29 October 2018 | Tennis ACT

Thirty lucky students at Good Shepherd Primary School received a visit from world No.288 Kimberly Birrell (Qld) and world No.994 Edward Bourchier (Tas) who are in the capital for the Apis Canberra International.

The players enjoyed a hit of tennis with the children on the ANZ Tennis Hot Shot Courts at the school, before answering questions from the children about their idols, favourite foods, and hardest matches.

Good Shepherd Principal, David Austin said that the visits from the players were very exciting and beneficial for the students.

“It really shows the kids that they can play sport for enjoyment, but are also able to see that it’s possible to go on and do something really good”.

Austin also emphasised the benefits of playing tennis at primary schools.

“The role of tennis at Good Shepard Primary is to get kids outside, teach them some skills, help fulfill the curriculum and have a bit of fun”.

The school was given the player visit as part of a competition from last years’ tournament, when each school was given a player to back in the tournament, with Good Shepherd getting the eventual women’s winner Olivia Rogowska.

Birrell, a hopeful for this year’s title, was enthusiastic about her role as an ambassador for tennis in the community.

“It’s something really cool about being a tennis player in getting to spread the word, and helping to get a younger generation involved. It’s awesome to see- I wish when I was at primary school that we had sportspeople come in and speak to us, so it’s really cool to do.”

Birrell, coming off her biggest win to date in the Darwin Tennis International last month, hopes to use the confidence she gained there during her time at the Canberra Apis International.

“It’s coming to the end of the year, so it’s one of my last tournaments of 2018. I’m just looking to end the year on a really good note. I love playing here in Canberra and I’m really excited to be back”

There will be further opportunities for kids to get involved in the Apis Canberra International on Saturday, when Kids Tennis Day will return with jumping castles, facepainting and characters at the Canberra Tennis Centre from 9am-11am.