Tennis coach ready for next set in life

TORQUAY, Jan Juc, Bellbrae and Anglesea’s tennis communities have farewelled their most well-respected and longest serving coach after 33 years of service.

Surf Coast Tennis Club and Anglesea Tennis Club head coach Peter Hubacek has stepped away from his full-time coaching role after more than three decades developing the Surf Coast’s best tennis players.

“It’s tough to pinpoint which part of coaching I will miss the most, but if I had to choose it would be two-fold,” Hubacek said.

“One, of course is seeing my students improve, but two, is to see that they are enjoying the sport too, having a bit of fun and being happy walking off the court.”

Hubacek estimated that over the past year he was working close to 60 hours a week at the Surf Coast Tennis Club.

The hours started taking a physical toll on the 63-year-old, coupled with more and more of his friends entering retirement.

“At that point I decided it was time for the next generation of coaches to come through and I am more than certain that we are leaving the club in more than capable hands,” Hubacek said.

“At Surf Coast Tennis Club, we have over 1,000 students now, and Sacha Vlamynck from Geelong Lawn Tennis Club will be taking over the reins starting next term.”

When Hubacek first started teaching on the Surf Coast, only a handful of kids were learning from him.

Fast-forward 33 years, Surf Coast Tennis Club now boasts 31 junior teams and Anglesea now has five.

“The community here, as well as the parents and the kids, have been by far the best aspect of working at the clubs,” Hubacek said.

“I hope over the time I have been coaching I have set some good values to the kids that are relatable to life in general.

“Whether it’s deciding what is right and what is wrong or how to deal with something that doesn’t go their way, that sort of thing.

“I hope I was at least a role model to someone that perhaps didn’t have one.”

Hubacek will now serve on the club’s committee and looks forward to beginning the next chapter of his life.