AN AWARD-WINNING coach with links to Dunfermline Tennis Club has been shortlisted for an LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) prize.

Alessia Palmieri, who previously played for the Bothwell Street based club, as well as having coached with them, has been put forward for a UK-wide Development Coach of the Year accolade.

She has been acknowledged for her work with Fossoway Tennis Club, in her home village of Crook of Devon, where she has developed tennis programmes that took its membership to around 370 last year.

One of three nominees for the LTA prize, Alessia was, in March, feted as Tennis Scotland’s Development Coach of the Year, an accolade she said she is “ecstatic” to have won.

A Scottish Cup finalist with Dunfermline’s ladies team in 2016, Alessia, who is retaining her links to the club through coaching on the women’s side, had been announced, last year, as their joint head coach.

She had been due to work alongside Alan Russell, who had returned to the club, but then elected not to take up the role due to commitments elsewhere, which she admitted was a “tough” decision.

Last Friday, Fossoway held a fun day to celebrate Alessia’s achievements and, speaking to Press Sport, she said: “I went to school here, this is where I first started playing tennis, but without coaching, obviously, it was more my mum. She took me down to play with me here.

“There wasn’t really any coaching programme when I was here. There was no coach or anything.

“I was in the States before lockdown and, before lockdown, I think we had a small-ish programme going – I used to help with the after school stuff – but it was never as full-on as it has been the last few years.

“I’m trying to replicate a bigger court club, and giving what they’ve got at a big court club and putting it where? Why not? Otherwise, the kids miss out.

“I just feel like these small clubs are not given enough attention in a way, and coaches don’t want to coach at small clubs, but, for me, it’s ideal. It’s on the doorstep, I know everyone, but I didn’t want to give up the job with Dunfermline because everything’s going so well.

“It was a tough choice, Dunfermline, obviously, because I know Alan really well, and Mike, but, at the end of the day, I just thought ‘keep going with what’s going well’.

“There’s plenty of time in the future to take on a bigger court club.”

Admitting she didn’t expect the awards recognition she has received, Alessia continued: “It’s still sinking in properly, the LTA national one, but the Scottish one, I’m just ecstatic about it. I never once thought I’d be the winner, let alone be nominated, so I’m really chuffed.”

The awards take place at Wimbledon next month.