19 November 2024 | Tennis West

Tennis West recently embarked on a week-long journey throughout the South West region, bringing the excitement of tennis to local schools and communities. The team traveled through Harvey, Dunsborough, Augusta, Bridgetown, Margaret River, and Cowaramup, conducting Hot Shots sessions, Red Ball competitions, and club meetings along the way.

The regional trip was aimed at increasing Tennis West’s presence in regional areas to service, support and sustain our sport.

Day 1

The team began the week with a drive to Harvey Primary School, located about 1.5 hours south of Perth. We were all set up and ready to start our first class by 8:30 am, dedicating the entire school day to teaching Hot Shots tennis to five classes, engaging a total of 115 students across different grades. Following the school sessions, we moved next door to the Harvey Tennis Club, where we hosted two additional sessions for 15 young players.

Day 2

After settling in for the night at our accommodation in Margaret River, we kicked off Day 2 with a visit to Dunsborough Primary School. There, we ran Hot Shots sessions for 76 students across three classes. Later, we headed an hour south to Augusta to meet with members of the Augusta Tennis Club committee, discussing their future plans and how Tennis West can support their initiatives.

Day 3

Our longest day of the week, Wednesday, began with an early morning drive east to Bridgetown. We arrived in time to start the first class at Bridgetown Primary School, teaching Hot Shots to 60 students across four classes. After a lunch break, we moved up the road to the Bridgetown Lawn Tennis Club, where we held four different sessions, beginning with a community upskilling workshop for six participants. Following that, we conducted two separate Hot Shots classes for 26 young players, wrapping up with a Cardio Tennis session for 12 local residents.

Day 4

Thursday brought another busy day, as we ran the South West Region Fuel to Go and Play Red Ball Competition at Margaret River Tennis Club. The competition welcomed three local schools, with a total of 130 students participating. We extend a big thank you to Maxiblock Sunscreen, Kinetic Australia, and Fuel to Go and Play for their invaluable support in these events. Congratulations to the winning schools of the day!

After the competition, we visited the Cowaramup Tennis Club for a consultation on their igloo lock system and shared insights on developing their marketing strategy.

Day 5

With competitions and Hot Shots completed for the week, Friday focused on club catch-ups. We returned to Margaret River Tennis Club for discussions with the head coach and a club representative, exploring opportunities for marketing support and growth initiatives. Our final stop was at Dunsborough Tennis Club, where similarly, we held a productive meeting with their new committee to discuss future directions for the club.

Tennis West Schools and Pathways Officer – South Radu Vaidean highlighted the success of the trip and value for visiting the regions.

“We embarked on the South West Regional Schools and Clubs Roadshow because we believe in delivering excellent service, support and ultimately sustainability to our stakeholders.”

“It is so important for us to get out and work with our stakeholders including schools, clubs, local governments to develop and maintain that classroom to clubhouse model.”

“It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience, and we can’t wait to be back out again sometime in the near future,” said Radu.

Thank you to the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries for their ongoing support of Tennis in Western Australia.