24 June 2019 | Tennis Queensland

As we celebrate a new Grand Slam champion in Ash Barty, record numbers in fan engagement and increases in participation, Tennis Queensland is also taking the sport to the next level as we realign our local workforce.

Targeting increased access for players of all levels, as well as overall improvements in how the game is delivered and managed, Tennis Australia has significantly boosted the investment into all Member Associations.

The subsequent development of new regions for Australian tennis represents a bold new strategy, as well as many opportunities to build on positive momentum.

The strategy has been identified as the best way forward from studies of different sports and industries, alongside several formal reviews within the organisation.

“On the ground resourcing will help to support the growth of tennis in our regions. Installing a capability layer – through the Regional Tennis Manager – will ensure our tennis delivery network is geared to provide the products and services that align to regional strategies and promotes the value of participation in a sport like tennis to the local community. This added resource will also provide invaluable counsel and support to the Regional Assembly chairs and delegates, charged with advancing the interests of tennis in their respective region,” explained Tennis Queensland CEO Mark Handley.

Local communities are at the heart of the new focus, with the establishment of 36 geographic territories across the nation allowing the development of more meaningful partnerships with tennis clubs and coaches.

Four of these regions make up the state of Queensland and our workforce will be realigned to service these. It’s important to note these new ‘super regions’ will not impact governance or voting structures in your local area.

As Matt Dwyer, Chief Tennis Officer at Tennis Australia, explains, “Our Clubs, with their passionate volunteers and highly credentialed coaches, are our games greatest asset and contribute countless hours every week to supporting those one million players across the country. With the launch of our new strategy for tennis, we are now looking to partner with them in a more meaningful way than ever before to ensure our great game thrives for generations to come. 

They’ll do so with the support of a Regional Tennis Manager, who as heads of their respective regions will hold clear accountability for the health of tennis in their region.”

Factors to determine the geographical regions included an indicative distribution of current tennis participants, clubs, associations and tournaments, local government areas, plus State and Government management and planning regions.

The sizes of the regions are a balance of geographical area and the population to be reached or serviced – both for tennis programs and marketing.

“Through these newly created roles, the Regional Tennis Managers will provide bespoke support to their local community,” explains Dwyer. “Collaboratively developing plans that incorporate clubs, coaches and schools that will unify the region in our ambitions to see tennis thriving in the local community.

A key goal of the realigned local workforce is to ensure each region is serviced to the highest possible level and with appropriate resources.

Positions for Regional Leads as well as a Tennis Delivery Channel Manager have therefore been created and are now open for applications online to enhance the expanding tennis landscape. The role of Participation Leaders will also be refined in this process, with these roles to become known as Club Development Officers.

The growing opportunities to join the Tennis workforce symbolise growth of the sport generally. All new roles can now be viewed on the Tennis Australia Job Board. Tennis Queensland welcomes all applications and looks forward to the new era of tennis participation across the state.

To see what opportunities there are, and whether you could be part of this exciting new chapter, visit the jobs dashboard.