Racquet Buddies

Another sunny day to finish off a brilliant first week ☀️

We were missing a few today, but we still worked hard on some serving, a couple of games of wipeout and also some time together with a barbecue and ice lollies 😋

Thanks to the kids for all their efforts this week - not easy at times in the heat, but they’ve smashed it and it was a pleasure to have them. They’ve not only been stars on court, but also attitudes, effort and manners - they really have been a credit to their grown ups 🥰

I also want to say a huge thank you to Kirrin and Zoe for all their help this week, and Murray and Fraser - the camp definitely wouldn’t run as smoothly without them 🙏🏻

Now for a week off before week #2 starting on the 20th 🎾☀️

Another cracking day in the ☀️ with these cracking little peeps ☺️

It’s tricky getting the balance of how much to do in the heat and also get some shade, fluids and rest (the ice lollies also helped 😋), but safe to say they’ve smashed it this week and they’ve been an absolute pleasure to have 🥰

One day to go, and a quieter day at that with some kids heading off on their holidays, but looking forward to finishing week 1 of 3 summer camps in style 🎾🥰🙌🏻

🔥☀️🎾

Absolute scorcher of a day today - productive in the morning, but lots of drinks breaks and chill time for the kids in the shade too 🥰 and definitely a bit more laid back in the afternoon.
Looks like more of the same tomorrow 🙌🏻

A day of two halves, with tennis outside for the morning, working on ground strokes from both sides 🎾 and then up to Menzieshill for badminton when the rain came on 🏸

The kids never fail to amaze me with how they ban switch between both sports ☺️🙌🏻 It was good for them to have a go at badminton today, but we’re looking forward to the sun and heat for the rest of the week ☀️🔥

Day 1 fun 🤩🙌🏻🎾

No sign of the sun yet, but happy the rain stayed away and we managed to stay outdoors at Camperdown. The kids were a pleasure to have today - lots of smiles, lots of great tennis (especially given the fact most of them do badminton with us - did so well in switching!) and a whole lot of fun.

Roll on tomorrow, and roll on the sun later in the week ☀️

This is how we rounded up the 2025/26 session 💃🏼🥂 and leads me perfectly on to sum up the year….

When I started Racquet Buddies, I was still teaching at a primary school in Dundee and set up the business for kids to get involved in racquet sports. When the government rolled out their free nursery places for kids aged 2+, it took a wee while but it really impacted the business, causing obvious concern.
Add into the mix personal issues in the past 2yrs including losing my brother, my own heart condition, house moves and extensions, and my dad’s constant decline due to his MS, and it’s clear that things have been quite hard at times, and that’s just the bare bones of it.

There’s been doubt. A LOT of it. Self doubt can cripple me at times, and it’s very easy for me to feel like I’m failing as a default.

But then there’s the reality - we’re still going, and in this past year we’ve added a retirement class and a mixed adult class, while our ladies and kids classes continue to grow. No, the business doesn’t look like I hoped it would by now, but who’s to say that something better can’t happen due to challenges faced?

This wouldn’t be possible without the belief of parents who bring their kids along to classes and to the adults who put their trust in me every week in delivering our sessions (it obviously sounds like I know what I’m talking about 🙄🫠🤣) I can’t thank everyone enough for sticking with me this past year while battling various things, and I’m so very grateful to do what I do for a job. You literally let me live the dream 🫶🏻🙏🏻

This also wouldn’t be possible without the support of others who step in and assist at classes, giving their time to make the sessions even better. To Wendy, Kirrin, Zoe, Debs, Murray, Fraser, Megan and Olivia - thank you so much for this past year 🙏🏻🥰

Now onto our summer camps starting tomorrow 🙌🏻🎾☀️

2025/26, over and out ❤️

And that’s a wrap on classes for our 2025/26 session 🥳🎈🎾🏸

We had rescheduled classes from the previous week to finish off the term and thankfully most could make it - as always I appreciate everyone’s understanding in having to cancel the previous week, but delighted to go out with a bang this weekend ☺️

A wee round up of our year coming up, and also getting ready for our first summer camp starting tomorrow ☀️

Business recommendation….

Early morning road trip to Life Fit Wellness to get this gammy shoulder sorted again 💉🫠

Shout out to Stewart and Emmet who have treated me the past couple of times with their guided ultrasound injections, the best at what they do - Stewart played a couple of years above me when we were competing and is so knowledgeable, as is Emmet, and there’s nowhere else I’d go for this treatment. Stewart also recently treated the son of one of our lovely ladies from Tuesdays, helping him to be ready for his first cap for Scotland in water polo 🤽🏻‍♂️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Always partial to a road trip anyway, but was kept company by a few of the best Scottish bands - Skerryvore Tide Lines Torridon
Check out Skerryvore’s latest tune, sooooo good, and amazing they’re coming to Dundee in December too - get your tickets booked, amazingly talented dudes 🙌🏻

Some photos from last week 🥰🏸🎾

Only a week to go until our first camp of the summer 🙌🏻☀️

Our middle week (20th-24th July) is now fully booked but we still have availability in the other two on offer, 6th-10th July and 10th-14th August.

Get in touch to book a slot for your wee one before all the slots are gone ☺️