NetSports Tennis News #1
Message from the Head Coach
Warm welcome
Firstly, I would like to welcome everyone back from holidays. Our tennis coaching team at NetSports are excited for the new year ahead of us and what we will achieve. It is great to see more numbers enrolled in our array of programs, as well as the positive start we have had to our squad program – well done! After experiencing the interruptions and difficulties of last year, it feels amazing to finally be consistently back on the courts and sharing our love of the game with our NetSports community. A special thank you to all those who have stuck by us throughout the last couple of years. Also a very warm welcome to our new clients.
At the Australian Open
This year at NetSports has already started quickly and full of energy, with one of our first major events being our involvement with the Australian Open. Myself and Coach Amy were able to attend the AO with a group of our NetSports kids and grace the Melbourne Park courts. We even conducted a start of match coin toss. It was also nice to see the serve and volley game style come back. Not to forget the slice backhand seen by Ash Barty. And of course an absolute thrill to see the first Australian win the open in over 40 years, as well as Krygios and Kokkinakis winning the doubles. They are changing the way doubles has been conventionally played and great to see them bring exposure to the doubles court. A truly enthralling season of Aussie Tennis!
Orrong Park Updates
As for our own updates, we are excited to see our Orrong Park facility in construction and is set to be finished by April this year. This new centre will feature amenities such as new fencing, LED lights and a new acrylic court surface with a similar cushioning feel to Melbourne Park. We are also ramping up social events at the club so keep these on your radar, you can follow our Instagram and Facebook page to stay updated on upcoming news and events @netsports_tennis.
Summer Holiday Program Recap
We would like to thank everyone who participated in our summer holiday program, which took place in January over the two week period. The atmosphere at the courts was buzzing with cheerfulness, laughter and excitement. We always do our best to fill these long days with a mix of tennis based-games, physical and technique focused activities. Our goal was to create a fun and relaxed atmosphere so that kids consider our summer program a great way to spend their holidays. Some of our kids came with friends, others created new friendships, but we hope that they all had a blast, improved their tennis shots and crashed to bed a bit earlier than usual to the overall satisfaction of their parents!
Meet Our New Coach !
Meet Ollie Crawford Smith – Ollie joined us in January 2022 and has been coaching now for 5 years. Ollie is more than comfortable coaching all ages and abilities however he has a real passion for developing beginner juniors, either in Hot Shots or Young Stars. We asked Ollie a few questions so you can get to know him better…
What do you enjoy most about tennis coaching?
I enjoy watching the development of my clients and seeing the growth in their ability. There is nothing more satisfying than hopping on court with somebody who has never picked up a racket before and watching them evolve into a player who can rally with you and hit every shot in the book. I also enjoy working in a field that keeps you outdoors and playing sport all the time.
What do you enjoy most about tennis coaching?
The rare occasion when a beginner gets placed on the other side of the net to a higher level player and causes the upset. This is always very memorable because of the evident increase in their confidence after that moment. Also staying up until the early AM’s to watch Novak and Rafa slug it out for 5 hours is unbeatable.
Who is your favourite tennis player and why?
Novak Djokovic. He has been my favourite athlete since I was 10 years old, at which time he only had one grand slam. To see him rise throughout the toughest era of tennis and take the throne from the two other greatest players ever has been quite inspiring. He is my favourite player because of his ability to defy the odds and win from the most unlikely scenarios, whether it be the crowd being fully against him or being down two sets to love in a grand slam final. His sheer mental toughness is unmatched. He inspires me because of his underdog mentality and freakish ability to prevail despite the constant lack of support from the main stream media/general tennis fanbase. His backhand down the line is also a thing of beauty.
Why would you encourage someone to learn tennis?
I would encourage someone to learn tennis because it is a sport that encompasses almost every key attribute required to be an athlete. Skill, mental toughness, cardio and flexibility – just to name a few. If you pursue tennis, you will develop a general fitness and a well rounded skill set that will translate into your every day life and also across to other sports.
Newsletter: Mark Your Calendar
Junior Tennis:
We will be re-introducing our Tennis Matchplay for younger children (5-8 years) who are currently enrolled into the Hot Shots Red coaching program on Friday afternoons from 4-5pm in February. This program will commence in February and it is a weekly casual competition, which is an ideal opportunity for kids to get their first taste of game play, learning to call their shots, keep score, and develop key match play and social skills. Register online at www.netsports.com/coaching/. Cost is $15/ session.
We are also introducing a Tennis Matchplay for slightly older children (8-10 years) who are enrolled into Hot Shots Orange coaching. This will be held from 5-6pm every Friday and you can register online at www.netsports.com/coaching/
From Friday, March 4 we will be introducing a new tennis competition with a twist for children aged 12-17 years, called Tennis 4 Teens. This will be a mix of a tennis hit, some music and snacks from 6-7pm every Friday so bring a friend and hang out playing tennis!
Adult Tennis:
We have a weekly tennis league on Thursdays nights out of Malvern Tennis from 8pm in which participants play in a singles / doubles format. We are looking to introduce a weekly tennis league on Sunday evenings from 6-8pm so if you’d like to participate in either league please let our Leagues Coordinator, Riley, know by emailing him to comps@netsports.com.au
Also in collaboration with Tennis Victoria, we are hosting a couple of UTR events out of Malvern Tennis. We hosted a couple of these late last year and they attracted good numbers and a solid base of intermediate standard tennis players in both men and women. If you would like to enrol into these: Please see below links to the upcoming events:
February 27th – https://app.universaltennis.com/events/88769?_ref=tennisvi424&shared=true
March 14th – https://app.universaltennis.com/events/88771?_ref=tennisvi424&shared=true
Upcoming Phone App and Giveaways
If you haven’t followed us on Facebook and Instagram already, we are asking you now to hop on your phone, computer or tablet and give us a like/follow! We are urging all our clients to do so as we are going to be doing some giveaways!
From now up until March 14th, if you follow us on either Instagram or Facebook (@netsports_tennis or NetSports Tennis) you will go into the draw to win one of these Prizes:
FIRST PRIZE: One Hour private tennis lesson with our Head Coach
SECOND PRIZE: $50 voucher to buy anything from our Pro Shop
THIRD PRIZE: $30 Court Hire Voucher