Australia, 7 December 2023 | Leigh Rogers

Club coaches play a pivotal role in helping grow the game within their local communities.

The Coaching Excellence – Club Award, which is presented annually at the Australian Tennis Awards, recognises the most outstanding club coaches that provide quality programs and actively provide encourage players to progress their game.

The 2023 finalists are:

Tina Keown (Vic): As manager of the Victorian Tennis Academy in Melbourne, Keown oversees operations at four tennis centres – Fawkner Park, Powlett Reserve, Caulfield Park and Oakleigh. More than 900 children and 600 adults are engaged in weekly coaching sessions, with up to 3000 participants per week across all programs.

Tim Low (Qld): Head coach at the Redland Bay Tennis Club, Low runs a thriving business in the outskirts of Brisbane. Participation levels in Bayside Tennis Coaching’s Hot Shots Tennis program have grown 16 per cent in the past year, with Cardio Tennis classes attracting 23 per cent more participants.

Helen Rice (SA): Students at the Helen Rice Tennis School, in the Adelaide suburb of Lower Mitcham, range in age from three to 82. Rice is the head coach at Denman Tennis Club and also runs lessons at the Bellevue Heights and Netherby tennis clubs, which attract more than 400 participants each term.

The award winner will be announced at the 2023 Australian Tennis Awards, held at Melbourne’s Crown Casino, on Monday 11 December.

Rice has the chance to become the first two-time recipient of this award, while Keown and Low could win their first Australian Tennis Award.

> READ: Finalists revealed for the 2023 Australian Tennis Awards

Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!