The Kinglake Ranges Tennis Club has reached the light at the end of the tunnel after the tragic 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
During the fires that devastated parts of rural Victoria, this small community town weren’t spared.
They lost clubrooms, two courts due to a temporary relocation of the Kinglake Middle Primary School and, most significantly, they lost club members.
In a move highlighting the strong community focus of the club, the committee’s main focus in the rebuilding stage was to ensure tennis would remain prominent within the community.
Another focus was for tennis to provide a supportive and social environment for the community to gather and attempt to regain some normality in life.
Four new courts, surging membership numbers and a new head coach have all contributed to the resurgence of the regional club in 2012.
Thanks to support from Tennis Victoria, Regional Development Victoria, the federal government, the Murrindindi Council and the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, the club was able to install four brand new synthetic grass courts with lights and a state-of-the-art clubhouse.
The club is located on the Kinglake Memorial Park Recreation Reserve, which has been transformed into the sporting hub of the community with netball, cricket and football also played at the grounds.
Newly appointed head coach Luke Dixon made the move from the prestigious Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club where he was a coach for nearly ten years.
He currently offers a range of coaching opportunities at the club from beginner to advanced, including the MLC Tennis Hot Shots program, the Mums’ Program (including Tiny Tots) and Cardio Tennis.
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