July 2011 VTN by Tennis Victoria

ISSUE 81 July 2011

V I C TO R I A â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S ONLY M A G A Z I N E D E D I C A T E D TO G R A SS R OOTS T E NN I S

FED CUP

Glen Iris plays host to prestigious international event

Communities unite Moving on after Black Saturday

Clubs

Affiliation update for 2011/12

Juniors

Vics dominate clay in Ipswich

Regional

When five is better than one

9 easy ways to attract players to your club ... ... and they’re available now!

Photographer: Andrew Gyopar

Photographer: Photographer: Andrew GyoparAndrew Gyopar

Tennis Victoria affiliated clubs and centres can access a range of programs to help build member numbers, engage various demographic groups and break down barriers to connect with more participants. There’s never been a better time to run one of our programs, including: • Club Open Days • MLC Tennis Hot Shots/Challenges • Seniors’ Social Program • Tennis in Schools

• Mums’ Program • Multicultural Program • Disability Program • Indigenous Program

To sign-up, or for more information, contact your Community Tennis Officer on (03) 8420 8420 today or visit tennis.com.au/vic (Clubs/Programs).

FROM THE TOP

Matthew Kennedy, Tennis Victoria – Executive Director Welcome to the July 2011 edition of the VTN. Since I last wrote this column, there have been some very important considerations for the future of tennis in Australia, and Victoria, as both Tennis Australia (TA) and Tennis Victoria (TV) have carefully examined strategies, operations and focuses for 2011/12 and beyond. The 2011 Australian Tennis Conference was staged from 16 - 18 March and brought together important stakeholders of the game from all across the nation. Australian tennis focuses of MLC Tennis Hot Shots, Cardio Tennis and Places to Play – alongside TA’s Talent and Asia/Pacific strategies – were established and announced. TA’s valuable funding to TV for our community tennis support and development endeavours will now be targeted to key activities and performance indicators across these three areas. Country tennis in Victoria accounts for 555 of the 961 clubs, centres and associations affiliated with TV. This equates to 27,445 of our 83,638 player members. In order to address issues specific to country tennis, TV was very pleased to recently coordinate our annual Victorian Country Tennis Conference on 25 May, which was open to all affiliates for the first time. As detailed on pages 4 - 5, there have been some outstanding performances by junior Victorian tennis players at recent national championships. We heartily congratulate these young talented athletes and look forward to their futures in tennis. One of my most pleasing experiences of late was seeing the enthusiastic take-up of the MLC Tennis Hot Shots participation experience offered over the three days at Melbourne’s Moomba Festival along the Yarra River. TV’s was clearly one of the most popular sites. We know that many families and young children took the opportunity to have a hit of tennis for the very first time and here’s to their ongoing involvement in the sport. At the other end of scale, international tennis recently featured in Melbourne when the Glen Iris Valley Recreational Club hosted the Australia vs Ukraine Fed Cup tie from 16 - 17 April. Whilst the result did not go the way that Australian tennis fans were hoping, the club did an outstanding job with the event and should be commended. Finally, and in fully recognising that volunteerism is the life-blood of the sport across the state, I am very pleased to report that one of TV’s key investments in this respect, our Future Leader’s Program, has received a record number of applicants for 2011. Under this initiative, thirty secondary school students will attend a three-day camp in early July that will help prepare them for leadership roles within sport. Following the camp, all students will then complete a specific project, which includes 40 hours of volunteer work, at their local tennis club. Until next time, here’s to enjoying your tennis and the fun and friendships that surround it.

OUR SUPPORTERS

(03) 8420 8420 (03) 8420 8499 tvreception@tennis.com.au Locked Bag 6001 Richmond Vic 3121 tennis.com.au/vic

I SS U E 8 1 J U LY 2 0 1 1

juniors

Showing Their Class On Grass Vics Dominate The Clay In Ipswich Chase Is A Future Ace Victoria Narrowly Loses The Pizzey Cup North Suburban Junior Tennis Association Wins The Alicia Molik Cup Juniors Create Their Own Piece Of History At Laverton Tennis Club

news

Glen Iris Valley Hosts the Fed Cup

regional

Community Passions Unite In The Wake Of The Black Saturday Bushfires

clubs

Welcoming A New Face To The Office When Five Is Better Than One Wangaratta Scores An Upgrade Unveiling New Courts In Bundoora

participation

Connecting With The Community A Tennis Boom Out West More Players, More Often

affiliation

2011/12 Affiliation Update My Tennis Update

administrator

Member Benefits

THE VTN TEAM Editor Contributors Production Cover Front Cover Photography

Lisa Winkler Liam Twomey Tanya Mason Tennis Victoria Chase Ferguson Kara Tyson

Victorian Tennis News is published by Tennis Victoria four times a year. Reproduction in whole or part is not permitted without the written permission of Tennis Victoria. Also available online at tennis.com.au/vic.

JUNIORS

Showing Their Class On Grass Victorian juniors travelled to Mildura for the Optus National Grasscourt Championships in February, with boys and girls posting excellent results throughout the tournament. Ranked No.2 in Victoria for her birth year, Michelle Pits was in brilliant form as she captured the girls’ 12/u singles title. In a dominating start to the tournament, she only dropped one game in her first three matches. She defeated the No.8 seed, Kimberly Birrell from Queensland (Qld), in the final 3-6 6-4 6-3. Other impressive results for Victorians in the girls’ 12/u event included Audrey Teo making it to the semifinals, while Jaimee Fourlis and Destanee Aiava both made the quarterfinals. Pits wasn’t content winning just the singles, also claiming the girls’ 12/u doubles title. Partnering Sasha Bollweg from Western Australia (WA), the pair only dropped one set for the tournament. Facing Teo and Fourlis in the final, they won 6-3 6-3.

Smiles all around (l to r): Alexei Popyrin, Michelle Pits, Naiktha Bains and Omar Jasika.

In the boys’ 12/u singles, Richard Yang made it to the final before losing to the No.6 seed, Alexei Popyrin from New South Wales (NSW), in a very close match, 7-5 7-6(4).

In the doubles, three out of the four participants in the final were from Victoria. Jackson Ross and Sekulovski were defeated by the No.1 seeds, Ferguson and Max Purcell (NSW), 6-3 6-2.

Tennis Victoria’s Player Development Manager, Ashley Naumann, was very pleased with Yang’s efforts, especially as he came back from being a set down in his opening match, to produce some excellent tennis along the way to reaching the final. “He had only played a couple of tournaments previously, so to make the final was a great effort,” said Naumann.

Nelson Roso, Chase Ferguson, Matthew Romios and Jamie Sekulovski all made it to the quarterfinals, giving Victoria five out of the eight quarterfinal spots.

The good results continued for Victoria in the boys’ 14/u tournament, with an all Victorian final taking place between Omar Jasika and Socrates Tsoronis. Jasika prevailed 6-3 6-4, capping off a great tournament which saw him drop only one set along the way to claiming the title. Tsoronis, who was the No.12 seed, went on a giant-killing run to reach the final, defeating the No.1 seed Jordan Smith (NSW) in the

quarterfinal and fellow Victorian, and doubles runner-up, Marc Polmans [3] in the semifinal. Alexandros Yiappos made the quarterfinals, losing a tight three-set encounter to the No.4 seed, Jake Delaney (NSW). The girls’ 14/u singles saw two Victorians make it to the semifinals before being defeated. Isabelle Wallace lost to the eventual champion, Naiktha Bains (Qld), while the No.2 seed, Stephanie Yamada (NSW), defeated Annabelle Andrinopoulos. Wallace and Andrinopoulos went on to team up in the doubles hoping for more success. They breezed through the first two rounds, only dropping two games, before being defeated by the No.3 seeds, Lizette Cabrera and Olivia Tjandramulia, in the semifinal.

Vics Dominate The Clay In Ipswich

ollowing the Optus National Grasscourt Championships, some of Victoria’s best juniors jetted off to Ipswich in April to take part in the Optus National Claycourt Championships. The trip was a big success, with Victorians claiming three of the six singles titles over the course of the three weeks, and a number of players made it to the latter rounds in both the singles and doubles tournaments. To help the players adjust, and give parents peace of mind, Tennis Victoria ran a State Academy Duty of Care Tour for all the competing players, meaning they were

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JULY 11

under the watchful eye of Tennis Victoria staff the whole time they were away.

Yang said he made some adjustments to his game in the final after falling behind early.

Tennis Victoria’s Player Development Manager, Ashley Naumann, said it was important for kids to learn how to play tennis while travelling.

“I tried to hit with more spin and make fewer errors, and lucky for me he made a few more errors,” said Yang.

“It can be great preparation for later in their careers,“ said Naumann.

Stefan Skadarka also enjoyed a good week, making the semifinals, while Chase Ferguson made the quarterfinals.

In the boys’ 12/u singles, Richard Yang built on the impressive form he showed in Mildura by going one better in Ipswich. He defeated Mislav Bosnjak from South Australia (SA) in the final, 4-6 6-4 6-3, to claim the title.

In the boys’ 12/u doubles, Chase Ferguson teamed up with Alexei Popyrin from New South Wales (NSW) to defeat the second seeds, Lliam Bishop (SA) and Bosnjak,1-6 6-2 [10-4] in the final.

JUNIORS Brigitte Beck and Georgiana Ruhrig both made the quarterfinals before losing to stronger opponents on the day. In the boys, Daniel Guccione fought his way through three three-set matches to make the final. Guccione proved to be a tough competitor for fellow Victorians Omar Jasika and Jacob Grills who lost to him at the quarter and semifinal stages respectively. Guccione was defeated in the final by the No.1 seed, Rhys Johnson from Western Australia (WA) 6-3 6-2. Despite losing the singles final, Guccione was able to avenge his loss by winning the doubles. He and partner Oliver Ceranic won the final 6-3 6-2 against Andrew Riminton and Jordan Smith (NSW). 2011 Optus 14s National Champion Isabelle Wallace (l) with runner-up, Annabelle Andrinopoulos (r).

Singles champion, Yang, partnered Victorian Mike Vaughan and reached the semifinals. The success continued in the girls’ 12/u tournament, with Destanee Aiava taking out the title. She defeated Sasha Bollweg from Western Australia (WA) easily in the final, 6-0 6-2 in just 57 minutes. The win was the first national junior championship for Aiava, who was still just 10 years old at the time. “The second set was a little harder than the first and I made a few mistakes in the first two games,” said Aiava. Impressively, Aiava didn’t drop a set for the entire tournament and is now ranked 364 in Australia. Michelle Pits and Audrey Teo both made the semifinals while Jessica Brzozowska made the quarterfinals.

to the semifinals. Polmans, who won the boys’ 14/u doubles with Jake Delaney (NSW), had not lost a set before he ran into eventual winner, Jordan Smith (NSW). Tsoronis was defeated by the No.2 seed Lawrence Bataljin (SA). Nicholas Opasinov and Daniel Nolan were able to reach the quarterfinal stage of the singles, while Opasinov teamed with Yani Patras and made the doubles semifinals. The 16/u singles saw Victorian runners-up in both the boys and girls events. Second seed Molly Polak cruised through the early rounds, not dropping more than three games in any set on her way to the final. Unfortunately she lost a close girls’ final against the unseeded Naiktha Bains (Qld), 7-5 6-4.

The result rounded out three weeks of fantastic tennis and impressive results for Victorian Juniors. Naumann was very happy with the trip and the results of the juniors. “Across the board it was really good to have those results,” said Naumann. “Richard Yang was a good win coming from seventh seed.” “Destanee’s win was excellent.” “We had two girls, Isabelle Wallace and Annabelle Andrinopoulos, in the girls’ 14/u final which is a great result, and we had finalists in both the boys’ and girls’ 16/u tournaments. “All the players who travelled and competed in Ipswich should be proud of themselves, not only for their on-court results, but also the way they conducted themselves off the court.”

The girls’ 12/u doubles saw Pits team up with singles runner up, Bollweg, to win the title, 6-1 6-4 in the final. Victorians continued the great performances in the girls’ 14/u tournament, with an all Victorian final between Isabelle Wallace and Annabelle Andrinopoulos. Wallace claimed the tight encounter 3-6 6-4 6-4. “I felt disappointed at the end of the first set, but then I got back on track. Annabelle played really well in the first set and throughout the whole match,” said Wallace. In the girls’14/u doubles, Wallace was again successful, making it to the final with partner Jaimee Gilbertson from Queensland (Qld). The boys’ 14/u singles event saw Marc Polmans and Socrates Tsoronis win through

2011 Optus 12s National Champions Destanee Aiava (l) and Richard Yang (r).

tennis.com.au/vic

JUNIORS

Chase Is A Future Ace

hase Ferguson was selected to represent Australia at the Longines Future Aces Tournament, held at Roland Garros during the final days of the French Open. Currently ranked No.1 in Australia for his 12/u age group, and 580 overall in Australia, Chase joined 15 other boys from around the world in this prestigious event.

“I am disappointed with the results but it has been a great experience for me,” said Ferguson.

After the tournament, Chase embarked on a four-week tour on Italian clay with seven other juniors.

“I know I will look back on this experience and use all of the things I have learnt when I come back to play in the future.”

“We are hoping to learn more about playing on European clay because it’s the best surface for young athletes like myself and I hope to really improve my game.”

Upon being selected, Chase was given high praise by Tennis Australia’s Head of Professional Tennis, Todd Woodbridge. “He’s a great fella with a very good game and a great opportunity to progress further,” said Woodbridge. On the line for winning the tournament was the opportunity to hit with eight-time Grand Slam singles champion, Andre Agassi. Chase started off strongly against his opponent, Julien Tremblais from France, before losing 4-2 4-1, in a match lasting 40 minutes.

Chase Ferguson was lucky enough to meet Jim Courier (l) and Andre Agassi (r) at the French Open. Photo: Kara Courtney.

Victoria Narrowly Loses The Pizzey Cup

ictoria played a nail biting final at the 2011 Pizzey Cup, going down to New South Wales for the third consecutive

year.

Sixteen secondary school students, eight boys and eight girls, travelled to Bendigo to compete against students from all over Australia. After cruising through the early rounds, the Victorian team fell just short in the final, losing ten rubbers to eight. Over half the rubbers played in the final went into a third set. Girls’ team manager Sally Kirstine explained just how tight the final was. “It came down to, if we won the last rubber on the day, we would have won overall by a set,” said Kirstine. “We had seven three set matches out of twelve. Unfortunately we could only win one of them.” Despite losing the final, Kirstine said all the players had a great week and enjoyed playing the mixed team format.

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JULY 11

Despite the narrow loss, the Victorian team were all smiles during the presentations. Photo: www.sportstrendphoto.com.au

“The kids just love the week. The idea is to get them to combine really well because there is a mixed doubles component at the event,” said Kirstine. The Victorian team was selected at trials held earlier this year by School Sport Victoria (SSV). More information can be found on the SSV website www.ssv.vic.edu.au Tennis Victoria would like to congratulate the following players for their outstanding efforts

in reaching the Pizzey Cup final and wish them better luck for next year: Girls Kelsey Williams Eliza Long Stephanie Barnett Zoe Hives Romy Stephens Alana Parnaby Tayla Stenta Sophie Grumley

Boys Will Kneale Michael Best Andrew Poustie James Sheppard Leroy Miller Marshall Street Jacob Grills Lewis Karapanos

JUNIORS

North Suburban Junior Tennis Association Wins The Alicia Molik Cup

orth Suburban Junior Tennis Association (NSJTA) won the 2011 12/u Alicia Molik Cup, defeating Berwick in a close final, 4-43 to 2-28. Represented by Danny Ha, Lucas Vuradin, Samyuktha Rajagopalan and Stephanie Serafidis, the team managed to win all five matches they competed in over the two days to hand NSJTA its first Alicia Molik Cup. NSJTA Team Manager, Tom Vuradin, congratulated the players on an outstanding effort. “The competition was strong and matches were played in the right spirit. The players played some tough tennis. It was a great all round event,” said Vuradin. The players were rewarded for their hard work on the court when Alicia Molik made a special appearance to chat with them and sign some autographs. “The kids were absolutely stoked Alicia was there,” said Vuradin.

Alicia Molik took some time out of her schedule to have a chat to the up-and-coming youngsters. Photo: Andrew Gyopar

Simmons, said it was a very successful event and was played to a high standard. “There was some great tennis played over the two days by some of the best 12/u players from all across Victoria,” said Simmons.

“She is a star of Australian tennis.” Tennis Victoria’s Manager of Junior Competitions and Tournaments, Jason

Sixteen associations and regions were represented over the weekend by two boys and two girls from the 12/u age group. Each

tie consisted of two boys’ singles rubbers, two girls’ singles rubbers and two mixed doubles rubbers. Behind NSJTA and Berwick, the top four finishers were rounded out by Eastern Region Tennis and North Eastern Junior Tennis Association, while South West was the best placed country region, finishing in sixth place.

Juniors Create Their Own Piece Of History At Laverton Tennis Club The Laverton Tennis Club achieved its own piece of history last season when one of its junior teams won its fourth Western Region Tennis Association (WRTA) premiership in a row to write themselves into the club’s record books. The win was an outstanding effort for the boys, who have lost only four matches over the past four seasons. Three of the boys, Mina Farid, Brandon Crotch and Nazih Zakharia, have been playing together for the past four seasons and had won premierships in sections 17, 13 and nine to go with their most recent conquest in section seven.

short-term is hoping they can be promoted to section three for the upcoming season. The boys are all coached out of Laverton Tennis Club and also train together as a team once a week to ensure they are ready for competition.

In the off season they were joined by a newcomer to the team, Kieran Lama.

Team Manager for all four of the premiership winning seasons, Philip Crotch, said he has enjoyed watching the boys improve and that their commitment to each other was very impressive.

Laverton Tennis Club’s President, Brendan O’Brien, believes the boys have the potential to be a section one side one day, but in the

They will begin their pursuit of a fifth straight premiership when the WRTA winter season begins.

A winning combination (l to r): Kieran Lama, Mina Farid, Brandon Crotch and Nazih Zakharia.

tennis.com.au/vic

AWARDS NEWS

Glen Iris Valley Hosts The Fed Cup Glen Iris Valley Recreation Club was the envy of a number of local tennis clubs when they were selected to host the recent Fed Cup tie between Australia and the Ukraine. It was the first time the Fed Cup was held in Melbourne since 1988 and the event was well supported. The club’s Coach, Kane Dewhurst, explained how the club was selected to host such a big event. “Initially John Richards, who lays the clay courts, mentioned to Tennis Australia that Glen Iris might be an ideal location for it,” said Dewhurst.

Glen Iris Valley Recreation Club was transformed to host the Fed Cup tie between Australia and the Ukraine.

“Tennis Australia then made contact to see if we would be interested in hosting it and we went through the [application] process.”

Australia lost the tie 2-3, after Anastasia Rodionova and Jarmila Gajdosova lost the deciding fifth doubles rubber 6-0 6-7(3) 3-6.

Dewhurst believes the level of exposure the club received at both a local level and a nationwide level would benefit them greatly in the future.

Australia’s Fed Cup Captain, David Taylor, was disappointed with the result.

“The main impact was the amount of exposure the club received in general mainstream media. Normally we would have no way to get that level of exposure,” said Dewhurst. “It also gave our members and the local community a great opportunity to witness that sort of high level tennis. The attendance over the weekend from members was very strong.” The club received great support from its members in the lead up to the tie, ensuring all the club’s facilities were up to standard. “There was a really good attendance at working bees to make sure the venue was up to scratch.”

“We were very heavily favoured to win this tie and we didn’t,” said Taylor after the tie had been completed. “It’s not a really good feeling at the moment.” Despite the on-court result, Dewhurst said the club would be happy to host more events of such an important nature. “Facility wise and infrastructure wise [the club] is very well set up to host those type of events,” said Dewhurst. “Obviously Tennis Australia did a great job with all the [temporary] infrastructure that had to go in to host an event of that size. We would definitely look in the future to host some Premier League finals and Pro Tour events.”

Adding to the excitement of the event was Melburnian Sally Peers being selected in the Australian Fed Cup team for the first time in front of her home crowd.

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JULY 11

Originally known as the Australian Women’s Tennis Foundation, the Australian Fed Cup Tennis Foundation (AFCTF) was formed in 1974, primarily to lobby for better prize money for female tour players. In 1990 it was decided to broaden the scope of membership and activities to more appropriately reflect the community’s general interest in all levels of women’s tennis with round-robin tournaments and social functions. The AFCTF works alongside Tennis Australia to promote women’s tennis and the awareness of the Fed Cup competition. The AFCTF is a non-profit organisation that raises money for various charities as well as supporting the development of regional girls and boys aged 13/u with scholarships. If you would like to support junior and women’s tennis visit tennis.com.au/tournaments/fed-cup/fedcup-foundation for more information about how you can get involved.

“It is a huge honour to represent my country in Fed Cup,” said Peers upon being selected. “Adding to this, my first Fed Cup tie is at a local club really close to home which will make it even more exciting.”

fed cup

foundation

The Australian Fed Cup team (l to r): David Taylor, Sophie Ferguson, Jarmila Gajdosova, Sally Peers, Anastasia Rodionova and Nicole Bradtke. Photo: Mark Riedy

REGIONAL

Community Passions Unite In The Wake Of The Black Saturday Bushfires

he residents of Flowerdale, Strathewen and surrounding areas were given something to smile about recently, celebrating the opening of new tennis courts thanks to a major boom in participation. For the residents of Flowerdale, what initially started out as a distraction in the wake of the Black Saturday bushfires has now become a passion within the community. “In order to cope with life, a bit of exercise can help you through the day,” said Jeannette Kamar, President of the Flowerdale Tennis Club. Tennis was the only sport left in the town after a recovery village was built on the town’s cricket field. “We opened up the courts free of charge all the time. There were some racquets donated and we had some coaches come up. A lot of people of all ages who had never picked up a racquet had a go.” With help from Tennis Victoria, who visited Flowerdale, donated equipment and organised for coaches to go to the local school for clinics, the popularity of the sport took off and the club has been growing ever since. “A lot of people realised that it’s helped them cope with daily life and it really took off from there,” said Kamar. “Before the fires we had 32 paying members and now we have 71.”

Celebrating the opening of the new courts at Flowerdale Tennis Club (l to r): Jeannette Kamar, Cr Cris Ruhr from the Murrindindi Shire and Member for Seymour, Cindy McLeish MLA. Photo: Samm Hall

As a result, the club outgrew their two courts. Grace was unable to coach into the night as competition needed both courts.

a hit with everyone at the club, according to Georgina Robertson Stecher, Strathewen Tennis Club’s President.

“We had to cut the number he could coach because we didn’t have the court space to keep up.”

“Everything has been wonderful. We are so happy with it. The whole facility down there is just absolutely beautiful. The pavilion is great as well,” said Robertson Stecher.

The club was given the necessary funding and support from Tennis Victoria, federal and state government and the local council to get four new courts built. In early May the project was completed and the Flowerdale community came out to celebrate.

“There has been a lot of adult participation so far.”

“It was wonderful. We had the four new courts operating and we also used the two old courts because so many people wanted to play in our round-robin [event],” said Kamar.

“My husband is a perfect example. He has played many other sports but never tennis. Now there is a group of four or six of them that get down there pretty regularly to have a hit.”

“We are very much a community club so everyone was involved.”

“People have come out of the woodwork. All these closet tennis players from everywhere. There has been a lot of excitement in the community.”

Another major factor in the popularity boom was the club getting its first Club Coach.

Coaching no longer needs to make way for competition, allowing Grace to coach more people into the night.

Colin Grace was one of many coaches donating his time to help the club when he offered his services on a full time basis.

The club has also built up a high level of junior participation, with player enjoyment the number one priority.

“We had never had a Club Coach before so we were delighted and welcomed him on board,” said Kamar.

“We have a very large number of players aged between 14 and 25 and the aim is that everybody has a good time.”

Amazingly, Grace travels for two and a half hours to coach in Flowerdale and offered free coaching for the first two terms he was there.

“Some of our juniors are now cleaning up the trophies in the neighbourhood.”

“Colin is very good and he is very cheap. He is semi-retired and he can see [that] he is doing a lot of good. He has really made a difference.”

A number of residents in the community who had no previous involvement in tennis have taken up the sport and are now regular players.

Like Flowerdale, the Strathewen Tennis Club has recently re-opened after being devastated by the Black Saturday bushfires.

The next step for Strathewen will be to get some new lighting on the courts, with only solar lighting currently used. “It’s hard for us to get a lot happening at the club because we can’t offer any night tennis or competition.” “There are people in the area that play night time senior competition and they would have loved to have swapped to Strathewen but we can’t do it [at the moment].” If tennis’ recovery in these areas is any indication, it seems only a matter of time before both clubs go on to achieve bigger successes than ever before.

They have two brand new all weather tennis courts and a new pavilion, which have been

tennis.com.au/vic

AWARDS CLUBS

Welcoming A New Face To The Office

ennis Victoria welcomes James Madder to the team as the new Metropolitan South Community Tennis Officer.

James previously worked in the sporting industry with the Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS) and the Australian Motor Sport Foundation (AMSF), where he worked with elite young drivers. He then moved away from sport to media advertising and account management with News Limited.

James Madder is the new Community Tennis Officer for the metropolitan south area.

James played a lot of tennis as a junior in the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula area, including Junior Pennant, but has since had time away from the sport.

A local to the south area, James’ passion for tennis convinced him to look for a career in the sport he grew up with. “I look forward to assisting affiliates in the metropolitan south region to further develop the sport and ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for tennis,” said Madder. James will be serving affiliates in the Port Phillip, Glen Eira, Bayside, Kingston, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula areas and will also be responsible for the Cardio Tennis and Mums’ Programs.

When Five Is Better Than One Five clubs from the Polwarth and District Tennis Association have banded together to receive $175,000 in much needed funding from the state government. Barwon Downs, Forrest, Swan Marsh and Beeac Tennis Clubs were approached by the Cororooke Tennis Club in the lead up to the state election. They suggested that rather than try to gain funding individually, the clubs would have a better chance if they contacted the election candidates as a united Association. Barwon Downs’ Treasurer, Gavin Brien, explained how the clubs then met to begin the funding process. “Cororooke Tennis Club was the instigator of it all. They wrote letters to all the clubs in the Association about how they wanted to, as a group, try and lobby for some funds for the courts.” “As the election was coming up we wrote letters to both the candidates in the state election and we got a promise from the Liberal candidate [The Hon. Terry Mulder MP] that, if they got into power, they would put some money towards the five clubs.” Brien was surprised with how fast the funding process happened from start to finish. “It’s all happened very quickly. We never expected to get the amount of money so quickly. We thought it would be a much longer process.” The money will be used for court resurfacing, which is a big concern in the area.

Cororooke Tennis Club’s courts are in desperate need of work.

“We’ve probably got 20 or so members at the moment, therefore to find [the] money to resurface courts and fix infrastructure is not easy.”

The club will be using the money to resurface three courts and are excited at this early stage of the process.

“We are investigating whether we can find other money to go with it.”

“The club is pretty excited about the upgrades, but they are a fair way from being completed,” said De Lorenzo.

If the clubs can get further funding, it will be spent on improving court facilities.

“We could attract many more members if our facilities were better.

The funding is a major boost for the newly reformed Cororooke Tennis Club, which reformed in 2009 after 15 years in recess. The club now has 42 members with five junior teams, and President Frank De Lorenzo is hoping the improved facilities will lead to more members.

“Club members do all the mowing and maintenance and we beg, borrow or ask for anyone who is willing to give us a hand.

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JULY’11

“It’s these volunteers that make the club tick and the only reason we are there.”

CLUBS

Wangaratta Scores An Upgrade

he Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club is preparing for a fresh look after a $200,000 upgrade was recently approved. The state government is set to contribute $150,750, the Rural City of Wangaratta will contribute a further $40,250 and the club will provide $10,000 to the project. The funds will be used to resurface two new courts and provide a number of upgrades to the club’s facilities, including refurbishment of the kitchen, painting of the interior, exterior and roof, new floor coverings and re-stumping of the entire building.

Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club’s clubhouse is in line for much needed renovations.

are talking about it and [getting] excited about it,” said Ablazej.

Wangaratta Lawn Tennis Club’s President Peter Ablazej said excitement was building amongst members about the changes.

“There were a lot of issues that hadn’t been looked after since 1936. Now we will have a nice new clubhouse and that should attract people to come along.”

“It’s going to be fantastic for the club. It needs a revamp and all the club members

The club will be working hard to get the grounds ready before construction begins.

“We will be doing a lot of preparation before the upgrade ourselves. Things like ripping down fences, pulling up old synthetic grass, all the kind of volunteer labour.” Works are due to begin shortly and the club hopes to have them finished in time for the start of the summer season.

Unveiling New Courts In Bundoora

undoora Tennis Club recently celebrated the opening of two new Plexicushion tennis courts, as well as the upgrade of a number of the club’s facilities. The $233,000 project, which was funded by Tennis Australia’s Courts and Facilities Program, Sport and Recreation Victoria and Banyule City Council, included the two new courts, four en tout cas court rebuilds, new court fencing and lighting for four courts. Bundoora Tennis Club’s President, Matt Testolin, explained why the club chose the Plexicushion surface. “We started by doing a lot of background research on the surfaces that were available,” said Testolin. “At the same time we were drafting a document for where we wanted the club to be in the next five years. As part of that, we surveyed members and got their preferences on courts.” “We incorporated those results into the decisions we made.” The club’s Vice President, James Copes, believes the new courts will be enjoyed by everyone in the community. “Members of our club and [the] local community will reap the benefits of these

John Fitzgerald helped to launch the opening of the new courts at the Bundoora Tennis Club.

court upgrades for many years to come,” said Copes.

The courts have already proved to be a hit with members since their opening.

“I believe the new courts and infrastructure upgrade will help us [to] attract new members to our Victorian Pennant teams and increase participation in our programs.”

“The young kids and the coaches love the Plexicushion because you always get an even and consistent bounce,” said Testolin.

Some of these programs include the kid’s starter program, MLC Tennis Hot Shots, Mums’ Program and a newly launched Access for All Abilities coaching program. The launch of the new courts was attended by over 150 club guests, including former Australian Davis Cup Captain John Fitzgerald, who took part in an exhibition match during the celebrations.

“Our Pennant teams are really keen to play on it.” The Bundoora Tennis Club thanked the local council for their support during the re-build. “Construction started mid to late 2008 and was not completed until November 2010. Banyule City Council must be given credit for completing this difficult multifaceted project that comprised two different surfaces, fencing and lighting,” said Copes.

tennis.com.au/vic

PARTICIPATION

Connecting With The Community

ennis Victoria gave more than 6800 visitors the opportunity to experience MLC Tennis Hot Shots, test their serving speed against the radar gun and test their speed and agility on the slalom sprint course at the 2011 Moomba Festival, which was held over the Labour Day long weekend. A hit amongst the participants were the giveaways, which included showbags, official Australian Open programs, racquets and pens. Assisted by fine weather, the result was a great one for Tennis Victoria, eclipsing the previous record of approximately 5000 visitors over the three days. Participants details were collected and will be used to promote Tennis Victoria’s programs and other opportunities to play tennis.

Tennis Victoria’s interactive site at the 2011 Moomba Festival was a hit. Photo: Andrew Gyopar

A Tennis Boom Out West Melton South Tennis Club is experiencing a membership boom, thanks largely to the hard work of Club Coach Danielle Borle. Member numbers have increased by more than 120 in the last few months and the club now boasts the strongest junior participation of any club in the Melton area. One of the main reasons for the increase has been a focus on junior participation. Borle has attended a number of schools, promoting the club and the benefits of playing tennis to the students. “We took the approach to build it up from the bottom with the juniors and hopefully keep them playing so they can be with the club for many years,” said Borle. Borle’s hard work was recently acknowledged when she was the recipient of the 5 Star Community Coaching Award, which recognises outstanding achievement in coaching within the Active After-school Communities (AASC) program. “It was a big surprise,” said Borle, who beat coaches from a number of different sports.

Danielle Borle with some of the enthusiastic juniors she coaches. Photo: Rob O’Gorman.

“We were able to promote all of the Tennis Victoria and Tennis Australia programs directly to the students which has been great.” Borle acknowledged the great work of the club’s committee who have been firmly behind building the club. “Everyone is pushing in the right direction and they have a number of approaches to building membership. The focus is on getting more people down at the club so tennis in Melton can grow.”

“Last year and the last term have been pretty big. I’ve been pretty flat out.”

The introduction of a Mums’ Program has also resulted in increased participation in the ladies’ competition.

“The Active After-school Communities program has been great because we were able to forge a direct link with the school.

“Our Mums’ Program has been really successful. I had about 46 women [take part], which was great.”

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JULY 11

“It brings more women into the club, who then go into our midweek ladies [teams].” The club has also become involved in Tennis Victoria’s Pennant competition in recent years and are hoping to have five teams representing the club by the 2012 season. There are no plans to slow down the growth of the club, with Borle and the committee already planning other ways for the club to expand. “Once tennis in Melton gets back to what it was ten years ago we can start pushing for better facilities.” “We would love to have a regional facility out here which we can hopefully talk the Shire into in the future.”

PARTICIPATION

More Players, More Often

ennis Australia announced in March this year that it was undertaking a massive participation drive to be headlined by the popular kids’ starter program, MLC Tennis Hot Shots, and the launch of Cardio Tennis, a new tennis-based fitness workout. “We are so keen to progress our tennis mission statement of ‘more players, more often’ we have decided to significantly increase our focus and resources on these two major initiatives – Hot Shots and Cardio Tennis,” said Steve Wood, Tennis Australia’s CEO. “Tennis is truly the game for life and all of us at Tennis Australia will be working towards seeing every child with a racquet in their hand and adults rediscovering the joys of tennis through Cardio Tennis.” To help Tennis Australia achieve these objectives, they employed a marketing consultancy agency during 2010 to conduct research into the Australian sports and fitness segments in order to better understand the primary reasons why people participate in sport. This was the largest study undertaken by an Australian sports organisation, and covered capital cities and regional areas within each state. An extremely large sample size of 8,309 people, aged five to 75 years, was surveyed to allow for segment understanding and state delineation. The research revealed some key insights, which included the importance of introducing children to the sport at a young age, as over 80 percent of all Australians that have ever participated in tennis, started playing before the age of 16. A need for a fitness-based tennis product in Australia was also identified to meet the demand of young adults, who showed

the fitness aspects of tennis was their dominant motivation to play. Cardio Tennis, a successful global tennis-fitness product in 30 countries, was recommended as an ideal tennis-fitness program to help get more Australians playing tennis, more often. To drive these two major initiatives, Craig Morris, Tennis Australia’s previous Head of Women’s Tennis, was appointed earlier this year to lead MLC Tennis Hot Shots, and Travis Atkinson, who managed Tennis Australia’s Coach Development department, now heads up Cardio Tennis. MLC Tennis Hot Shots MLC Tennis Hot Shots is an existing Tennis Australia initiative designed for kids aged 5 12 and is built on the philosophy of learning through play and developing skills using modified equipment and smaller courts. MLC Tennis Hot Shot is currently run in over 930 local venues Australia-wide, with more than 460 registered deliverers, the majority being Tennis Australia qualified coaches. It’s important to note that club representatives are also able to become involved in the running of the program in their local area. To learn more about this introductory program, contact your Community Tennis Officer (as listed on page 14), or visit tennis.com.au/mlctennishotshots. Cardio Tennis Cardio Tennis is a fun and social tennis-based group fitness program for people of all ages and abilities. An average session runs for 60 minutes, and is comprised of a 5-10 minute warm-up, a 30-50 minute cardio segment, which includes drill-based and play-based activities, and a 5-10 minute cool down. Cardio Tennis is less about technique and more about getting a great high-energy workout.

Cardio Tennis is a fun and social tennis-based group fitness program that includes drill-based and play-based activities.

Cardio Tennis is yet to be officially launched in Australia, and is still in the early stages of development. During January this year, a workshop was held in Melbourne and attended by Tennis Australia coach members, who then went on to run Cardio Tennis pilot programs at their clubs/venues around the country. Some great feedback was received from these pilot coaches, which is enabling Tennis Australia to develop a quality Cardio Tennis product for the Australian market. To deliver Cardio Tennis in Australia you will have to be a Tennis Australia coach member. During August this year an exclusive mailout will be sent to all Tennis Australia coach members inviting them to upgrade their membership to become a Cardio Tennis Coach, which will involve attending a Cardio Tennis workshop or completing an online tutorial. All Cardio Tennis Coaches will receive a range of benefits, including access to a national promotion campaign and a Cardio Tennis providers’ pack.

MLC Tennis Hot Shots: Helping kids to learn through play and develop skills using modified equipment and smaller courts.

For further information on the Cardio Tennis upgrade, or coach membership, please contact Tennis Australia’s Coach Membership Department on (03) 9914 4194 or email coachmembership@tennis.com.au.

tennis.com.au/vic

AWARDS AFFILIATION

2011/12 Affiliation Update The new 2011/12 membership year is fast approaching with many affiliates commencing their club membership year on 1 July. Tennis Victoria’s (TV) budget and fee levels for the next financial year were formally approved on 25 May at TV’s Council meeting. A letter in relation to the budget approval and confirmation of the membership and affiliation fees for 2011/12 was sent to all club and association Secretaries, and commercial centre Managers on 1 June via mail and email. In summary, after two years of holding prices steady, TV’s individual membership fee has increased from $24 to $28, whilst there have also been some slight increases to the club, association and commercial centre affiliation fees. These new fees will be applicable from 1 July 2011 for the start of all affiliates’ new membership years. There has also been an adjustment to the conditions of TV family membership. Family membership will now apply to a minimum of four people (still with an unlimited maximum) and the new price will be $98.

This price is the equivalent of 3.5 times the individual membership fee and provides a saving of at least $14 per family. Any family member beyond four people will be free. Please note that people who join as a family of three at their club will be registered as three individual members with TV, so their costs will continue to be three times the individual fee. TV’s Council approved the 2011/12 budget following a detailed analysis by, and recommendation from, the TV Board. All feedback from affiliates was considered throughout these important stages of the annual budget-build. The consideration of the fee levels was also accompanied by a thorough review of all of TV’s activities, expenditure and other revenue generating opportunities. Whilst Tennis Victoria would have preferred to have been in a budgetary position to keep fees constant for a third year running, it is

believed that what tennis players in the state are asked to contribute is quite reasonable when taking into account factors such as: • The comparison to the state fee levels of other relative sports, • Minimal increases over time, • The important advocacy role TV plays for the sport, • The benefits provided to members, • The substantial competition and player pathway access opportunities at all levels. The range of products, services and support that TV offers as part of affiliation are detailed online at tennis.com.au/vic/clubs. Full details and documentation regarding the 2011/12 affiliation process will be sent out to all affiliates prior to the start of their registered membership year. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact our Membership Department on (03) 8420 8420 or via membership@tennisvic.com.au.

My Tennis Update

ver the past year there has been a significant growth in the number of clubs using My Tennis to manage their membership. There are currently 201 clubs actively using the system, which is up from 101 clubs since April 2010. The past year has also seen many system improvements implemented, providing further benefits to both club administrators and members. These improvements include the option for clubs to run a membership year that is different to Tennis Victoria’s membership year, allowing clubs to add ‘extra’ fees to their membership prices, such as keys, and

a streamlined process for setting up club membership categories. ANZ eGate special offer Tennis Australia, in-conjunction with ANZ, launched the ANZ eGate special offer on 1 June, offering clubs the opportunity to set up online membership renewals for their members via My Tennis. Providing online membership registration/ renewals to your members can save the club administrator significant amounts of time. As the members process their own membership instantly, there’s no data entry required for the club. This can also assist in speeding up the club’s membership renewal process and

the club’s cash flow by providing members with a convenient, quick and easy payment method. As an added bonus, the first 50 clubs to take up the ANZ eGate special offer will also receive a $500 rebate from Tennis Australia! Want to find out more? For further information about the ANZ eGate special offer, or to register your interest in using My Tennis, please contact the Membership Department via email membership@tennisvic.com.au or call (03) 8420 8420.

Do you know who your club’s Community Tennis Officer (CTO) is? Your club’s CTO can assist in areas such as membership, club planning, revenue generation and facility development. Make the most of your affiliation and contact your CTO at any time, should you require any assistance with your tennis endeavours: Regional East Regional West Metropolitan North Metropolitan South Metropolitan East Metropolitan West Metropolitan South/East

Adam Feiner Adam Feiner (acting) Nick Whitefield James Madder Danielle Lowerson Chris Saliba Peter Jenkin

VTN VICTORIAN TENNIS NEWS JULY 11

0402 339 889 0402 339 889 0423 586 686 0458 011 559 0418 546 198 0402 638 041 0468 969 124

afeiner@tennis.com.au afeiner@tennis.com.au nwhitefield@tennis.com.au jmadder@tennis.com.au dlowerson@tennis.com.au csaliba@tennis.com.au pjenkin@tennis.com.au

ADMINISTRATOR 15

Member Benefits

MONTHLY PRIZE WINNERS

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS MAGAZINE

HERALD SUN/THE WEEKLY TIMES

Tennis Victoria members can subscribe to this high-quality publication with a special offer of $60 for 12 issues. This is a saving of $15 off the usual 12-month subscription rate, and $30 off the total cover price.

Have the Herald Sun home delivered from Mon-Sun for just $6.95 per week, a saving of 29%*.

To take out your subscription, simply complete and return the subscription form available at: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership.

*Conditions apply. For more information, visit: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership.

Congratulations to the following Tennis Victoria members who have been randomly selected from our database and won a tennis pack. To read more about the winners, visit the Tennis Victoria website: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership.

INTREPID TRAVEL For travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world – real people, real cultures and incredible real life experiences. Intrepid Travel offers Tennis Victoria Members 7% off their global adventures and will donate an additional 3% to the Neale Fraser Foundation from all bookings received.

April - Clare Rowan, Notting Hill-Pinewood TC May - Stuart Devery, Hastings TC June - Janine Sage, Kingsbury TC

PLAYER OFFERS AUSTRALIAN OPEN 2012 PRE-SALE The pre-sale for Australian Open Series Events and Australian Open 2012 will be available to Tennis Victoria financial members in September 2011, ahead of tickets going on sale to the general public. Full details will be provided online at tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership in due course, as well as communicated through our exclusive member e-newsletter, Hot off the Court. Please encourage members to forward their full name, My Tennis ID and email address to vicnews@tennis.com.au so they don’t miss out on hearing more about this and other membership offers.

Additionally, you can have The Weekly Times home delivered every Wednesday for a very special rate of $26 for 26 weeks*. That’s a great saving of $20.28 (or 44%) off the normal home delivery price!

Full offer details are available online at: www.intrepidtravel.com/tennisvic.

PRELLI RACQUETS Members can benefit from Prelli’s 20 years of experience and take advantage of:

national sports museum

• a flat re-stringing rate of $20 per re-string (excludes string) • a 10% discount on tennis racquets and accessories (excludes sale items)

Receive one complimentary child admission with the purchase of a full adult admission ticket to the National Sports Museum, MCG Tour or a combined National Sports Museum and MCG Tour.

Simply show your Tennis Victoria membership card in store to access these offers. Visit Prelli Racquets at 207-209 Victoria Parade, Collingwood today.

This offer is available until 31 December 2011. Download your voucher from tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership to redeem the offer. Conditions apply, see voucher for details.

HOT OFF THE COURT Tennis Victoria’s exclusive player e-newsletter, Hot off the Court, is packed with up-to-date tennis information and special offers. If you are not receiving Hot off the Court and would like to, please forward your full name, My Tennis ID and email address to vicnews@tennis.com.au or call (03) 8420 8420.

RECOVER SPORTS MEDICINE Receive a 10% discount on physiotherapy treatments at Recover Sports Medicine Clinics (Richmond, Glen Waverley and Bayside) by presenting your membership card. For more information or location details, visit: tennis.com.au/vic/play-tennis/membership.

tennis.com.au/vic

“They’re ready.”

“MLC Tennis Hot Shots is an exciting tennis program for kids aged 5 -12 years. Using modified courts, racquets and balls to make things fun and easy, your kids will be rallying and scoring from the moment they step on the court. To get your kids into MLC Tennis Hot Shots, visit tennis.com.au/mlctennishotshots” Associate Sponsors

Alicia Molik