Tennis club president up for state nod

A LONG-serving member of the southern region’s tennis community has been announced as a finalist in the Victorian Tennis Awards’ Volunteer Achievement category.

Bannockburn Tennis Club president Jason Tournier is one of three volunteers up for the accolade and he said it’s a reflection on the group as a whole.

“It’s nice to know sometimes what you do doesn’t go unnoticed,” he said. “But it’s a team effort. A lot of people put time in as well which makes the role easier for me.

“Pretty much every parent with a child involved becomes part of our volunteer base so we’ve probably got in excess of 50 members that can add up to around 100 people in and out during the week.”

A self-proclaimed lifelong lover of all things sport, Mr Tournier joined Bannockburn Tennis Club more than 15 years ago.

Between managing the club’s operations, advocating for grants, and organising community events, he is among the roughly 10 operational volunteers.

Mr Tournier said the thing he’s proudest of is the presentation of the club.

“The way we present our club, we get comments on it all the time that it feels like a country club but it’s very modern and well-presented,” he said.

“Tennis was always the sport I kept coming back to so being able to enjoy it around people with a common interest and to encourage people to try it was why I joined the club.”

The 2023 Victorian Tennis Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday 17 October.