Jacklyn Lambert has become the first female tennis coach in Bermuda to attain the International Tennis Federation Level 2 coaching badge.

Lambert passed her final assessment last month in Valencia, Spain, and joins Gavin Manders, Steve Bean and Evan Heyliger as the highest-qualified coaches on the island.

The former Bermuda player was delighted with her achievement after attempting to level up her coaching for more than a decade.

“It’s really exciting because it was something that I’ve been trying for a few years now,” Lambert told The Royal Gazette.

“I got my Level 1 more than ten years ago. That is one for coaching beginners and Level 2 is for coaching advanced players, so now I can prepare players to play tournaments around the world at a higher level.

“When I went into this, it wasn't about being one of the few women in the Caribbean. It was about getting the next certification for me to become a better coach, for the players of Bermuda.”

Lambert spoke of how she attempted to upgrade her coaching qualifications soon after getting her Level 1 only to realise that the process was not as easy as she had thought.

“I tried to do my Level 2 immediately after getting my Level 1, but it’s not an easy process,” the 36-year-old said.

“The Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association, Bermuda Olympic Association and our regional representative do all the paperwork before you are accepted.

“I’m really grateful to the BOA because doing Level 2 doesn't come cheap. We have to pay for the coaches and ourselves to fly down there and cover the accommodation.

“The BOA, through the Olympic Solidarity funding, covered all the expenses for my ten days in Spain.”

Before heading to Spain for the final assessment, Lambert had to dedicate two hours of her day for the completion of the online phase of the qualification and the first female Level 2 coach on the island is now determined to go farther.

“It was fun but at the same time a little bit stressful,” the Lambert Island Tennis & Co professional said.

“Sometimes it was just a lot of information all at once. But all in all, it was a great experience and we've all decided that we want to do our Level 3.

“This process was a reaffirmation that we were going in the right direction when it came to coaching our advanced players.”

As someone who is passionate about the sport, Lambert, the Bermuda coach at the 2023 Billie Jean King Cup Americas group three in Panama, wants to use her newly acquired knowledge for the betterment of players on the island.

“Tennis has always been my passion,” she said. “I’ve used it to try to push people to be better versions of themselves on and off the tennis court.

“Getting my Level 2 allows me to help players maximise their ability. It gets them to a level where they just don’t represent Bermuda, but take themselves to other tournaments.

“In the past, I’ve taken young players to ITF tournaments to compete, but upgrading my qualification means that I can teach them in the correct way.

“Most times, you teach them by telling them what to do. Now I’m able to show them the practical side of tennis, so that they’re able to go out there and compete on their own.”

Michael Wolfe, the BLTA president, has applauded Lambert for advancing her qualifications.

“The Bermuda Lawn Tennis Association is thrilled to congratulate Jacky on successfully achieving her Level 2 certification,” Wolfe said.

“This accomplishment highlights the BLTA's continued commitment to providing valuable development opportunities for our local coaches, empowering them to cultivate our players' skills to the highest possible standards.

“Last year, the BLTA recommended Jacky for this certification process to the ITF. This recommendation aligned perfectly with the ITF's strong initiative to increase female representation in high-level coaching roles.

“Both the ITF and the BOA, through the Coaches Solidarity Fund, approved and co-sponsored her involvement in the course.

“Jacky is heavily involved in BLTA programming and our international teams. We are confident that these new skills, combined with her years of experience in tennis, will be a significant advantage for Bermuda's tennis development.

“The BLTA extends its sincere thanks to both the ITF and the BOA for their crucial support in making this possible.”