4 December 2018 | Tennis Victoria

Stirling Lingard is one of those once in a life-time coaches who loves what he does for a living.

His passion and devotion for the game feeds his zest, patience and skills as a coach, and it’s this obvious professionalism and love for tennis that has enabled him to engender a nurturing and supportive environment and camaraderie amongst his many students, their parents, and within the club itself.

Stirling has been coaching with the Mount Martha Tennis Club since October 1993, and he is the inspiration and the ‘gate-keeper’ for twenty-four junior teams on both Saturday and Sunday, including his various group and private lessons during the week.

Stirling employs three senior and two junior coaches, and together, their coaching unit represents and exemplifies everything about the game of tennis that is important and meaningful, as well as fair and fun. As Billie Jean King once said: ‘Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity.’

Over the last twenty-five years, Stirling has possessed this crucial equanimity, both on the courts and in the clubhouse, and continues to do so through his friendly and generous disposition and personality. The great tennis legend, Rod Laver said: ‘There’s a lot of ingredients go into being a good tennis player.’ This rings true of coaching, and Stirling is a coach that not only has all his ingredients weighed, measured and ready to go but, through and the club as a whole. His hard work and diligence, he’s forged them into great outcomes for himself, his students, and the club as a whole.

Congratulations, Stirling. Thank you for your contribution to tennis in Victoria.