25 January 2019 | Tennis Victoria

As another amazing Australian Open comes to an end, Tennis Victoria was pleased to provide another tournament of fantastic Kids on Court activities for Victorian clubs and coaches.

Kids on court by the numbers:

• 10 days of the Australian Open featured Kids on Court
• 10 courts were warmed up including Rod Laver Arena, Margeret Court Arena and Melbourne Arena
• 150 coaches, clubs, schools and community groups participated in Kids on Court in 2019.
• 1500 children had the opportunity to warm up the Australian Open courts playing ANZ Tennis Hot Shots.

Before the stars of today did battle for a place in the next round of the Australian Open, the stars of the tomorrow were able to grace the same courts.

A select few were also given the opportunity to toss the coin before play.

Tennis Victoria Senior Participation Leader Stephanie Eshak said “It’s been a mountain of work coordinating the Kids on Court program in 2019 but the reward of seeing the 1500 kids take to the court and the smiles on their faces as they got to have a hit at the Australian Open makes it all worth it.

I’d like to thank all the coaches, clubs, schools and community groups who helped to make the program the success that it was in 2019 and I can’t wait to get another 1500 kids on court at the Australian Open in 2020.”

Kids on Court is a part of the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots program, a program that gives kids a modified entry level introduction to tennis.

Tennis Victoria would like to thank the following people and organisations for their participation in and support of Kids on Court in 2019:

Mark Hagebols, Richard Hayward, Chris Singh, Yvonne Fantin, Luke Devlin, Vicky Lee, Michael Mullen, , Tomas Graca, Stephen Storer, Chris Millidonis, Julian Cree, Bryce Lindeman, Lee Pearson, Steve Giammarco, Kane Dewhurst, Angelo Giampaolo, John Hampson, Leigh Chapman, Deaf Children Australia, Blind Sports Victoria, Jonny Rowan, Paul Mick, Jason McKee, Vanessa Saragozza, Heatherwood School, Northern School of Autism, Clayton North Primary School, Anthony Guccione, Jamieson Liersch, Mark Hartnett ,Taso Vasilidis, Stephen Hoh, Stefan Visser, David Jonkers, Rob Urquhart, Peter Jedrys, Tania Vanstone, Dylan Edgeley, Mark Stevens, Croydon Tennis Club, Williamstown Primary School, Mill Park Heights Primary School, Philip Conlan, Danielle Jones, Tim Connolly, Greensborough Primary School, St Mary’s Greensborough Primary School, Michael Dracos,  George Georgopoulos, Alexei Demajo, Katie McGregor, Con Zaharias, Craig Haslam, Mark Peel, Stuart Sutterby, Peter Owen, Tim Walter, David Starling, Melissa Williams, Anglicare/Goolum Goolum/The Long Walk, Paul Vassalo, Sean Hosemans, Gary Leech, Luke Hodgkin, Danny Oltvay, Alex Wrzesinski, Jason Lindeman, Steven Foot, Annette Sheppard, Andrew Marshall, Gareth Constance, Anderson Creek Primary School, Greenhills Primary School, Fatima Tawkfek, Marco Persi, Victor Eke, Dean Ellis, Tim Bray, Allison Miller, Glen Kirstine, Lisa Fitzgerald, Dane Nebel, Jamie Gill, Matt Gregory, Millgate Primary School, Croydon Hills Primary School, Leanne Melgaard, Ottavio Boron, Geoff Hollow, Broadmeadows Special Development School, Justin Arnold, David Price, Graeme Hill, Andrew Wright, David Price, Tim Symons, Doug Hamilton, Jack Glenane, Tina Keown, Daniel Wendler, Paul Kleverlaan, Chris Novic, Jonothan Watson, Marcos Ahumada- Gonzales, Alex Hogan, Jess O’Meara, Ashleigh Richardson, Ignacio Crescini, Andrew Crossman, Ben Longridge, John Herrmann, Jesse Laino, Matthew Pocklington, Matt O’Toole

(Photo by Tracey Nearmy/Getty Images For Tennis Australia)