FOLLOWING trials held in Southampton in October, three Totally Tennis players have been selected to travel to Bisham Abbey this week for the second selection stage of the Lawn Tennis Association National Futures Programme.

The LTA Futures Programme is designed to provide the most talented youngsters in Britain with the best opportunity to make the transition from promising junior players into the next generation of tennis champions.

Players selected for the course will follow a national programme of physical training, tennis coaching and competition to prepare them to reach the highest levels.

Jack Waissen (currently a National Futures Player), brother Matt Waissen and Eliot Rowberry (all pictured), all members of the Gazette-sponsored performance squad, will spend two days at a camp held at Bisham Abbey.

The camp will be led by former British number one and current Futures Director Mark Cox, who opened Totally Tennis' facility back in February.

He will be working with national coaches to assess players on their technical, physical, tactical and psychological strengths before a final decision is made of who will be invited to become a National Futures Player next year.

Totally Tennis director and performance coach, Nigel Long said: "The camp is an exciting opportunity for the three boys - one benefit of selection is funding for additional coaching and to assist coaches to travel more frequently with players to tournaments.

The player would also be invited to more performance tennis camps.

To have come this far in the trials means they are among the best players in the country for their age and so it certainly won't be the end of the world if they are not selected."

Players in the Futures Programme are assessed each year and do not automatically continue.

Once National Futures players reach the age of 13, they are then assessed again and, if they meet the required standards, are invited to attend a tennis academy.