Yesterday was an unforgettable day for our family as we travelled to Taunton (well luckily this year his local tennis centre)  for the U8 County Cup — a fantastic tennis event organized by the LTA, with the brilliant Parun Patel at the helm ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Our son had the incredible opportunity to represent Somerset A in a tournament filled with energy, sportsmanship, and some truly memorable matches.

The event was well-organized, with two groups of three teams each. It was brilliant to see that both Somerset and Dorset had managed to raise enough players to field a B-team as well, giving even more young athletes the chance to experience competitive county tennis.

Each Somerset team had five boys selected for the event, which made for a tightly bonded squad and ensured that every match was packed with energy and excitement.

Somerset A – Devon

In their first match, Somerset A faced Devon. Our son didn’t feature in this opening tie, but we watched proudly from the sidelines as Somerset put in a battling performance. It was a tight contest throughout, but unfortunately Somerset narrowly lost after a hard-fought encounter.

After the eight initial singles matches, the teams were still closely matched, but it was the two decisive doubles matches that tipped the balance, with Devon eventually prevailing 6–4 overall

Somerset A – Dorset B

The second match was against Dorset B — and it was our son’s turn to take to the court. He was scheduled to play two singles matches followed by a doubles match.

As the time to play approached, the nerves understandably started to set in. Sadly, he lost his first singles match, and being a passionate young competitor, he was understandably upset and emotional afterwards.

My wife did an amazing job calming him down, reassuring him that the result didn’t matter. We/my wife reminded him how proud we were of him for just being out there, representing Somerset, and giving it his all.

His teammates were fantastic too, cheering him on, offering encouragement and support, and reminding him that above all, he should be having fun out there.

It’s worth saying that tennis is a tough sport emotionally for young players. Losses can feel very personal, because unlike many team sports, you can’t quite share or spread the burden with others. It can be a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those — like our son — who put huge pressure on themselves to succeed, despite all the positive encouragements and reassurances we try to give.

Tennis can be a steep learning curve when it comes to dealing with disappointment, but we know this will make him stronger in the long run.

Encouraged and more settled, our son went into his second singles match with renewed focus — and this time, he came out victorious!

His win helped Somerset pull further ahead, and by the end of the eight singles matches, Somerset were leading an impressive 7–1, meaning the overall victory was already secured.

To finish the match on a high, the boys went on to win both of the doubles matches, with our son proudly contributing to one of those doubles victories alongside a teammate.

Devon into the final, Somerset A for 3rd

With both matches played, the group standings were decided:
Devon, having won both of their matches, topped the group and moved on to face Dorset A (the winners of the other group) in the overall final.

Somerset A, having finished second in the group, were set to play Cornwall for 3rd and 4th place. Meanwhile, Somerset B faced Dorset B in the playoff for 5th and 6th place.

In the match against Cornwall, Somerset A truly shone. Our son contributed with an impressive three wins — taking victory in both of his singles matches as well as in his doubles match alongside a teammate. The whole team played brilliantly, showing great teamwork and spirit.

Somerset dominated the tie, winning 9–1 overall, securing a fantastic third-place finish for the tournament.

Although some of the scorelines looked commanding, it’s worth noting that many of the matches were very well fought and tightly contested. Several could have gone either way, and all the boys showed amazing determination and fighting spirit throughout.

Well organized

Throughout the day, the atmosphere was fantastic — full of excitement, encouragement, and pride from all the teams, coaches, and parents. Regardless of the results, seeing the boys’ hard work, resilience, sportsmanship, and pure love for the game was what truly made the day so special.

A huge thank you goes out to Parun Patel, the LTA, all the coaches, organisers, and volunteers who made the event such a success. And, of course, massive congratulations to all the players who took part — you were a credit to your counties!

We couldn’t be prouder of our son and his teammates. Days like these create memories that will stay with them forever.

“Tennis teaches you so much more than just winning — it teaches resilience, character, and how to get up stronger after every fall.”