Aced it! Tarcoola Park Tennis Club and Sun City Tennis Academy wrap up final day of Match Play junior program

Tarcoola Park Tennis Club and Sun City Tennis Academy wrapped up their Match Play program on Tuesday afternoon, which involved 16 children across all ages and abilities participating in three divisions over eight weeks. Designed to introduce new players to the sport and give more experienced players the chance to compete, the tournament drove a massive uptick in junior tennis participation this term. For some, 16 players might not seem like many, but coach Alana Miles said this number was ‘huge’ given lagging participation rates in recent years. “We’ve had some great tennis juniors coming through and unfortunately we haven’t been able to provide those competitions because of failing numbers,” she said. “If we can keep them on court, then you can imagine that numbers build. It gives them that little bit more competition. Without that, we’ve found that it gets monotonous for them. We’re at building level, trying to get our numbers back up.“ Co-ordinated by 17-year-old tennis player and coach Finn Preston, families paid $10 for the full eight-week program, which included court hire, equipment and some coaching. Preston, who has played for eight years, including at international level, and coached for four, was inspired by a former coach who ran similar tournaments when he was younger. His Tuesday afternoons included supervising, venue set-up and managing parents, while balancing some coaching responsibilities, especially for newer players trying tennis for the first time. “Some of them are new so they’re unsure how to score and how matches work,” he said. “It’s been a great opportunity for kids to learn how match play works in tennis, which is something not a lot of kids get the opportunity to do outside of training.” Preston said he had seen plenty of growth as the tournament went on. “Every single kid has improved in a handful of ways, whether it’s been longer rallies, more consistency. It’s been good to see,” he said. Looking ahead, Miles said she would love to keep momentum going, and credited Preston for keeping the kids engaged throughout the term. “A lot of the kids really put in the commitment which is hard when you battle against other sports,” she said. “Kids are tired at this time of the year, so the expectation can be that kids may drop-off, and that hasn’t happened. “That’s a credit to Finn. He’s obviously making it an enjoyable tournament if they’re coming back. “I think they’re excited to be participating for something with a reward at the end. “It’s been really successful and we couldn’t be happier.”