Freshwater QLD 4870, Australia, 1 March 2018 | Nathan Marino

From the moment you speak to the team at Freshwater Tennis Club you cannot help but notice an insatiable passion for community. Situated in Cairns’ north-west suburb of Freshwater, the club places a real emphasis on tennis being a game for all. Playing host to over 100 juniors a week under just the one coach is no easy task, but it is all worth it for the love of the game.

It was this love of community and passion for the sport that drew in former Freshwater resident Nicholas Sibree when he was eight years old. “The club is only a ten-minute walk from my house, so that always helps”, began Sibree, now in his third year of study at the University of Queensland in Brisbane.

“The people there are obviously passionate about what they do and the club has a massive focus on helping each player get what they want out of the sport, whether that be playing seriously or socially.” The 19 year-old believes the sense of belonging he’s felt at the club is the main reason he’s still playing the game.

“I play two or three times a week down here with a mate who also went through Freshy. We’ve forged quite the rivalry and we owe it and our passion for tennis to that club.”

Freshwater Tennis Club coach Dana Vincent began at the club in 2010, and oversaw not only Sibree but countless other juniors in their development on the courts. She says Sibree’s love of the club is something she feels from many members, and is what drives all the work the head-coach has been putting in across her eight year tenure.

“The best part of coaching at Freshy is making a relationship with the kids,” Vincent told. “Watching them grow up, seeing them progress and getting them to play actual matches of tennis is great.”

The club caters for all ages in their desire to play the sport, and is not afraid to begin young, with Vincent revealing a few youngsters are already making inroads in their careers. “We’ve got a few three-and-a-half year olds, and one of them can even hit a running forehand. It’s scary but great to see. I think there is something special there.”

The club began harnessing talent as early as the 1940s, when the courts were situated across the road at the local Freshwater State School. “The date that the court was constructed is not known, but we know it to be prior to 1940,” recalled former president and life member Tom Bentley.

With the club moving to the current site in the early 50s, with a second court added by local council in the same decade, a growing population would only continue to benefit from the club’s presence.

The thankless task of keeping a community pleased with every move is now the responsibility of a 12-strong committee, spearheaded by President Brian Davis. Davis, a former builder by trade and hence the default maintenance man, only echoed Vincent and Sibree’s sentiments on the club’s community feel, believing the now four courted club is integral to Freshwater as a suburb.

“We’re known as the friendly club in Cairns, and that’s how we want to keep it,” beamed a proud-sounding Davis. “We’re not bothered with how good you are, we’ll have anybody and everybody. We’re very family orientated.”

Davis continued to add that fulfilment from working with a dedicated, passionate team is what drives his work at the club, to make tennis accessible for everyone with an interest.

This inclusive spirit is what led the president and his team to develop their pride and joy: the Run and Roll initiative. The program took 12 months of planning and organising to get off the ground, and encourages those with disabilities to come to the club and hit with friends and family.

“The kick-off of Run and Roll is the biggest thing we have done since I arrived [in 2013]. The official opening was in September and so far we have 12 disabled players involved, as well as their family members,” reveals Davis. Davis also told of how the initiative has been championed in state government, which only makes the club even prouder.

Although Freshwater has garnered such recognition from far and wide, the club is not about to forget those who continue to help. “We’ve had awesome sponsors come on board to provide kids with gear” added Vincent. “All our sponsors are local figures and businesses, and what they provide really gives the kids a sense of belonging at the club.”

Add these sponsors to the volunteers who dedicate their time to keeping the courts thriving and Freshwater appears to have struck gold in galvanising a community around the courts. It is clubs like this that makes people enjoy tennis, and it is down to this that so many people have so much time for the club. Whether they produce a Grand Slam Champion or not, you just know that Freshwater is home to some truly passionate court-goers.