CALVIN Betton recently spent seven weeks in America and is preparing to fly to China tomorrow.
But the successful tennis coach, who currently has two players in the world’s top 70, still sees Barnsley very much as home.
One of the players he coaches is Henry Patten who won the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon this year and Luke Johnson is his other protege.
At the time of the Wimbledon win, Calvin, 45, said: “It’s a career highlight for me and, because I am not married and haven’t got any kids, it was probably the best day of my life.
“This was always something I wanted to achieve as a coach it was phenomenal the way the match panned out.
“Everyone was saying it was the best doubles final ever.”
Calvin’s journey to Centre Court glory started in Barnsley, firstly playing and then coaching at Barnsley Tennis Club.
He said: “My dad played with his mates at the community park courts at Stainborough on a Sunday morning.
“I just used to play with them until I was 14 then I went to a Barnsley Tennis Club summer camp and started playing a lot more.”
Calvin reached county and regional level as a player but turned to coaching aged 21 and between 1999 and 2007 he was head coach at Barnsley, winning the Yorkshire League twice, before moving to David Lloyd in Leeds and then Batley Tennis Centre.
He then coached individual players to junior national championships and British number one spots.
His current players are Luke Johnson, ranked 67 in the world in doubles, and Patten who has now moved up to 17 having been number 600 when he first started working with Betton in April 2022.
Calvin spends most of his time away on tour with his players or as captain of the Yorkshire team but still loves to get back home to New Lodge when he can.
“I enjoy the travelling but it’s good to come home and relax when I got back last Thursday it was the first day I had not been on a tennis court for seven weeks.
“It’s all-consuming with two players who, up until recently, were playing different tournaments in different places.
“It’s great to get back and not be living out of a suitcase and I enjoy cooking so it is good to cook my own meals rather than eating in restaurants all the time as it’s not always the healthiest way.
“Saying which, I do get bored and by the time the next trip comes along I’m ready to get back to it I spent a lot of time on aeroplanes and in hotel rooms but tennis is my thing.”
Calvin has high hopes for the future and believes he and his players can achieve a lot more.
He said of Henry’s Wimbledon success: “This was kind of the pinnacle but now we want to win more.
“I already think Henry is the best player in the world and a lot of people think that as well.
“Until he’s world number one, it’s not official so that’s a good goal as well.”
Calvin has been nominated in the Proud of Barnsley awards in the Sporting Achievement category.
