With an impressive resume which boasts almost 20 years of voluntary service in small country towns, Eneabba Tennis Club Captain Jody Morton would much rather fly under the radar than have her efforts and long standing commitments recognised.
Reluctant to be thrown in to the limelight, Morton grew up as a witness to her parent’s voluntary efforts and saw the subsequent impact of their work on the communities of small country towns. This allowed Morton to understand firsthand the vital role that volunteers play in the operation of rural sporting clubs.
Championed by the theme ‘Changing Communities. Changing Lives’, the upcoming National Volunteer Week will see Morton’s tireless efforts recognised and celebrated throughout the week of May 18-24.
Akin to the involvement of her parents, Morton has been involved in pivotal roles at both the Kondinin and Eneabba Tennis Clubs for near-on two decades, whilst her involvement in tennis spans almost thirty years.
‘I grew up in a small country town where both of my parents were very heavily involved in sporting clubs as players, coaches and volunteers,’
‘I grew up seeing this as normal and have now raised my own children in this same manner,’
‘At Kondinin Tennis Club, I spent approximately six years volunteering in a variety of roles including four years as the Club President and two years as the Club Captain,’
‘And with more than twelve years of involvement at Eneabba Tennis Club I’ve been involved in similar roles as Club President and Captain, in addition to coaching juniors, hosting Open Court Sessions and reporting to the wider community on the happenings in and around the club,’
‘Without volunteers, clubs do not survive,’ Morton said.
Speaking to the varied benefits which the tennis club offers the small rural township of Eneabba, Morton again highlights the significant contribution that volunteers make to the club’s operation, of what in many cases is an essential service to the many isolated and rural communities across Australia.
‘There are many tasks involved in the operation of sporting clubs going and they require volunteer efforts to ensure these services are available to the wider community,’
‘Volunteering means that sporting clubs or community group are able to function. This provides an activity for all the community to enjoy and participate in,’
‘The community at large benefits from regular exercise and social interaction which in turn strengthens the physical and mental health of the region,’
‘Eneabba has only three recognised sporting clubs; tennis, golf and darts. While there are other activities, tennis is the only organised activity which operates every weekend from October through to April each year,’
‘The tennis club provides an activity for all the community to enjoy and participate in,’
‘Competition and social tennis aside, there is also the social aspect of the club for community members that don’t actually pick up a racquet, they just come for a weekly chat, drink and dinner with friends,’
And when asked what she enjoys most about volunteering, Morton says it’s the impact on juniors which brings her the greatest joy.
‘Seeing the juniors develop from not being able to hit the ball, to joining in the senior social tennis once their skills are at that level and then seeing these same juniors doing well at nearby tournaments is very rewarding,’
‘Once they have these basic tennis skills, they have them for life. Tennis is something anyone can play, both in Australia and all over the world – even socially, and it’s a great way to meet people and join in a group if you are new to an area,’ Morton said.
Determined to continue her commitment to doing what she can for her community for many years to come, Morton says she’s proud of her efforts and that volunteering will continue to be a constant in her part of her life.
‘Seeing positive changes in people’s lives makes me happy and I’m proud to be a part of it and I will always offer assistance for any community group wherever I can,’
‘Volunteering has always been a part of my life, and it always will be,’ Morton said.
Tennis West CEO Michael Roberts applauded Jody and the countless volunteers, recognising them for the collective dedication to the delivery of tennis and proficient running of clubs across by metropolitan and regional WA.
‘Without a doubt our volunteers are the lifeblood of our sport, without them we simply couldn’t operate or deliver on our projects, programs and pathways,’
‘Australia wide, more than 5.8 million volunteers are estimated to collectively contribute more than 743 million voluntary hours to the community and we know that many of those hours are at the hands of the hard working volunteers in our clubs,’
‘We are enormously indebted to our volunteers and look forward to celebrating their efforts virtually throughout National Volunteers Week,’
Facilitated by Volunteering Australia, the 2020 National Volunteers Week will this year be a virtual celebration of Australia’s volunteers.
For more information you can head to: https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/#/
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