The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SINCE April 5, Derron Donaldson has been sitting in the chair as the newest and youngest president, not just of the Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association, but any major association or federation in the Bahamas.

The 23-year-old, who has worked with the junior development programme and as a tournament director for a number of tournaments hosted at the National Tennis Center, replaced Steve Turnquest.

He will head the ship for the next year but before his term is up, he intends to amend the constitution to extend the team to at least two years to give those serving more time to carry out their duties.

Joining Donaldson are Dentry Mortimer as first vice president, Bradley Bain as second vice president, Barbara Carey as secretary, Owen Forbes as assistant secretary and Elwood Donaldson as treasurer.

The council members are Bruno Roberts, Ellen Moxey, Dr Patrick Cargill, Kim O'Kelley and Howard Bastian.

Donaldson said it's "great for my career as the junior co-ordinator for tennis at the Lyford Cay Club with Nikkita (Fountain).

"It's given me the management skills that I probably would have gone to college to achieve. It's making me very mature because I'm so young. But I love the game. That is why I'm doing it. I want to be able to give back to the sport."

The Grand Bahama native, who graduated from Freeport High in 2008 and was just married in February, said his aim is to try and rejuvenate tennis the way it was played during his days as a player.

"Right now, the BLTA has no connection with none of the other tennis clubs like the Gym Tennis Club or Lyford Cay," he said.

"So we want to try and reunite everything and be the new face with no politics or any hidden agenda, just tennis.

"I want to be able to show the kids what tennis has done for me. They too can get a tennis scholarship, teach or work at a tennis club. There's just so many doors of opportunities for them that we need to expose them to."

What's interesting about his executive team is that the fact that all of the officers are younger than Donaldson, which will only help in his growth and development.

"People like Dentry and Kim need no introduction. You just say their names in tennis and it says a whole lot," Donaldson said.

"There are people like Bradley Bain who has great organisational skills and works well with the junior players too."

Donaldson said his goal is be the glue that will bring all of the officers together to work in harmony and, at the same time, give the players the kind of exposure that they need on the local and international scene.