coaching team
The girls senior squad 2023/24 together with their coaches
Simon Gent
Simon is the Head of Tennis and oversees players and coaches throughout the year at all levels, including supporting the players in the elite programme. Simon competes regularly and plays for Kent in veterans tennis inter-county matches.
Steph Booth
Steph is in charge of the Senior Girls team and teaches English. Steph is a current Northumberland County player with career accolades including: top 10 GB U18; played no 1 for Cambridge University while studying her degree there; played American University Division 1 for the University of Southern Mississippi alongside studying for an MBA.
Monique Burton
Post Grad live in tennis coach, tennis hitter and fitness/ S & C coach. Monique joins us from Sydney, Australia where she was a top ranked junior player. She has just completed 5 years on a tennis Scholarship at the US College in Southern Mississippi with a masters at Utah State. She brings a wealth of experience and coaching expertise. She coordinates the training programme for top players.
Craig Wells
Craig is an experienced Level 4 LTA Coach who has worked at Eastbourne College for a number of years. He represented Sussex as a junior player and still plays to a high level.
Luciano Cestari
Luciano focuses on the top boy’s tennis squad. He is also Head of Rackets at David Lloyd Eastbourne, and has coached and played in Argentina to Pro Circuit level.
Recent success
2023
Eastbourne College girls reached the National Quarter Finals in both the British Schools Championships and Independent Schools Championships.
Throughout the Summer Term the girls and boys teams won no less than 12 Sussex County titles at all age groups from U13 to U18.
In the winter of 2022/23 the girls senior team won the Sussex Ladies Division One winter league.
Congratulations to Gaby Pacheco Lagoda for winning the Ladies and U18 titles at the Devonshire Park Open in August.
Eastbourne College girls team to play in the National Premier League this winter season 2023-2024. Having won the Sussex Ladies Club Division title last winter, this year’s Eastbourne College team is stepping up to make its debut in the NPL for the first time. The girls are looking forward to 7 high quality matches as a team throughout the winter against he likes of Queens Club, The Roehampton Club, St George’s Hill Weybridge and Westside Wimbledon. Led by US College tennis graduates and live in coaches, Steph Booth and Monique Burton, the Eastbourne College girls team are one of the only GB schools that plays in this high ranking adult club competition.
2022
Girls and boys won a combined six summer County School titles at U15, U16 and U18 level.
Senior boys and senior girls were both national runners up in the LTA Winter Schools Championships. Senior girls won promotion from Sussex Ladies Club League Division 2 and play in Division 1 2022-2023.
10 ex-Eastbourne College pupils are currently on a tennis scholarship at American Universities. Other former pupils are playing for university teams in GB in top leagues.
2021
Girls A and B teams, and the Boys A team qualified for the national finals of the National School Championships. The Girls A team won three out of four of their matches at the finals
Girls U18 and U15 teams won the Sussex Championships. Girls U15 and Boys U15 won the LTA Sussex League
2020
The senior girls team were national champions in the LTA Winter Schools Championships
The senior boys team reached the Winter Schools national final, finishing 4th
2019
The senior mixed doubles team finished third in the LTA national seniors competition
The senior girls team won the summer Sussex U18 schools title
The U15 girls team won the County Schools and the South East regional titles
2018
U18 girls A team pre-seeded third in the country for National British Schools Championships in Nottingham
U18 mixed team: LTA Students League regional winners and national finalists in Bolton
2017
U18 Girls A Team finished sixth at National British Schools Championships in Nottingham
U18 girls runners-up at the Independent Schools Tennis Championships at Eton
U18 girls Sussex champions
U15A girls won LTA Sussex League and Cup in regional finals
U15A boys finished second in regional finals
