Association seeks more tennis players

August 23, 2024 BY Tim Bottams

Court sport: More than a dozen tennis clubs in the region are set to participate in an open day and come and try through the Buninyong and District Tennis Association to boost membership. Photo: FILE

MEMBERS of the Buninyong and District Tennis Association are looking to increase participation in the sport with an open day and come-and-try event next month.

With past open days previously organised through associated clubs, the event is set to bring representatives of each team together to garner interest prior to the summer season.

“The aim is to encourage participation in tennis in the Buninyong and district area,” said Buninyong and District Tennis Association president Andrew Cronin.

“We’re looking for an increase in participation from the juniors and seniors, which are both played on Saturdays and the ladies midweek.

“It’s a call-out to people in the area that may have played in the past that want to continue playing or may want to start playing.”

The event will be held from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday 22 September at the association’s clubrooms at 208 Forest Street.

Attendees can tour the venue while the site’s eight recently refurbished courts will be open for people to have a hit, with the option for training from coach Peter Joyce.

The association is home to clubs including Ballan, Ballarat Lawn, Buninyong, Dunnstown, Elaine, Gordon, Grenville, Meredith, Mount Helen, Napoleons, Navigators, Rokewood, Ross Creek, and Warrenheip.

Mr Cronin said it’s important for participation to increase throughout the region.

“Unfortunately, numbers have dwindled and we’re losing some of our juniors to other commitments like work, university, even other sports,” he said.

“I don’t have the exact percentage but for example, our A Grade competition, instead of having four in a team, had two in a team last year.

“The opportunity as we see it is to give a lot of juniors and other people the chance to come have a hit and see if they like the sport and we’ll have racquets and balls available.”

Association members recently celebrated 90 years of operations in March.

To RSVP for the open day and come-and-try, contact Buninyong and District Tennis Association secretary Bridget Dyer via [email protected].