Aiming to get kids on court for all the fun and fitness of tennis, more than 550 primary school students participated in five ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competitions held across both metropolitan and regional WA during Term 1.
Involving more than 20 primary schools, the mass participation Red Ball Competition events were the culmination of weekly school based tennis lessons facilitated by Tennis Australia coach members. In line with each schools physical education curriculum, students from years three to six were taught key fundamental skills, game sense and the importance of good sportsmanship, ahead of the interschool team based ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competitions.
Acting as a first touch point of the game for many students, the well-considered program ensures a positive first tennis experience, which aims to facilitate pathways and connections for ongoing participation. Supported by Tennis West, each ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition was managed by local coaches and held at local tennis clubs and venues including; the Bunbury Tennis Club, Scarborough Tennis Club, Thornlie Tennis Club and community based tennis facilities in Ellenbrook.
Tennis West Program Pathway Leader, Ardian Fazliu says each ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition aims to provide students with the opportunity to play tennis with their mates, with the added bonus of fitness and a whole lot of fun.
“School Red Ball Competitions are a mass participation event aimed at providing students with a fun and engaging first tennis experience, while providing opportunities to continue tennis at their local club,”
“The integration of tennis into school physical education curriculums are often the first introduction students have to the sport,”
“This introduction is met through demand within schools, with the latest Sporting Schools national data showing tennis continuing to be the number one requested sport in primary schools,”
“Ensuring a positive first tennis experience affords great opportunity and is key in creating pathways and connections which we hope ultimately fosters a love of the game, a connection to clubs and coaches and lifelong participation which we know from research has far reaching impact,”
“With the 2019 Mayo Clinic study finding tennis player’s life expectancy is some 9.7 years longer than participants of other sports and recreation, getting kids involved in tennis from an early age serves to increase the likelihood of a lifelong connection to the sport and therefore improved health and wellbeing outcomes across the community,” Fazliu said.
Thrilled with the delivery of the in school coaching program and the experience of the ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition, Holy Spirit Primary School PE teacher, Mr Joe Sarsero, says that program resulted in many takeaways for the school’s students.
“The program built on the skills and confidence of the students and then provided them with the opportunity to represent their school in a well-structured and friendly interschool competition,”
“The Tennis West team have put some great thought into connecting the kids to local coaches and clubs which will be key to ensuring the impact of the program extends well beyond the lessons and competition,”
“For many of our students this was their first taste of tennis and there’s no doubt it was a positive one with lasting impressions they will no doubt carry forward,”
“The program was a fantastic experience and we’re already looking forward to the next one,” Sarsero said.
Each winning school now has the opportunity to compete in the Interschool Red Ball State Finals to be held at the State Tennis Centre (Burswood) in December.
Supported by Sporting Schools, the Tennis Australia’s Partner Schools Program allows for the delivery of tennis as part of the schools health and physical education curriculum. Partner schools benefit from access to four weeks of curriculum aligned tennis lessons and equipment packs including modified racquets, low compression balls and modified nets.
To find out more about the Tennis Australia School Partner Program visit:
www.tennis.com.au/schools/partner-program or www.sportaus.gov.au/schools/schools/sports/tennis
Participating schools
Scarborough ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Karrinyup)
Holy Spirit Primary School (City Beach)
St Thomas’ Primary School (Claremont)
St John’s Primary School (Scarborough)
Sacred Heart Primary School (Highgate)
St Dominic’s School (Innaloo)
St Paul’s Primary School (Mount Lawley)
Thornlie ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition
St John Bosco College (Piara Waters)
Sacred Heart Primary School (Thornlie)
John Wollaston Anglican Community School (Camillo)
Ellenbrook ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition 1
Arbor Grove Primary School (Ellenbrook)
Upper Swan Primary School
Aveley North Primary School
Aveley Primary School
Ellenbrook ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition 2
Ellenbrook Primary School
Ellen Stirling Primary School (Ellenbrook)
Anne Hamersley Primary School (The Vines)
Malvern Springs Primary School (Ellenbrook)
Bunbury ANZ Tennis Hot Shots Red Ball Competition
Cooinda Primary School (Bunbury)
South Bunbury Primary School
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