05 Feb All About Adele
Adele Fletcher is a name synonymous with East of Scotland Tennis. As County Administrator, her knowledge of players, clubs, leagues and the wider game is gold! But how much do we know about Adele? We interrupted play to find out a little bit more about her!
Back to the beginning and how did you become involved in tennis?
“I’m the youngest of five, with my sister and I flanking my three brothers. Self-preservation and wanting somebody to play with me meant that I did what they did. We lived in Newlands, Glasgow at the top of two hills. We started playing rounders and moved on to tennis, using the cobbled kerbs for tramlines. God help you if the ball went long as you had a long run downhill to retrieve it – I learnt about healthy margins for error from the start!
“My parents came from Italy and were way too busy working in their restaurant to drive me around, as parents do now. If I wanted to play tennis then I had to go to the park and eventually, at 13, I joined a small tennis club. For my mum and dad this was a major event. A sort of social arrival that they bragged – yes bragged! – about when we went back to Italy that year. Nothing about my excellent report card – just that I joined a tennis club. It took two buses and a mile walk but I did it because I loved it.
“In the late 70s and 80s, when tennis seemed more rock’n’roll, I was hooked. I’ll be a John McEnroe fan forever…which has influenced my attitudes about questioning procedures, actively seeking to help, voicing opinions (perhaps more politely than John) to this day!
“I used to keep scrapbooks as newspapers were the main source of information. When we drove to Italy, in whatever country we passed through – and to keep me quiet – I was treated to tennis magazines which seemed more readily available abroad. That was my first Duolingo too! No app required!”
How did you become involved with East of Scotland and your current role?
“After coaching, playing and captaining for many years in North Berwick and Edinburgh, I became involved (and captained) East of Scotland county seniors. From there, I joined the Board: David Duncan was president and Linda Gordon was secretary. Linda was my predecessor and, when she stood down, I interviewed and, fortunately, my experience made me the successful candidate. Linda was an immensely difficult act to follow!!”
What does your role involve?
“The title is East of Scotland administrator and league organising is only a part of the role. In short, I problem-solve and support the ESLTA in their many endeavours including responding to queries from clubs/individuals and organising county trips for our many teams. The role never really switches off as I link many aspects of East tennis together but whenever leagues are being formed and are in progress, are probably the busiest times.”
What are the biggest challenges in the role?
“Everyone’s busy, so keeping up with the ever-increasing workload is a challenge. We all want more of everything and working out how to cope – in as sustainable a way as possible – can be very challenging. Time and money are always on the agenda. My own personal sponsor – my husband Andrew – has helped immeasurably so that I can devote more time to tennis.”
How have you seen East of Scotland change over the years?
“Clubs have been amazing. Volunteer committees have improved facilities, IT, catered for vastly increased membership numbers, supported their coaching teams and juggled all the events which members can enjoy 12 months of the year. The ESLTA has increased responsibility to ensure the clubs have opportunities to play, feel supported and have pathways for, in particular, juniors who are seeking to progress. It’s a huge amount of work and more intricate than ever before.
“AGM regulars have also commented on how much more businesslike the ESLTA is – and must be – compared to ten years ago.
“The county coaching, led by Callum Lloyd, is growing every year with pathways put in place for our young players covering all ages.
“Much of this has always existed but now there’s so much more, so accounting systems, governance, sponsorship, safeguarding and communications all need to keep up. The current ESLTA Board is full of talent driving all of this – with Chair Viki Mendelssohn at the helm – and is always keen to hear of willing helpers.”
How are you attracting and retaining members?
“Our membership is currently 26,000 players and much of the effort to maintain this comes from the clubs. We must support the clubs and their players. Our leagues are the biggest attraction and cater for thousands of participants at every level. Our flagship tournament, the East Open, has been attracting massive participation for its many events and is one of the first open events to include Padel.
“Going forward, improving communication – particularly through social media and the website – will be crucial to maintaining a good relationship with our members.”
Tennis, Padel, pickleball? How does each appeal and is there a place for all?
“They all appeal to me…anything with a bat and a ball! My first sporting love will always be tennis, but I now also love Padel and I’m really enjoying Pickleball. I think there is plenty of room for everything.”