31 August 2011 | Tennis ACT

By Edwin Smith

Politicians in Canberra had a rare chance to let their hair down this week, when Tennis ACT and Tennis Australia hosted a morning of tennis at Parliament house.

Opposition leader Tony Abbot, Federal Sports Minister Mark Arbib, tennis legend John Alexander, plus board members, coaches and staff from both Tennis Australia and Tennis ACT, were all in attendance. Abbot and Arbib were full of praise for the work being done by Tennis Australia.

“Hot Shots is about ensuring every kid has the opportunity to play tennis… We want to give kids a lifelong love of sport. We know the benefits physically, we know the benefits of fighting obesity and we know the life skills young kids pick up through playing sport,” Senator Arbib said.

The day focused around the two biggest programs in Australian tennis, Hot Shots and the newly implemented Cardio Tennis and the benefits these programs can have on the healthy lifestyles of Australians.

Involving everyone in tennis, regardless of age or gender, was another main focus of the day.

“I congratulate Tennis Australia for all the work they have been doing. It really has been a determined effort and we’re also seeing new programs like Cardio Tennis to ensure everybody gets an opportunity to play,” Senator Arbib said.

Tony Abbot was also full of praise for Tennis Australia, stating that tennis is “a terrific social sport.”

“You don’t need to be blokes playing blokes or girls playing girls. Tennis is something the whole family can be involved in, and that’s why I think it’s such a great sport to encourage… I think it’s a very worthy cause,” the Opposition Leader said.

Over the last 12 months, the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program has attracted over 248,000 participants. The program is utilised by most coaches around Canberra and Australia, and involves using modified balls and courts to make tennis easier to learn for young children.

Cardio Tennis, the latest program to be introduced by Tennis Australia, was trailed at lunch time during the day. The program involves a high-intensity workout that focuses on fitness rather than playing tennis.

The session was followed by a cocktail dinner that night where a mini-court was set up so politicians and officials had the chance to verse each other. A host of kids also had the chance to test their skills on the court, while some of the biggest names in Australian tennis looked on, including Ken Roswall, Neale Fraser and Ashley Cooper.