22-time Grand Slam champion Todd Woodbridge opened the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Racquet Roadshow Canberra campaign today at Charles Conder Primary School followed by Kingsford Smith School in Holt, giving away a total of 122 racquets to kindergarten students.
Woodbridge interacted with hundreds of local students by sharing not only how he started playing tennis at the age of six, but also his rise to the top which included five years based in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport in his teenage years.
“In just two years ANZ has helped us introduce tennis to kids in schools by delivering 80,000 racquets across the country which is an amazing achievement,” Woodbridge said.
“The racquet initiative is a fantastic way to introduce and encourage more kids to play tennis and have fun, as well as help to identify the future champions of our sport”.
Students were in awe as his he shared his Wimbledon and Davis Cup trophies and his Olympic medals, some lucky enough to be presented with them and others awarded prizes.
“The more humbling part of this journey has been none of the kids really know who I am, so by the end of it, I’ve talked myself up, showed them my shiny trophies and they think I’m really important”.
“It’s been a great journey to get out and see the kids, to try and keep them active and involved in sport. The School Partnership Program gives primary school students the opportunity to play tennis as part of their curriculum and to keep active and fit”.
Kingsford Smith School Grade 5 Teacher and School Sports Coordinator, Ian Bottomley said the students were very excited to learn more from a sporting icon and to get more involved.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity for our school to get more involved in tennis which is a sport that we highly value,” he said.
“As well as connecting with our local tennis coach to get the kids out and playing tennis, today has got them excited and enthusiastic about tennis, which is what we really need”.
“Not only does it link to our curriculum the tennis program specifically, but it is also about making the kids get out and get amongst those opportunities to get fit and get healthy”.
ANZ Tennis Hot Shots is one of Australia’s most popular sports participation programs for the five to 12 year old age group. The game is specifically designed to introduce primary school children between five and 12 years of age to tennis. The program uses smaller courts, racquets and low compression tennis balls.
Nationwide more than 213,883 children played ANZ Tennis Hot Shots in 2015/16, making it one of Australia’s most popular sport participation programs.
“I think people are surprised to see kids playing so young but this is what the ANZ Hotshots tennis program has done – provide the opportunity to have smaller racquets, more compressed balls for kids to enjoy it, Woodbridge continued. “When I started, racquets were heavy, the ball bounced all over the place and it was hard. Tennis is much easier to learn now”.
42 ACT schools currently participate in the School Partnership Program. ANZ Tennis Hot Shots and the School Partnership Program are vital elements of Tennis Australia’s mission to encourage more children to pick up a racquet and learn tennis as part of their health and physical education curriculum.
ANZ’s support of the initiative has ensured primary school students from registered schools receive a brand new racquet, with tens of thousands involved since January 2015.
The ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Racquet Roadshow Canberra campaign will continue with visits at Giralang Primary School and Brindabella Christian College, Charnwood Campus on Tuesday 6 June 2017. Read more and check out our Facebook album.
For further information on ANZ Tennis Hot Shots please visit hotshots.tennis.com.au.
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