Jonquel Jones in action. (AP)

Thursday, September 6, 2018

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#DESPITE a disappointing conclusion to the WNBA season, Jonquel Jones has a star-studded Euroleague roster to look forward to this offseason.

#Jones will join defending Euroleague Champions UMMC Ekaterinburg of the Russian premier League and FIBA Europe’s Euroleague during the WNBA offseason.

#Back in the WNBA the Sun have also reportedly exercised 4th year team options on Jones, Courtney Williams, Rachel Banham, Morgan Tuck and Bria Holmes. With those options exercised, the Sun will have 11 players under contract through at least the 2019 season.

#Last offseason in China, Jones became one of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association’s most dominant players and led her Shanxi Xing Rui Flames to a runner-up finish in the final.

#The star forward averaged a team-high 29.3 points, 18.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 31 games for Shanxi Xing Rui.

#In the 2016 offseason, Jones was selected No. 5 overall by Woori Bank in the Korean Basketball League and led the team to a championship title.

#On the season she averaged 15.8 points, 14.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks – all team leads – in 24 minutes per game for Woori Bank in 38 games.

#At the league’s award ceremony, Jones earned the Foreign Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year award and was named “Best Five” in the league.

#She finished the year averaging 15.5 points and 11.9 rebounds per game – a dramatic increase from her rookie season when she averaged 6.8 points and 3.7 rebounds a game.

#UMMC Ekanterinburg has won four Euroleague, 12 Russian titles and eight Russian Cups in team history.

#In addition to Jones, UMMC Ekanterinburg will include Courtney Vandersloot and Kayla McBride.

#For the second consecutive year, Jones and the Sun were eliminated by the Phoenix Mercury in the second round of the WNBA playoffs.

#Phoenix scored 10 unanswered points over the final 2:32 in the fourth quarter to score a 96-86 win over the Sun.

#Jones finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 6-9 shooting from the field.

#The Sun finished the season 1-3 in matchups against the Mercury.

#Last year, the two teams met in the same round and the Mercury eliminated the Sun 88-83 on the road.

#Jones was named the 2018 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, earning the honour as the league’s top reserve for the first time in her three-year career.

#Jones, who was voted last season as the 2017 WNBA Most Improved Player, becomes the first player to win both the Sixth Woman and Most Improved awards.

#In honour of being named the WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, Jones will receive $5,000 and a specially designed trophy by Tiffany and Co.

#Jones averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, a career-high 1.7 assists and 1.24 blocked shots per game this season. She tied for ninth in the WNBA in blocks and ranked fifth in field goal percentage (55.0) and second in three-point field goal percentage (46.7).

#With 50 three-pointers made, she surpassed her total from the previous two seasons combined (36). During the Sun’s 9-1 finish to the season, Jones averaged 18.5 points and 6.6 rebounds. That stretch included four games of 20 or more points.

Jonquel Jones

f Thursday, October 8, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#After she opted out of the 2020 WNBA season, Jonquel Jones made her official return to the basketball court this week in the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League.

#Jones led UMMC Ekaterinburg Foxes with 35 points and 13 rebounds in an 84-72 win over Nika Syktykar in their season debut.

#The veteran forward had a dominant shooting performance, 13-19 from the field (1-2 from three point range) and 6-7 from the free throw line. She also had two blocked shots on the defensive end of the floor.

#Jones’ strong play early led the Foxes to a 58-48 lead at the half and a 62-48 lead headed into the fourth quarter. They eventually led by as much as 17 points in the final period.

#UMMC will play their next Premier league game and make their home debut on October 19 in Ekaterinburg when they face Spartak.

#Jones is in her third season with UMMC Ekaterinburg.

#Last season, the team captured Russian Premier League and the EuroLeague women’s championship. They won their second consecutive and fifth EuroLeague title with a 91-67 win over Dynamo Kursk in Sopron, Hungary in April.

#Jones appeared in eight games and averaged 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. She shot 60 percent from the field, 52 percent from three point range and 80 percent from the free throw line.

#A stacked UMMC Ekaterinburg roster also included WNBA stars Brittney Griner and Cortney Vandersloot. The team recently added current WNBA Finals MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm.

#Jones, the Connecticut Sun star, opted out of the shortened WNBA season amid COVID-19 pandemic concerns.

#In the 2019 WNBA season, she was named to the All-WNBA Second Team, the All-Defensive Team and an All-Star for the second time, cited personal reasons and uncertainty around the pandemic.

#The Sun advanced to the Eastern Conference final before they were eliminated by the Las Vegas Aces.

#Jones signed a multi-year contract with the Sun in February as the league’s free agency period commenced.

#The Sun fell one game short in their historic run toward a WNBA Championship in 2019, but Jones established herself as one of the premier players in the league with her standout season.

#In addition to her aforementioned accolades, she finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting and was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week four times.

#Jones finished the regular season with starts in all 34 appearances, averaged 14.6 points, and posted career highs in steals (1.5 per game) and minutes played (28.8 per game). She also won her second rebounding title in four seasons. Jones led the league in rebounds with 9.7 boards and blocked shots at a career-high 2.0 per game. She also finished fourth in defensive rebounds with 6.4 per game. She grabbed 10 or more rebounds 16 times, including a season-high 22 rebounds on May 31.

As of Tuesday, March 3, 2020

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#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s “Play Tennis” developmental programme started indoors with drills and fitness conducted by coaches Marion Bain and Corey Francis, and players Donte Armbrister and Sydney Clarke.

#Later in the day the session progressed outdoors as the weather improved.

#The kids had the opportunity to perform basic tactics and techniques as demonstrated and instructed by the coaches.

#Coaches Francis and Clarke were able to benefit from the coaches course recently organised by The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association.

#This Play Tennis course focused on introducing beginners to the sport. “It is good when the training gained by coaches can be called upon in these complimentary sessions offered to the children of the nation. We welcome other coaches to offer their service to this developmental programme,” said a press release.

#“The programme continues to see novice players who are open and eager to the skills presented. Making tennis accessible to all aids in the development of tennis, removing the barrier of cost and allowing the children ages 5 -17 to come into contact each Saturday with trained coaches and their assistants in a fun-filled environment is proving to be successful.

#“The goal is to grow the pool of available players across the country and to foster new tennis seeds, forming the foundation of growth and development. Today a tennis seed, tomorrow a fruitful tennis

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) “Play Tennis” programme is reporting a steady stream of young children between the ages of four and 16 at its free tennis clinics on Saturdays.

#On this past Saturday, the rain did not deter the crowd of children and the fun activities moved indoors at The National Tennis Centre.

#The coaches focused the kids on footwork and fitness, recognising the importance of both in the sport of tennis.

#“The tennis clinics are reaching a new cross-section of beginner players, fostering growth and development,” said Perry Newton, head of the junior development of the BLTA.

#“The average age of the kids is around nine years old but our youngest is four and the oldest is 16.

#“We are tapping into a gold mine of talent and possibilities.”

#The BLTA invites kids aged 5-17 to its “Play Tennis” Programme 10:30am next Saturday ‘rain or shine’ at the National Tennis Centre.

#Take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to play tennis. Registration is only $1 and all equipment is provided.

#The programme is making a positive impact as it seeks to provide an easily accessible avenue of learning, development and growth, shaping and searching for the next generation of tennis players.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

#ON Saturday, The Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association (BLTA) held a Junior Tennis Clinic at the National Tennis Centre, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre. 

#The $1-Day Clinic was a success as kids ranging from four to 14 years were introduced and, in some cases, reintroduced to the rudiments of tennis.

#Supervisor of the clinic, Barbara Carey organised the play and stay session.

#Coach Kevin Major led the children in various drills. Also on hand were some of the country’s top juniors – Afrika Smith, Donte Armbrister and Sierra Donaldson. These youngsters who are returning from an International Tennis Federation (ITF) tour this summer were able to assist coach Major in instructing the kids on their forehands and backhands.  Kristen Major and Dentry Mortimer also took the time to assist with the younger kids.

#“Some of the children at the clinic never held a tennis racquet before so this initiative by the BLTA will surely produce some new talent to the sport. 

#“Many of the kids expressed the sentiment that they always wanted to play tennis.  The sport is seen as very exciting. The young  boys and girls at the clinic took great delight when they had an opportunity to play ‘one on one’ with their junior instructors,” said a press release.

#The $1-Day Jr Tennis Clinic will continue 9am to 10:30am this Saturday at the NTC. 

#Kids aged five to 14 years old are invited. All kids who are interested in tennis and want to get a start are kindly invited to come and be a part of this clinic.

#The BLTA continues its efforts to grow tennis in The Bahamas. The future looks bright for this vibrant sport.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#IN October, the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association launched its version of the ITF’s “Play and Stay” programme in the capital. Now, the organisation will formally expand to the family islands.

#The BLTA will team up with Friends of Tennis for Harbour Island, Bahamas to host a highly anticipated weekend of tennis events, July 19-21, highlighted by the aforementioned programme.

#Play and Stay co-ordinator Bradley Bain said the goal is to “promote the game of tennis and expose more youngsters to the game of tennis.”

#A Play and Stay workshop set for July 19 will be conducted for parents, coaches and volunteers to introduce them to the format of the programme, creating a new group of teachers for beginners.

#Wesley Rolle seeks to develop local coaches in Harbour Island to assume control of the “Play and Stay” programme.

#Rolle, a former president of the BLTA, has been making major strides in the programme by tutoring beginners in the game for the past year.

#June 20 will feature a Tennis Fun Day fundraiser to assist the Harbour Island Tennis Programme in a myriad of ways, including facilities and equipment upgrades.

#Bahamian Davis Cup player Marvin Rolle and touring player and collegiate player Dirnage Saunders will make an appearance with an exhibition at the Pink Sands tennis courts at 11am.

#The “Play and Stay” workshop will continue for the remainder of the weekend conducted by Bain.

#Scores of young tennis enthusiasts turned Rawson Square into a temporary court in October for the programme’s launch.

#The programme represents a global shift in the rules governing youth tennis and is expected to have a direct impact on the development of the game locally, bringing a wider cross section of newcomers to the sport.

#Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association president Derron Donaldson also saw to it that the new facilities constructed to house the programme will be named in honour of Bahamian tennis great Mark Knowles.

#The new initiative features smaller rackets, smaller courts, and slower balls tailored to the skills of beginning tennis players.

#It is now mandatory for competition for players aged 10-and-under to be played with slower red, orange and green balls on the appropriate sized courts, while the traditional yellow ball will no longer be permitted for 10-and-under competition.

#According to Donaldson, the programme will strengthen the feeder system of the Bahamas’ junior development programme.

#“This will be the ticket to strengthening and developing an already strong junior development programme. In this format, tennis is at its easiest to learn, it’s inexpensive, can be played on a wide variety of surfaces so we can target an even greater number of kids and get them into the sport as fast as possible,” he said.

#“The goal is to bring them into the sport, have them experience relative success rather quickly and make the game as interesting and attractive as possible to them at a young age. If we can bring about 50 kids to each free outing of mini tennis we host, there may be about 10-15 natural talents in that crowd that will stick with the game, hence the ‘Play and Stay’ theme coined by the ITF.”

#The ITF’s Tennis Play and Stay campaign centers around the slogan “serve, rally and score” and the recommendation that starter players play the game outright from their first lesson.

#The campaign is supported by the top ITF nations and professional players, including Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Justine Henin, as well as the equipment manufacturers.

#The campaign aims to retain more starter children and adults in the sport by improving the way in which coaches worldwide introduce tennis to starter players, ensuring their first experience is both positive and enjoyable.

#“This is our first major event and of course the goal is for massive support and attention as the first step, and eventually getting the mini tennis programme in schools.

#“The BLTA hosted a ‘Play and Stay’ course for 25 teachers last November as the first step toward the inter-school competitions,” Donaldson said.

Executives and players at the BLTA ‘Play Tennis’ programme.

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association held another successful session of its “Play Tennis” programme.

#The sessions are fun and interactive and provide a pathway for new beginners in the sport.

#Today, Brajaxba Club joined in the training as some junior tennis players, including Jacobi Bain, BreAnn Ferguson, Brianna Houlgrave, Virgil Homere participated in the session.

#The BLTA thanks veteran coach Mr Bradley Bain in lending a hand to assist this developing programme.

#Young kids and newly PTC certified coaches alike had an opportunity to glean from his wealth of knowledge and experience.

#As young persons come to learn the sport there are many opportunities to give back to the young people.

#Perry Newton, head of junior development, stated that it is important to collaborate within the tennis community and the “Play Tennis” programme can only grow from those who share their talents.

#“The children continue to be excited and eager about tennis,” he added.

#Darnette Weir, president of the BLTA, expressed pleasure in the “Play Tennis” programme and hopes that interested persons will take full advantage of the opportunities to come together in the growth and development of tennis.

#The programme resumes on Saturday, June 15 at The National Tennis Centre and is free to children aged 5-17. Registration is $1.

.

Monday, May 28, 2018

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association has expressed its condolences to the family of the late Robert Smith, a former player who was killed in his home on Lobster Avenue off Blue Hill Road last Thursday.

#While BLTA president Darnette Weir said his passing has hit hard within their sport fraternity, Davis Cup captain Marvin Rolle said there’s so much he can say about his former friend off the court and rival on the court.

#“He was a hard worker, a go getter. There was never nothing he felt he couldn’t do in his eyes,” said Rolle, who is currently in Costa Rica leading the Bahamas’ team of Baker Newman, Philip Major Jr and Jody Turnquest in action this week in the first round of the Davis Cup tie.

#“He always had the talent to do anything and he always had your back. If you needed help with anything, any hour of the day, any hour of the night, he was there. He might have been late, but he was there.”

#Rolle said a lot of people may have known him from playing tennis, but he admitted that Smith was very versatile.

#“He was talented in tennis, very talented in cycling, very talented in track and field. It’s sad to see him go, but he will never be forgotten. Robert Smith. I know a lot of people are saddened by his tragic death, but he didn’t deserve that. Robert. He was special to a lot of people. He will be missed. Rest in peace.”

#Smith, 31, was shot at his home on Lobster Street. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

#Weir said Thursday was a sad day for the BLTA.

#“I extend our deepest condolences on the death of Robert. We are deeply saddened by his death,” Weir said. “Robert played as a junior for many years and for the past several years, he participated in the Giorgio Baldacci for the past three years. He has made his contribution as a player, even in the Gym Tennis Club Tournament.

#“We extend our deepest sympathy to the Smith family on his passing.”

#Smith is the son of Robert ‘Bob’ Smith, a well-known basketball referee.

NEWLY elected BLTA president Perry Newton (centre in neck tie) poses above with his executives.

Monday, July 6, 2020

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#AFTER a landslide victory for the president’s post, Perry Newton’s entire slate of officers went in unopposed during the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association’s election of officers at the annual general meeting.

#Just before the elections took place in front of a huge crowd at the National Tennis Centre, outgoing president Darnett Weir and her executives were summoned to court in a legal battle over the legality of the proceedings.

#Immediately after getting the mandate to proceed, Vincent Strachan, president of the Bahamas Boxing Federation, conducted the elections that saw Newton win 117-15 over former female national team player Dyphany Mortier.

#“If there’s such a thing as being overconfident, I was confident that I had the support from the tennis community,” Newton said.

#“I feel like I’ve touched a lot of lives in a positive way, so it was just humbling that people saw the plans that me and my team had and they wanted to see us go out there and accomplish them.”

#One by one, it was a domino effect as Newton’s list of candidates filled the spots available with Michael Butler voted in as the new first vice president, Chilean Burrows as second vice president, John Laramore as general secretary, Cameel McDonald as assistant secretary, Timothy Dames as treasurer and Yvette Godet as assistant treasurer.

#Elected as council members were Tara Mactaggart, Everette Munroe, the husband/wife team of Bernard and Shayvon Clarke and Steve Taylor.

#Mickey Williams and Corey Francis will serve as NTC directors. “This is such a relief. I am happy and excited. Me and my team have been planning for a while. Now it’s all done. It’s now all about putting our feet to the road and getting the job done,” Newton said.

#“It was a really good feeling with the support that I got from the tennis community. It was overwhelming. So it’s humbling for me to be here as the new president.”

#He said his executive team made the task so much easier because they all bought into the vision that he presented to them and they brought some positive attitudes to the lead up to the elections.

#Through Weir, his sister-in-law, Newton got started in tennis as an appointed public relations officer. He was then elected as the treasurer.

#And then in the last administration, he was elected as a council member where he also made an impact as junior development coach.

#In his new role up the ladder as the president, Newton said he’s looking forward to getting their junior development programme up and running coming out of the lockdown from the coronavirus.

#In 5-6 months, he said they intend to host their first coaching clinics conducted by the International Tennis Federation to get more persons exposed to the development of the game.

#As far as the teams selected for the Davis and Fed Cup competitions, which were postponed this year until next year due to the spread of the coronavirus, Newton said more than likely they will keep them intact unless there are some unforeseen circumstances to change any of the players.

#Based on the plans presented to him, Butler indicated that he was excited that he gladly accepted the opportunity to work with Newton and his list of candidates. “I’ve always been active in the community, particularly in tennis, more so in the Carmichael community,” said the former baseball/softball player turned tennis coach.

#“I think we have started a very good work where there is a lot of interest, particularly among the youths, and we see the interest and we see the spike in the young people wanting to play tennis.”

#When he was approached by Newton, Butler said he gladly accepted because when he thought about expanding the programme into the community, he felt it was the right fit to get involved. “This entire team is working. You have people like Cameel McDonald, the president of the Abaco Association, all of these people are already engaged and were actually on the ground working prior to the election,” Butler said.

#“So we feel that we can do even more moving forward on behalf of the BLTA.”

#Weir, who opted not to seek another term in office, said despite the court hearing and the inclement weather, they got the election done.

#“Everybody came out and it turned out to be one of the best elections that we ever had,” she said.

#“We couldn’t ask for a better crowd and for their participation in making the event a success. “I think the stakes were high and people wanted the continuity. Perry was on the board before as a treasurer and council member and he’s been in the trenches with the junior development programme.”

#Weir said they passed a resolution at an extraordinary meeting to wait until the Bahamas Government relaxed the orders in the country so that they could reconvene the annual general meeting. But once that was done, the opposing side took the BLTA to court to get an injunction to stop the AGM.

#However, the BLTA won and the AGM and elections were allowed to proceed.

#Mortier claimed that when they arrived, she was told that some of their candidates were not allowed into the NTC.

#She said they were disgusted and annoyed in the manner in which the elections were conducted.

#“I feel disrespected. There’s just a myriad of emotions because when you come to the National Tennis Centre and someone tells you that you are not a member, it does something to you,” she said.

#“The players, whom I had on my slate, were all tennis players who contributed all of our lives to the sport and to hear people turn them away saying they are not members, was disheartening.”

#Despite what transpired, Newton said he’s just thankful to God that everything worked out in his favour with his executive team and he’s looking forward to working with his opposition in helping to push the sport further.

Friday, October 9, 2020

GEORGE McPhee with the legendary Dennis Van Meer.

#By BRENT STUBBS

#Senior Sports Reporter

#bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

#GEORGE McPhee, a former veteran player, who went on to coach a number of the rising young players in the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, passed away at his home on Wednesday morning two days before his 69th birthday today.

#Remembered as a humble man, who could always be seen wearing his signature white tennis outfit, McPhee is survived by his wife Wanda McPhee, son Navarro McKenzie and a host of relatives and friends.

#His wife, recalled that after enjoying 24 years of martial bliss, the only thing her husband didn’t have was wings.

#“He was an angel,” said McPhee, who was looking forward to their 25th anniversary on December 30. “That man treated me like a queen. I never one day had an unhappy day in my life with him. We were just two happy people.

#“Even thought I am grieving, I had so many memories to make me smile, to make me feel warm inside because of him. I will have those memories for the rest of my life. Some people have 50 years of misery, I had 24 almost 25 years of bliss. That’s what I had. So when I say the only thing he didn’t have was wings, I meant that.”

#McPhee got involved in tennis at the age of 17 and went on to the Britannia Hotel courts where he eventually got his professional teaching certificate from Dennis Van Der Meer, the founder of the Professional Tennis Registry and the Van Der Meer Tennis University.

#John Farrington, who also earned his certification from Van Der Meer, said he remembered McPhee, also known as ‘Tight’ because he also had his shirt tucked in his pant and was neatly dressed.

#“I know George from his was at Britannia and then he took over as the head pro at Sandals,” Farrington recalled. “He also had a mustang like my first black mustang. He made sure he kept that clean.

#“He was a good guy. He never really played any tournaments. He hit the ball very good, but he was around with players like Leo Rolle and Bob Isaacs at Britannia Towers before they changed everything. He did a lot of teaching.”

#Highly acclaimed rising young female tennis player Sydney Clarke was one of those players who benefitted from McPhee’s coaching expertise at the Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant Park since she was four years old.

#In an emotional interview from Huntsville, Alabama, where the 18-year-old is now enrolled in her freshman year at the University of Alabama at Arlington (UAB), Clarke said McPhee taught her everything she learnt about the basic fundamentals of the game.

#“He was the best coach I ever had,” said Clarke, who stayed with McPhee until she was eight years old, but they kept their relationship tight knitted no other who coached her afterwards when she attended CR Walker and then Windsor High School where she became apart of the Albany Tennis Academy before graduating this year.

#“At first, I wasn’t always the best student. Sometimes I wouldn’t want to play or I had an attitude and he sent me home and told me to come back another day when I am ready to play. Despite all of that, he still believed in me and he pushed me and he eventually told my mommy to start bringing me every day until I was able to master my backhand and forehand.

#“His training has helped me to improve as a player ever since because he was able to give me the basic fundamentals, a good foundation.”

#Like Farrington, Clarke said if there was another that stood out in her mind about McPhee was his professionalism in his attire that he brought to the court.

#“I always admired how neat I saw him. He would always have his pants ironed and his shirt tucked in. He always looked like a professional,” she noted. “He would always critique my game. Sometimes I would hate it, but it was good for me.

#“He would always pushed me and never let me settled for mediocre. He always knew that I could do better and be better. He was always looking to find ways to make me better. Even when I wasn’t his coach, he would come to my games and watch me play. He was always happy for my accomplishments on and off the court.”

#Immediate past president of the BLTA, Darnette Weir, said when she got the news of his death, she had to reconfirm with someone else in the BLTA who knew him and his family more personally.

#“I met coach McPhee some 13 years ago, but forged a closer relationship with him since becoming mainstream tennis some six and one half years ago,” she stated. “Besides his warm smile and signature shorts he wore whenever he was on the courts, I remember his unwavering support of BLTA tournaments.

#“I would look around in the crowd and could always count on him being there spectating and cheering on his favorite players or his students/former students in his own quiet way. Whether it was the Junior Nationals, ITF Junior Tournaments, Senior Nationals or Open Nationals, coach George would make his way to the National Tennis Center some how.”

#Newly elected BLTA president Perry Newton said McPhee’s passing was definitely a sad loss to the tennis community and he will be missed.

#“George was a very humble man. He was very dedicated. From the time I knew him over the past several years, he was always interested in coaching juniors and those who had an interest in learning tennis,” said Newton, of McPhee, who was stationed at the tennis courts at the Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant Community Park on the Tonique Williams Darling Highway.

#“He was always willing to assist the association in any way he could. He was willing to come out to our tournaments and be a stringer or help to encourage the players in any way he could. I guess the best way for me to describe him would be his dedication to the sport and helping plyers to reach their full potential in the sport.”

#Fellow coach Steve Taylor said over the years, he got to watch and emulate how McPhee conducted himself on and off the court, both as a player and a coach.

#“He was always willing to teach tennis to the youngsters in any area wherever he could get on a tennis court,” Taylor said. “He wasn’t limited to just being at the National Tennis Center. I saw him over the summer teaching in Fox Hill.

#“He was very dedicated. He was very serious. He always said he was on a strict diet. He didn’t eat any bad food. He was a very nutritious guy. He didn’t drink any alcoholic or smoke. He was really keen on coaching the young players.”

#Weir said she often encouraged McPhee to come over to the NTC to coach, but he insisted that he preferred to remain at the Tom ‘the Bird’ Grant facilities, which was a staple for him.

#“He was fierce as a coach on the court with his students, but off the court, he did not like confrontation,” Weir stressed. “He had as quiet nature and always stayed in his own lane. He knew when to speak and when not to speak.”

#Weir said McPhee was loved, well respected and a proud coach to his former students like Philip Major Jr, Iesha Shepherd and Sydney Clarke. Before he got into coaching, Weir said McPhee was a competitive and talented tennis player.

#She said he made his invaluable contributions to the growth and development of the sport of tennis in the Bahamas.