Hotshot coach Derek is up for top tennis gong
An ace tennis coach has been named as a finalist for a sought-after award after going above and beyond to help young players shine.
Derek Brown, of Strathgryffe Tennis Club, in Houston, has been shortlisted for the Tennis Scotland Coach of the Year Award.
The Tennis Scotland Awards 2020 aim to recognise the achievements, work and dedication of individuals, clubs, teams, tournaments and programmes throughout the country during the course of last year.
Derek is in the running for Coach of the Year after making a significant impact players, the club and coaching/community programme.
He also helped to develop other coaches and young people, providing opportunities to players of different ages, abilities and backgrounds.
Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, said: “The Tennis Scotland Awards give us the chance to recognise the incredible achievements of individuals, clubs, teams, tournaments and programmes across the country.
“They are the driving force behind our sport and it’s important that we take the time to acknowledge their contributions to tennis in Scotland.
“All should be very proud of their achievement in being shortlisted for an award and we look forward to announcing the winners in the next few weeks.”
In total, 36 finalists have been announced across 13 different categories, with the winners of each category being put forward to the LTA British Tennis Awards.
The winners of the Tennis Scotland Awards will be announced on Monday, with an awards ceremony to be held at a date and venue to be announced.
Among the winners last year were Deeside’s Aboyne LTC, which was named Club of the Year, while Eilidh Smith, who represented the GB Women’s 40s team at the World Championships in Miami in 2018, scooped the Senior Player of the Year award.
Paisley vet Neil McIntosh, who has 36 years’ experience, shares his views with you every Thursday.
Today, we hear pet misconceptions. Many pet owners absolutely persist in harbouring some terrible misconceptions.
This is not acceptable and must be remedied forthwith or, failing that, at least immediately.
The first misconception is simple. It has caused me to be woken from a deep and peaceful slumber on many occasions and this fact alone places it high up on my most annoying list.
It is this – retching dogs do not have something stuck in their throat. If they can happily eat and drink, if they are coughing up white or clear froth, but they are otherwise well, then they do not – yes, I repeat– do not have something stuck in their throat.
It is not an emergency. They have a mild upper respiratory tract infection.
You do not need to phone me. Go to sleep. We will start treatment in the morning.
The second should also be obvious. It has cost me many hours of gentle persuasion, days of arguing and the loss of some very dear friends.
It is this - if your pet is fat, you are feeding it too much.
No excuses – well, except for hypothyroidism in dogs, which has caught me out a few times.
Don’t tell me they only get one little teensy weensy meal a day.
Don’t tell me you hardly feed them anything.
Don’t tell me they are big boned.
Don’t tell me they have always looked like that.
Fat pet equals too much food. Stop it.
Misconception number three is a personal favourite.
It first came to my attention some two days, four hours and 16 minutes into my veterinary career and the physical scars are still visible, over 30 years later.
I hide the mental torment well. It is this – Veterinary surgeons bleed.
Veterinary surgeons find it painful to be bitten and veterinary surgeons generally need functioning digits to be able to work efficiently.
So, don’t tell me just after your wee sweety-pie has sunk his teeth deep into my hand that he always does that when people go to pat him.
For goodness sake, tell me before. I’ll love you for it. Really.
My last misconception cuts right to the heart of the client/vet relationship.
I accept it is based upon the trust you place in us and the high esteem in which you hold us.
I am aware that revealing it will cause shock, surprise, even dismay amongst some of you, but reveal it I must.
And it is this: We can’t give tablets to really aggressive cats either.
I know. I’ve hurt you haven’t I? Oh, don’t get me wrong.
Most cats are fine.
It’s just that the ones you bring to the surgery because you can’t give them tablets tend to bite us too. (See misconception three above).
Which is why I am delighted to remind you of a revolution in veterinary medicine.
Wait for it. It is this - there is a complete wormer that will safely and successfully kill roundworms, tapeworms and hookworms and it is available for cats in a spot-on preparation.
Which is great because they are the only ones allowed out just now. It’s called Profender.
And I love it. Seriously. I couldn’t conceive of a better idea.