FOLLOWING the COVID-19 pandemic many among us have fallen into the trap of not returning to previous sports or activities.
Alcheringa Tennis Club president Samantha Hill-Ford hopes those with an itch to scratch might take up the sport she loves.
The club will host a free family day on Friday for prospective players of any age to dip their toe in the water, whether they have tennis experience or not.
“This came out of a trend we’ve noticed, particularly post-COVID, our membership numbers have dropped a lot,” Hill-Ford said.
“We kind of expected everyone to come back to the courts straight away and be keen to get back out there again but they haven’t.
“That’s not just exclusive to tennis, I think it’s affected most sports across the board.
“We thought we needed try and draw interest back in and I think a lot of it has come from people thinking ‘I’ve got all this free time on the weekend now’.
“This event is aimed at getting people who have played before back, but particularly new members to come and give tennis a go.
“We’re really focussing on getting families involved because tennis is a really good sport across a wide range of ages. That’s our main drive at the moment.”
Hill-Ford said joining any sporting club was a great way to build on social interaction.
“I’ve talked to a bunch of people who have moved to Mildura recently who have said they are struggling to meet people and my go-to answer is always to get involved in a sporting club,” she said.
“When I moved back to Mildura after being away studying for six years, I got roped back into playing here.
“The good thing about tennis too is that you only need one other person to go and have a hit, you don’t need a whole team involved to play.
“Tennis is so accessible. We have members here in their 60s and we’re also encouraging some of those former footballers who have hit their 30s and their body isn’t what it used to be to try it.”
The free event on Friday runs from 5.30pm to 7pm, with Fast4 Tennis for the adults and skills drills for young players who are new to to the game.
Prizes and giveaways will be on offer as well as a free barbecue.
Alcheringa Tennis Club can be found opposite to Gol Gol Public School.
