13-year-old Sami Mousseddad is currently enrolled on the Tennis Aberdeen Coached Programme pathway. We caught up with him to find out what he loves about his sport.

What got you into tennis and how old were you when you began?

I started about three years ago when I was ten but I wish I had started earlier. I used to play on the beach every summer with a sponge ball and a bat and this is when I thought I should start to play tennis properly. I had fun playing on the beach with my family and this inspired me to start lessons.

How has the sport Aberdeen coaching programme helped you to get to the position you are in today?

Every Saturday afternoon I go to Aberdeen Tennis Centre for coaching. I have made good friends there and the coaches are great and super friendly.

The lessons are in a relaxed environment and everyone gets on really well. We do so much in a one-hour lesson including: exercises, playing games and improving our skills. One week the lessons are inside and the next they are outside on the new courts.

The tennis coached programme has allowed me to improve so much and I have also learned a lot about the sport. I really like that the lessons carry on throughout the holidays as it gives me something to do.

Do you think your confidence has grown throughout your tennis journey?

My confidence has grown a lot since I started tennis but especially after helping out at Marischal Square in July. There was an event run by Aberdeen Tennis Centre where the public could come and play tennis and find out more about what Aberdeen Tennis Centre has to offer.

I was nervous to start with as it was my first time helping as a tennis leader. However, I really enjoyed myself especially as I got to meet the other leaders and help set up the event.

By the end of the day I felt far more confident as I had the chance to speak to others about tennis had been playing lots of mini games with others who came to the event.

What does being a tennis leader involve?

It involves helping the coaches during their lessons, helping with tasks at Aberdeen Tennis Centre and assisting at special events such as the one at Marischal Square.

It mainly involves making sure that I am there to help and that everything runs smoothly. Being a tennis leader also means I can help out at clubs, schools or afterschool activities.

I hope that when I am older, I can progress from being a tennis leader to being a coach.

Who are your role models?

For tennis it has to be Rafael Nadal. He has won so many competitions and he gives 100% all the time.

It is clear that he trains a lot and puts everything into his training and games. I admire that he has total respect for everyone he plays against and it is really nice that he is so close to his family.