14 August 2023 | Tennis Queensland

The Gold Coast Women and Girls Tennis Weekend came alive with an empowering ‘All-Girls Camp’, facilitated by former Australian Fed Cup Representative, Lisa Ayres. The camp saw 26 young female athletes from across the coast gather at KDV Sport to learn from the experience of Ayres, for a special day centered around the theme of ‘bravery’.

With a key focus on addressing the decline in sports participation among young women, the weekend was thoughtfully designed to create a safe and enjoyable environment for competitive female tennis players to learn and develop their skills alongside their peers.

The camp kicked off with on-court sessions, where the girls were supported by an all-female coaching team, setting the tone for a weekend filled with learning. Beyond honing their skills on the court, attendees had the opportunity to hear from Ayres about her remarkable journey from playing competitively to transitioning into high-performance coaching, highlighting the broad range of opportunities in tennis.

High-Performance Coach Lisa Ayres says, “Days like today are so rewarding because we generally see a dropout in participation between ages 14-17. To have girls involved where they can play and access other avenues like coaching is very important because tennis has so much to offer them.”

“There are so many more opportunities for women and girls nowadays and it’s important that girls know they’re not limited to anything. I didn’t have camps like this when I was younger, so it’s beneficial to girls that they feel comfortable with each other and within a team environment.”

Tennis has demonstrated a strong commitment to creating more opportunities for women and girls with the launch of the Tennis Queensland Gender Equity Plan last year. The Gold Coast Women & Girls Weekend is a prime example of this ongoing commitment and a step towards achieving tennis’ vision of ‘no limits for women and girls on and off the court’.

Thank you to the Australian Sports Commission and the Gold Coast Tennis Regional Assembly for your collaboration in helping fund and drive this initiative in the region.

For more information on Women and Girls initiatives in Queensland and how to get involved, please visit: www.tennis.com.au/qld/clubs/women-girls