Tennis Victoria
Club Ambassador Success Stories 2010/11
tennis.com.au/vic
Albion Tennis Club Introduction
Welcome to the Club Ambassador Success Stories booklet for 2010/11, demonstrating the fantastic achievements of Club Ambassadors from across Victoria. The stories include increasing membership, improving facilities and getting people from different backgrounds involved in the sport – all of which are vital to the development of tennis clubs. These success stories have been the result of the tireless efforts of Club Ambassadors, club volunteers, club coaches and their consistent contact with Tennis Victoria. With over 900 affiliates and more than 80,000 members, this booklet is a great way for Tennis Victoria to recognise and reward clubs, coaches and communities for their outstanding contribution to the sport. Highlighting best practice, providing an insight into successful clubs and creating case studies for other clubs to refer to is the main reason this booklet was created. What is the Club Ambassador Program? In the past, all you have needed to become a Club Ambassador is a current email address and a commitment to communicate information from Tennis Victoria to your club members and committee, including the latest news, offers and activities going on in the tennis industry. Being the conduit between your club and Tennis Victoria is an important role and one that can be mutually beneficial for both parties. We encourage all clubs to have open communication lines with Tennis Victoria to ensure their voice is heard on relevant issues and topics within the tennis industry, as well as receive the latest information on the newest programs and services available to clubs. Who can become a Club Ambassador? Anyone at your club can become a Club Ambassador. All you need is a current email address and a commitment to communicate information from Tennis Victoria to your club members and committee. How can I become a Club Ambassador? To become a Club Ambassador, e-mail your name and club to tvreception@tennis.com.au. Want more information? More information can be found on the Tennis Victoria website tennis.com.au/vic/clubs. Alternatively, please call (03) 8420-8420 or email tvreception@tennis.com.au.
Contents
Streets Ahead Program....................................................................................................................................4 Successful Seniors Social Tennis Program.................................................................................................5 Mlc Tennis Hot Shots For Kids With A Disability .....................................................................................6 24 Hour Marathon Tennis Event....................................................................................................................7 A ‘Future Leader’ Gives Back To The Club...................................................................................................8 ‘Game’ … Now On To Set And Match..........................................................................................................9 The Importance Of Successful Partnerships.......................................................................................... 10 Celebrating 50 Years With An Eye On The Future................................................................................ 11 Giving Schools An On-Court Tennis Experience.................................................................................. 12 Sustained Club Open Day Success............................................................................................................ 13 Small But Significant Results For Regional Clubs ................................................................................ 14 Tennis For All Abilities.................................................................................................................................... 15 Towns And Tennis Born Again From The Black Saturday Ashes..................................................... 16 Premier League Success................................................................................................................................ 17 The Fed Cup Comes To Melbourne........................................................................................................... 18 Turning To Its Youth........................................................................................................................................ 19 Getting Mums Back In To Tennis................................................................................................................ 20 A Community Court, A Community Club............................................................................................... 21 My Tennis … It’s Easy!.................................................................................................................................... 22 5-Star Community Coaching Award......................................................................................................... 23 The Pro Tour Goes Regional!........................................................................................................................ 24 The Victorian Good Sports Club Of The Year......................................................................................... 25 Metropolitan West – Culturally And Linguistically Diverse.............................................................. 26 When Regional Victoria Comes To Play................................................................................................... 27
Albion Tennis Club Streets Ahead Program The Brimbank Council introduced the Streets Ahead Program to the local community and sporting clubs in 2009. Part of the program was to try and get local sporting clubs to provide their services to children in the area to come and try a sport. Their main objective was to target primary school children that were interested in playing club sports, who may not get an opportunity to do so. We thought this was a wonderful initiative for the Albion Tennis Club to get involved in, so we didn’t hesitate to offer our services to assist the council with this project. Brimbank Council chose 20 students from schools in the area to participate and we offered them a free, one year, full junior membership if they wished to continue playing tennis at the club. So, with 20 eager children from Albion Primary School and St Theresa’s Primary School, five volunteers and four nearly-new mod grass courts, we got down to some
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serious ball hitting and a lot of fun and games. By the end of the 10 weeks everyone had a solid understanding of the rules, could serve, return and play a great game of tennis. The final session was held as a ‘Grand Finale’ round-robin competition, with every participant getting a prize. Not only did the children enjoy tennis and make new friends from the other school, after the 10 weeks our volunteers were sad when it was all over. We were lucky enough to do it all again in 2010, with some of our students from 2009 even coming back. The Albion Tennis Club would like this opportunity to thank the Brimbank Council for letting us participate and Tennis Victoria who loaned us the racquets, balls and provided giveaways for all the children. Richard Brennan - President
Altona Tennis Club Successful Seniors Social Tennis Program The Altona Tennis Club has been running a successful Seniors Social Program for a number of years. Consisting of a core group of 30 players participating on a weekly basis, the club provides a ‘hit and giggle’ group for beginners and competitive male and female groups for those who enjoy the more serious side of tennis. The ladies play a round-robin format where they play eight games before changing partners to mix games up.
“Iris comes along every week. She likes the company and to be there. Iris might only play four games and then sit four off. Or she might play eight or 10 games and say she’s had enough and sit the rest off,” said Baldwin. The Altona Tennis Club believes the program is a great way to utilise the club’s courts during down times and a valuable tool to assist with membership growth. Mary Baldwin - Senior Social Coordinator
“We don’t keep a daily score. We don’t [like to] have a winner or loser on the day,” said Mary Baldwin, the Senior Social Coordinator at Altona Tennis Club. The Seniors Social Program is a great way to get older members of the community active and help them live a long and healthy life. Two such examples of that are Iris Brady and Linda Findlay, both aged 83.
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Bairnsdale Tennis Club MLC Tennis Hot Shots For Kids With A Disability As part of Tennis Victoria’s Regional Development Officer Program funded by VicHealth, Julie Glynn of East Gippsland organised, promoted and delivered an MLC Tennis Hot Shots program for students at the Noweyung Special School. The program, which ran at the Bairnsdale Tennis Club over two six-week blocks in Terms 3 and 4 in 2010, encouraged tennis for all abilities and offered integration and inclusion to the club environment for the 12 participants. This helped to ensure their intellectual disabilities were not a barrier to learn and play tennis at their local club. Most of the participants had not played tennis before but were quite competent in their skills, and by the end of the program they were comfortably playing singles and doubles matches. The MLC Tennis Hot Shots program taught them how to score and play the game very quickly, with ‘King of the Court’ being one of the most popular activities.
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The kids even got enjoyment out of challenging Julie and the other teachers to matches, with the overall improvement in their skills clearly evident by the end of the program. Adam Feiner - Community Tennis Officer Regional East, Tennis Victoria
Bendigo Bank Tennis Complex 24 Hour Marathon Tennis Event More than 100 young tennis players stayed up all night on Saturday 18 December, 2010 for charity. As part of the Bendigo Tennis Marathon, 110 tennis players took part in the event that ran from 6 pm on Saturday to 8 am Sunday. The tennis marathon raised $4826.60 to support the Down Syndrome Family Support Group. The marathon, which is now in its 10th year, has amazingly raised $53,143.23 for different charities including the Children and Elderly Wards at the Bendigo Health Care Group, the Lighthouse Foundation, the Autism Family Support Group and local bushfire victims. Marathon co-ordinator and resident coach at Bendigo Bank Tennis Complex, Steve Storer, said it was a great opportunity for the young kids to do something to help their local community. “It’s a great night for the kids; they play tennis between 6 pm and 8 am and bunk
in the clubhouse. It’s a really good way for kids to help others,” said Storer. “The Down Syndrome Family Support Group will put the funds raised towards a booklet for parents about what to expect once their child has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome.” The unique event demonstrates the Bendigo Tennis Association’s strong community links and sense of community involvement. Local businesses also threw their support behind the marathon event, including Bendigo Bank, DCK Real Estate, Prince Tennis Racquets, Retire Invest, KR Castlemaine, Pinky’s Pizza, Coca Cola, Gillies Pies/Pasties, Street’s Ice-cream and the Bendigo Tennis Association, who provided the courts/lighting and club rooms. For more information on the event or to find out how you become involved please contact Steve Storer on 0419 411 780. Steve Storer - Club Coach
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Boronia Tennis Club A ‘Future Leader’ Gives Back To The Club As a part of the 2010 Tennis Victoria Future Leaders Program, I attended a three-day camp at Gembrook. I was then charged with heading back to my club – the Boronia Tennis Club - to perform at least 40 hours of volunteer work. After having a fabulous three days at the Future Leaders Camp, I was enthusiastic about volunteering at my local tennis club. After spending a few days considering what project I could undertake, I decided the main project would be to organise the production and design of club t-shirts. The club had often discussed the idea of producing t-shirts, but had ultimately failed to do so because of a lack of funding. I decided to apply for a grant to help fund the t-shirts, and with the assistance of Danielle Russom from Tennis Victoria who was able to point me towards a grant program run by the Victorian Government, I was able to successfully apply. In applying for the Sporting Uniforms Grant Program, I had to research the cost of producing the t-shirts, including logo design and sources for obtaining them. I then approached the club for permission and support to apply and sent in the application for the grant to the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Youth Affairs. The sense of pride was overwhelming when the Boronia Tennis Club was officially approved the grant allocation of $1000, which was the highest possible grant amount. It allowed the club to purchase 8
shirts for all junior club representatives playing competition. Now all the juniors are properly attired and look unified wearing the club colours to competitions. As well as the t-shirts, I also assisted the club coach with coaching clinics over the holidays, attended working bees and helped out the junior convener, all of which assisted my professional development in a variety of different areas. Overall, it was a great opportunity to give back to the club and get involved in activities that will help the club grow and prosper in the future. Simon Nickels - Club Member
Bruce Park Tennis Club ‘GAME’ ... Now On To Set And Match Over the past number of years at Bruce Park Tennis Club, we have been working on improving the way we do things and were rewarded by becoming the first club to complete the Game level of the Tennis Victoria’s Game Set Match Program.
priorities for the coming year. In addition, six working bees conducted over the course of a year ensure everything is kept in an acceptable condition. This helps to encourage members to take ownership of and care for our facility.
Game Set Match is a club development program and online resource tool that has helped the club develop the basic principles and best practices in business operations, volunteer management, facility operations and on-court management.
The club has been closely involved in health-related initiatives, firstly by making the club precinct a smoke free zone and also by being proactive in relation to alcohol. We joined the Good Sports Program and have currently achieved Level 2 and have had more than 20 members undertake a Responsible Serving of Alcohol course.
In achieving the Game level, among other things, we have had to build a business plan, create a budget forecast, complete the Club Health Check, develop position descriptions for the committee and run a Club Open Day. As the club continues the process of completing the Set level, we are looking forward to new challenges especially in addressing member by-laws, volunteer programs and finding new revenue streams. The club carries out an annual risk management audit to establish facility
Post competition socialising in the clubrooms and regular social activities both play a part in making our club an active and friendly environment. All of these initiatives and procedures have been implemented by the club to help make it a fun, friendly and fully functioning tennis environment. Ken Snow - President
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Bundoora Tennis Club The Importance Of Successful Partnerships The Bundoora Tennis Club recently undertook the redevelopment of six courts at the club. The $233,000 project took more than 24 months to complete and included two new Plexicushion courts, four newly rebuilt entout-cas courts, new fencing and lighting on four of the courts. The project was managed by the Bundoora Tennis Club in partnership with the Banyule City Council and funding for the works was provided by Sport and Recreation Victoria, Banyule City Council, Tennis Australia (via the National Court Rebate Scheme) and the club. Construction began in mid-to-late 2008 and was completed in November 2010, with Banyule City Council due much of the credit for managing the difficult multifaceted project.
In recognition of the project’s success, and the approach taken, the club’s story features as a case study in Tennis Victoria’s Tennis Facility Planning Guide. To celebrate the opening of the new courts, the club held a successful Club Open Day in front of dignitaries including Banyule City Mayor Cr Peter McKenna, Cr Jessica Paul, Colin Brooks MP (Bundoora), Geoff Stone (Tennis Victoria’s then Vice President) and tennis legend John Fitzgerald. The day was a huge success and attended by approximately 150 guests. The club is very lucky to have great support from both Banyule City Council and Tennis Victoria through their Community Tennis Officer Nick Whitefield, without which such projects would not be possible. Most recently, these partnerships have resulted in the launch of a new all abilities tennis coaching program at the club. To support this program, the club and council have embarked on a change room upgrade which will provide improved facilities for members and accessible facilities for participants in the new all abilities coaching program. At the Bundoora Tennis Club we cannot stress enough the importance of forming successful partnerships with key stakeholders of the sport, and encourage clubs to exhaust all funding and programming avenues available to ensure the ongoing viability of tennis clubs in the state. Matt Testolin - President
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Burden Park Tennis Club Celebrating 50 Years With An Eye On The Future On 29 August, 2010 the Burden Park Tennis Club celebrated its 50th anniversary with a ‘Back to Burden Park’ luncheon. 135 people attended this function, including members, past members and Life Members, of which five were foundation members of the club back in 1960. The Life Members were overwhelmed at how much the club had grown and the improvements that had been made over the years. With the assistance of Tennis Victoria programs such as Club Open Days, the Mums’ Program and Seniors’ Social Program, the club membership has increased threefold and is currently approaching nearly 200. With the club’s policy of ‘inclusion and diversity’, we enjoy a high percentage of ethnic players including families - especially Asian – who have merged into the club with enthusiasm, taking on responsibility and contributing to its running and operation. This has had a flow-on effect in the junior activity around the club and with a proactive coach our junior numbers have
also increased dramatically, especially in the competition side of things, with the number of teams growing from two 10 years ago to seven teams today. With the assistance of Tennis Victoria in terms of funding advice, and a united representation to our local council, our club was successful in obtaining a combined grant of $90,000 from the State Government and the City of Greater Dandenong council to fund the installation of lights in 2008. Seeking funds to finance the sinking of a bore and a storage tank at a cost of $25,000, we applied for Tennis Australia’s National Court Rebate Scheme for $12,000 towards the project. This project to provide an alternative source of water has ensured the future sustainability of the club. The club now has a promising future and we can safely look forward to another 50 years of growth and success. Brian Cahill - Secretary
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December Showdown Giving Schools An On-Court Tennis Experience For the first time at the December Showdown, the Schools Experience and MLC Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Challenge events were introduced in 2010. The Schools Experience provided children from schools across Victoria with the opportunity to participate in school days at Melbourne Park. The MLC Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Challenge event gave registered deliverers the chance to nominate participants to take part in a round-robin competition, with the winning team presented with tickets to Australian Open 2011. Every MLC Tennis Hot Shots deliverer and every primary school throughout Victoria was invited to participate. Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia coordinated the school groups and MLC Tennis Hot Shots deliverers for on-court experiences, Melbourne Park tours and an opportunity to watch some of the best emerging talent. In total, 31 schools, and 1487 children attended and participated in the Schools Experience component. A highlight for some of the youngsters were on-court
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player appearances, including Alicia Molik, Peter Lucak, Anastasia Rodionova, Jelena Dokic, Isabella Holland and Sam Groth. The Red Ball Challenge event saw 15 MLC Tennis Hot Shots deliverers and 94 children between the ages of 5-8 participate. As well as the December Showdown experiences, registered MLC Tennis Hot Shots deliverers from across Victoria were also given the opportunity to be a part of Australian Open 2011 with the MLC Tennis Hot Shots Showcase (Kids on Court). During the first eight days of the Australian Open, current MLC Tennis Hot Shots deliverers and their students were invited to participate in on-court demonstrations before play on Margaret Court Arena, Show Court 3 and Rod Laver Arena. More than 250 MLC Tennis Hot Shots participants took part in these demonstrations, hopefully fuelling their passion for the sport. Adam Crameri - Tennis Victoria
East Malvern Tennis Club Sustained Club Open Day Success The East Malvern Tennis Club has been able to run successful Club Open Days for a number of years now, which has been critical in maintaining their strong membership numbers. They identify the following keys to success: Planning Run the Club Open Day in January to leverage off the enthusiasm and excitement of the Australian Open. Running it in January means that all preparation needs be done well in advance due to the holiday period, meaning it forces the club to be proactive. Ensure the club coach runs an MLC Tennis Hot Shots activity to allow juniors the chance to try tennis in a fun environment on the day. Engage Tennis Victoria to obtain their generous Club Open Day pack, radar gun, extra racquets and tennis branded signage to spruce the place up and contact the local Leader newspaper to advertise the day a week prior.
On the day • Set up a welcome desk with participant registration sheets • Ensure coaches are on hand to direct those who want to play on to the courts and those who want to join the club to the club house • Use Tennis Victoria’s radar gun for a speed serve competition • Provide a raffle door prize and a BBQ • Provide introductory membership offers on the day, including waiving joining fees. The result Each year the club has approximately 50-60 new members join the club, with a number of those usually progressing to play competition. It is important to follow-up with new members to see if the club is fulfilling their membership needs. Overall, holding a Club Open Day is a team building exercise for the committee and is always well received. Planning is critical and review of the results a must! Tony Byrne - President
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Elaine and Shepparton North Tennis Clubs Small But Significant Results For Regional Clubs The Elaine Tennis Club started in the mid 1960s and folded about 10 years ago when the local primary school closed down.
The day was very successful for the club, resulting in a significant increase in members.
Recent work to resurrect the local recreation reserve where the courts are located has also given the tennis club the opportunity to re-form.
“We got 20 adult members and six juniors,” said Andrew Sneyd, the club’s President.
In the process of re-forming, the club held a very successful Club Open Day and made great use of the resources Tennis Victoria provided. “It went fantastic,” said Shane Dunne, Secretary of the Elaine Tennis Club. “The radar gun, tennis racquets, balls, posters and drink bottles - that stuff made the kids eyes pop out.” As a result of the great day, and much hard work, the club now has 13 junior members and three teams playing in the Buninyong and District Tennis Association competition. “Everyone that’s playing now, except for maybe one or two, came along that day and committed [to play] that day,” said Dunne. The Shepparton North Tennis Club also recently held a Club Open Day for the first time and experienced a similar small win. Dean Pritchard, the Sports Coordinator at Valley Sports, encouraged the club to turn its regular working bee into a Club Open Day and take advantage of the support offered by Tennis Victoria. 14
“Although this doesn’t sound [like] many, it is over 20% of our membership and we were very pleased.” Shane Dunne - Secretary, Elaine Tennis Club Andrew Sneyd - President, Shepparton North Tennis Club
Fawkner Tennis Club Tennis For All Abilities Fawkner Tennis Club held a free come and try day for people with a disability. The clinic was open to all abilities and ages and catered for individual needs, with the opportunity to progress to club participation. The event was a huge success with 18 people of various ages and abilities attending the clinic. Coach David McAllister demonstrated basic to intermediate tennis skills. David’s philosophy is one that should be adopted by all. “I simply treat people with disabilities the same as any other avid tennis player,” said McAllister.
Neil Campbell, Fawkner Tennis Club’s Secretary, said that the day ran very smoothly, with participants thoroughly enjoying themselves. The club has now developed a monthly social program for beginners and is also looking at setting up a similar program for players from newly arrived communities, as it attempts to make the club inclusive for all. Brooke Mezetta - Active Participation Officer Access for All Abilities, Moreland City Council
Tennis Victoria’s Community Tennis Officer Nick Whitefield assisted in facilitating the day providing players with support and giveaways. The club put on afternoon tea for the participants, which was a welcome break for the exhausted tennis players.
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Flowerdale, Kinglake and Strathewen Tennis Clubs Towns And Tennis Born Again From The Ashes The Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 devastated the communities of towns such as Strathewen, Flowerdale and Kinglake. The losses were not only of homes and community facilities, but also of human life. The communities have stuck together and are beginning to rebuild their towns and their lives. The communities have had tremendous support from state and local government, generous corporate and public support. In Strathewen, the school has been rebuilt and with it a new recreation reserve featuring two new all-weather tennis courts and pavilion in a valley that is symbolically surrounded by regenerating bushland and hills. The opening of the reserve and tennis courts has led to the re-establishment of the Strathewen Tennis Club. Following the facility opening in December 2010, Tennis Victoria supported the club with an open day on 27 March with a fantastic turnout. The club registered a
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number of players, signalling a new era for tennis in Strathewen. Down the road at Flowerdale, the support from Tennis Victoria and funding from the state government’s Community Facility Funding Program has led to four new synthetic courts with lights being built. On 7 May, the club launched its new facilities with an open night attracting over 100 kids and adults from the town and surrounding area. At Kinglake, the club is currently undertaking works for a $200,000 upgrade for four new plexipave courts with lights, with $64,000 coming from Tennis Australia’s Court Rebate Scheme. With regrowth in the bushland, in the communities, and in tennis facilities in these bushfire affected communities, it will allow them to move on with their lives and engage again as a community on and off the tennis court. Jeannette Kamar - President, Flowerdale Tennis Club
Geelong Lawn Tennis Club Premier League Success Geelong Lawn Tennis Club (GLTC) celebrated their return to Premier League tennis after an absence of 54 years from this level of competition and, amazingly, were finalists in both the men’s and women’s competition. Geelong last had a team compete at this level of Victorian club competition in 1956 when Alan Cooke, Bill Ainsworth, Don Roadhouse and Jim Carew competed against players such as Wimbledon champion Neale Fraser. The 2010 men’s line up consisted of Matthew Hicks (captain), Justin Robertson, Chris Letcher, Brendan Moore, Matthew Holschier, Aaron Kosub and Jacob Grills. The women’s team had a mix of local players and those from outside Geelong. Top ranked players and locals, Alenka Hubacek and Olivia Rich led the team as well as Anneliese Tepper, Brianna Bateup (Captain), Abbie Walker, Julie Golightly, Vicky Stuckey, Bonnie Pearson, Natalie Dragojevic, Natalie Gennissen and Jess Hartland.
GLTC promoted the month of October as a month of tennis throughout the community of Geelong, and incorporated their Club Open day during a Premier League home game. This generated a fantastic atmosphere for the players as many people attended the day and supported the Geelong players. Ken Barton, Manager of GLTC says forming a Premier League team was a way of providing a pathway for local players to play at the highest level without having to leave Geelong to play for a Melbourne club. “To make the grand finals in both the women’s and men’s certainly exceeded our expectations and was a testament to the passion, teamwork and camaraderie that the players and club showed. It was encouraging to see how our members and the wider community embraced the competition, which provided a great atmosphere for our home matches,” said Barton. Ken Barton - Manager
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Glen Iris Valley Recreation Club The Fed Cup Comes To Melbourne Glen Iris Valley Recreation Club hosted the Federation Cup Tie Australia v Ukraine in April 2011. This was a big undertaking for a suburban tennis club and was the first time since 1988 that a Fed Cup tie had been held in Melbourne. The event involved the erection of two large stands to accommodate around 2000 spectators plus corporate and event hospitality tents and conversion of the clubrooms for use by the two teams. Two of the courts were converted to a clay surface for the tie by Richards and Son and the players were very complimentary about how the court played. On the court, the two Saturday rubbers went quickly with the tie locked at 1-1. A big crowd enjoyed the beautiful weather and some fine tennis on the Sunday. The only drawback was that Australia lost. It was a great experience and showcased the wonderful facilities at Glen Iris which
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also hosts the grand-final of Tennis Victoria’s Premier League competition. Since the tie, the club decided to retain the clay court surface for a month or two so that their members could play on the new surface. It was a fantastic addition to the club, as it meant the members had the chance to play on the ‘Fed Cup Court’. The club proudly displays a Fed Cup poster signed by the players on its clubhouse wall and they can now look back on this unique experience for a suburban tennis club with fond memories. Robert Jamieson - Secretary
Hampton Park Tennis Club Turning To Its Youth Over fifty per cent of the growing membership at Hampton Park Tennis Club comprises of juniors. With this in mind the inclusion of two juniors - Stephan Mikhail and Jay Christoforou - to the committee has been both beneficial and significant to the future of the club. Both the boys play junior and senior tennis and involve themselves in all aspects of club life. Stephan was approached to join the committee in 2010 after expressing ideas to improve the club. He was joined by Jay Christoforou at the 2011 March Annual General Meeting (AGM). To have Stephan and Jay on the committee adds a voice to the junior membership, provides the committee with a new perspective and presents Jay and Stephan with a real sense of inclusion.
local tennis shop. He presented the prices at a committee meeting and, as a result, scoreboards have been purchased and are now in use. The boys were also happy to assist in restoring one of the courts damaged in the February floods at a working bee in April, as were the other committed junior members. Having such dedicated juniors at the club not only helps in the running of current programs and events at the club but ensures a bright future for the Hampton Park Tennis Club. Elisabeth Drew - Secretary
Stephan and Jay are very dedicated to the club, with Stephan being instrumental in the club purchasing new scoreboards. After discussions were voiced about purchasing new scoreboards, Stephan researched and obtained prices from a
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Hawthorn and Windermere Tennis Clubs Getting Mums Back In To Tennis Straight Sets Professional Tennis Coaching in conjunction with Tennis Victoria has had great success in staging the Mums’ Tennis Program over the past couple of years. Term 1 2011 saw a total of 87 Mums and 36 Tiny Tots across the Windermere and Hawthorn Tennis Clubs participate in this great program. Tennis Victoria has provided my clubs with a fantastic opportunity with this pathway for mums to have a taste of what tennis is like over five weeks with a minimal initial cost. The program involves a short introduction to tennis, which we provide as a brief overview of all the shots and also we play doubles. Advertising was the key and it is essential to take a proactive approach by conducting letter box drops, visiting local primary schools and kindergartens and giving out leaflets to my existing coaching program. Once the word was out friends of friends were coming along as well!!
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As the program evolved it was proving to be a very good social network for ladies who are joining the clubs and having an additional hit throughout the week ,or forming a mid-week team with ladies from their group. An alternative 10-week program was offered following the initial program, which saw a retention rate of approximately 80%, which was excellent. We also offer a ‘Tennis Kinder’ program which provides the children with various activities, including ball skills, colouring, pasting and reading stories to maintain their interest. This is held in the clubrooms so the mums know that their young children are safe and looked after in a learning environment. The main benefits are that the mums are relaxed playing tennis whilst the children are entertained and looked after. Kelly Bisinella - Straight Sets Professional Tennis Coaching
Hillcrest Tennis Club A Community Court, A Community Club The Hillcrest Tennis Club in Donvale has a short but unique history. In 1982 our foundation members donated their own capital and time, in conjunction with Manningham City Council, to build a one court community club for local residents. The club was based on grassroots participation with no competition having been played in the club’s history. At its height, our single court club boasted 48 family memberships, resulting in 170 individual players. However, in October 2000 the tunnel option for Eastlink was announced and the court was to be affected. On Sunday 27 February, 2005 the last games were played at Hillcrest Tennis Club. Over the next five years, our dedicated committee worked on a compelling case for reconstruction to Manningham City Council. Despite having no court, the club held onto a reduced membership base who were actively involved in petitions and meetings with council for a replacement court. In October 2009, our new court was completed at Hillcrest Reserve.
In less than a year, the club has rebuilt its membership base to over 130 through a variety of initiatives, including sausage sizzles, social hits, calling and doorknocking previous members. Last summer, we also opened the courts to all community members free of charge. Many of those who took advantage of this opportunity have now taken out memberships to support the club. We are also looking forward to hosting a Tennis Victoria supported Club Open Day in the near future. The secret to our success has been strong values of welcoming members of all abilities and a dedicated committee entrenched in the local community. One foundation member is still an active player and committee member! The club now looks forward making the most of Tennis Victoria’s support and offerings to ensure our continued growth and success into the future. Philippa Brosolo – Treasurer Chris Fry - President
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Keon Park Tennis Club My Tennis … It’s Easy! Barb Currie has been the Secretary of Keon Park Tennis Club for nearly 30 years and, as a result, has become an expert in tennis administration. However, when it came to managing her club’s membership base, Barb found it difficult keeping her members’ information up-to-date. When she heard about the My Tennis membership administration system, Barb was one of the first clubs to sign up to a training session. Barb wouldn’t consider herself to be computer savvy, and was not sure if she would be confident running a computer based membership program on her own. After her initial group training session, Barb still was not 100 percent sure she had mastered the program. “At first it was a little overwhelming using a new membership computer program, so I arranged for a one-on-one session with a Tennis Victoria staff member,” said Currie.
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Now with two training sessions under her belt, Barb was away, and using the program to its full potential. It has now been over a year since Barb began using the program and she has no hesitations recommending the program to other club administrators. “I would not hesitate to encourage other clubs to use it. It makes doing membership so much easier.” Jacqui Mackertich - Junior Coordinator
Melton South Tennis Club 5-Star Community Coaching Award Danielle Borle, the Head Coach at Melton South Tennis Club was recently awarded the 5 Star Community Coach Award for Term 1, 2011 by the Active After-school Communities Program (AASC). It was a great achievement considering the award was not tennis specific and she was up against coaches from all of the other sports who participate in the program. Danielle delivered tennis at two sites in the western region during Term 1, 2011 which resulted in 31 children being recruited into her club and academy tennis programs. Sessions for the three schools involved ran for seven weeks and since joining the AASC program almost four years ago, the club has had over 115 children enrol in the club’s programs and/or take up competition tennis. More significantly for the sport, Danielle’s work with over 17 schools in the past 12 months has resulted in over 250 children taking up the sport of tennis in the area. To make sure the club can promote their products and services, Danielle ensures
at least three club members attend every session. As a reward for the kids, Danielle took 10 children, identified through the AASC program to the Australian Open to participate in the MLC Tennis Hot Shots showcase. Parents got the opportunity to watch their children participate in a 15 minute on-court presentation in addition to all getting to watch a full day of tennis. “I think the MLC TennisHot Shots program is fantastic! All coaches should be utilising the modified ball and modified courts as part of their program as it’s easy for the kids to learn and play tennis,” said Borle. “I think the MLC Tennis Hot Shots has reinvented the game of tennis but also everyone’s perception about a tennis lesson and tennis program. The students learn to rally quicker and for longer, which ultimately means the kids have more fun and are more likely to stay with the sport!” Trudy Miles - Committee Member
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Bendigo and Mildura The Pro Tour Goes Regional! The Pro Tour events held at the Bendigo Bank Tennis Complex in Bendigo in December 2010 and Mildura Lawn Tennis Club in February 2011 provided an opportunity for 1000 school children to experience MLC Tennis Hot Shots and watch world-class tennis at their local tennis club. School children were able to watch players such as Olivia Rogowska, Alicia Molik and Sam Groth compete, and had the opportunity to participate in on-court activities. The primary and secondary aged children were able to enjoy on-court activities based on MLC Tennis Hot Shots. The on-court activities were designed for all levels, from children that had never picked up a racquet to children that regularly play. The use of modified nets, balls and racquets ensured all children enjoyed the sessions. Local coaches were assisted by Tennis Australia, Tennis Victoria and Tennis New South Wales staff.
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“It was a great opportunity for the kids to watch world-class players such as Alicia Molik here in Bendigo, and not have to travel to Melbourne and pay,” said Leon Retallick, Executive Manager of Bendigo Bank Tennis Centre. “The kids enjoyed on-court activities with our local coach Steve Storer trying to emulate their favourite players’ strokes. “It was fantastic for the schools to be down here at this great tennis centre in Bendigo and we will do it again next year” All the children that attended the sessions enjoyed the opportunity to have a go and play some tennis, watch world-class tennis and receive a giveaway. Leon Retallick - Executive Manager
Sale Tennis Club The Victorian Good Sports Club Of The Year In December 2010, the Sale Tennis Club was named the joint winner of the Victorian Good Sports Club of the Year award, along with Maldon Football Netball Club.
“We have 135 accredited Good Sports Clubs in the Gippsland Region alone and for them to be joint winners of the statewide award is a great achievement,” said Switzer.
The Sale Tennis Club was recognised for its work in the program at the Australian Drug Foundation’s annual Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Oration at the State Library of Victoria and was awarded a cheque for $1000.
Along with the award, Sale Tennis Club’s participation in the Good Sports Program has assisted in the achievement of one of its main goals of becoming a Tennis Australia Regional Partner.
“Unfortunately, for some considerable time, alcohol was seen as an essential accompaniment to the court activities and was not always consumed responsibly or safely,” said Robin Lowe, President of the Sale Tennis Club. “At first there was some hostility from the first few who were refused service, however members started to notice the change and advantages.” Barry Switzer, GippSport’s Executive Officer, said the club should be proud of the changes they have made.
“Our participation in the Good Sports Program was one of the factors that resulted in this partnership,” said Mr Lowe. The Good Sports Program is an initiative of the Australian Drug Foundation aimed at creating family friendly and safe environments for community clubs through the responsible management of alcohol. More information about the program can be found at www.goodsports.com.au. Robin Lowe - President
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Werribee Central Tennis Club Culturally And Linguistically Diverse The Multicultural Program at Werribee Central Tennis Club is going from strength to strength with the club holding their second successful Multicultural Day in December 2010, with over 120 people attending. More than twelve months on from starting the program, the club is still heavily involved in providing opportunities for new arrival communities to access the sport of tennis and has maintained these partnerships and links to the community. Club Coach Matthew Smith is committed to continuing the club’s involvement in the program. “I firmly believe in the importance of sport as a pathway to community engagement,” said Smith. “At Werribee Central Tennis Club we strive to deliver inclusive programs, promote health, wellness, skill development and self discipline.” The Multicultural Day’s activities included mini tennis, coaching drills, a DJ and a multicultural feast. The club’s extended family pitched in to make the day a real success. They hope to encourage families to participate in food preparation at future events to be able to share authentic flavours from the local community. The club has found that bringing people together over familiar activities such as food and music has proved successful in opening them up to new activities like participating in community sports. 26
All participants were invited back to the club for a three week coaching program which the club hopes will become a permanent program. “The Multicultural Day and Multicultural Program being run by Werribee Central is fantastic and a credit to Matt and the club,” said Tim Hatzi, Tennis Victoria’s Club and Programs Coordinator. “In addition to support provided by Tennis Victoria, the club has received a lot of support from Spirit West Services and the Western English Language School (WELS) which has been invaluable to the continued success of the program.” Matt Smith - Club Coach
Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club When Regional Victoria Comes To Play The 2011 Tankworld-Rebound Ace Country Week saw the event return to the Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club for the first time in 12 years. With more than 1200 players in attendance, Country Week gave people the opportunity to catch up with those they hadn’t seen in 12 months. Breaks between matches and nightly entertainment ensured players had enough time to catch-up and socialise. “We’ve had the best time up here,” said Pat Gilchrist, VCTA Administrator. “Yarrawonga is the players’ preferred venue because of the entertainment that is provided by the three big clubs and the entire town.” Whilst weather played havoc with the courts in the lead up to the event, the club pulled out all stops to ensure the courts were playable in time. “We really thought that we probably wouldn’t be able to play on Monday, but when we came down on Sunday morning
there were masses of volunteers from the Yarrawonga Lawn Tennis Club doing what I’ve never seen happen before. “Underneath a ride on mower were some squeegees and they were literally spraying the water off the courts. By Sunday afternoon the courts looked magnificent and on Monday morning we were able to play on all courts. It was a phenomenal effort by the club.” The Moira Shire contributed significantly to the event by investing heavily in the junior cricket ovals to bring them up to scratch to play tennis on. “Country Week has been an outstanding success for Yarrawonga and the Moira Shire,” said David Booth, Manager Community Development at Moira Shire. “Yarrawonga, we were led to believe, was a popular spot from a player’s perspective. We know Yarrawonga’s a fantastic place to live and play so we’re not surprised at all by people enjoying themselves up here. Pat Gilchrist - VCTA Administrator
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For more information contact: Tennis Victoria AAMI Park (Entrance F) Olympic Boulevard Melbourne, Vic, 3000 Locked Bag 6001 Richmond, Vic, 3121 T +61 3 8420 8420 F +61 3 8420 8499 E tvreception@tennis.com.au
tennis.com.au/vic