Mildura Lawn Tennis Club coach BILL MADAFFERI, a former ATP player, has joined the Sunraysia Daily sports team to look at local tennis.
GREAT to see another team joining our Premier League competition this week – Sarnia Surprises.
The addition of the Surprises means we no longer have a bye in our top division, something you always try to avoid.
The return of Sheree Moore is also a great boost for local tennis.
I wasn’t around when Sheree was coming through the ranks, but watching her hit a couple of weeks ago, I can see why she reached such ahigh level in her women’s ranking.
It’s players like Sheree who we need playing our great game. They help lift the standard, but also act as great role models for the younger players coming through, particularly girls, an area where we have seen a rapid decline in player numbers over recent years.
The resurgence of tennis in the region is partly due to the cancellation of most other community sports, but it also shows there are plenty of people out there who are interested in the game.
I love listening to the older club members talk about the days when you had to queue for a court, when membership of the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club was almost at 1000.
It must have been amazing to be a part of that. A real social and community feeling.
I’m not saying we can get back to that level, but as a tennis community we need to aspire to greatness.
Tennis is so much more than just a game. I’ve made life-long friends from the sport.
It’s one of those games you can start as five-year-old and still be playing at 90, body permitting.
My father got me into the sport for that very reason and while I have been lucky enough to make a living out of it, I still get so much enjoyment out of getting out on court and having a hit.
The most rewarding thing, from my perspective as a tennis coach and fan of the game, is watching young kids first pick up a racquet and seeing their improvement.
Not everyone is going to be the next ‘Rafa’ or Barty, enjoying the game is what its all about.
And I hope this momentum continues beyond COVID-19.
This week is round 3 in the SDTA and, with everything happening, who knows if we will have a round 4.
I have contacted Tennis Victoria to provide some direction for us, but until it does it will be competition as usual with a few minor changes to the protocols we have in place.
This week we have added an extra question to our questionnaire which every player is required to complete before stepping on court.
The questionnaire is one part of the protocols we have put in place to ensure the safety of all players.
It is imperative everyone follows these guidelines to ensure our sport is not shut down.
We may eventually not have any say in it, but for now, while we are still permitted to play, let’s make sure we do nothing to jeopardise that.
