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NEWS - NEWS AROUND QUEENSLAND
| Queensland - Published on June 10‚ 2009 |
 BY STEPHEN MURPHY
The city of Toowoomba, about 150kms west of Brisbane, is an interesting mix of city and country. On the western edge of Toowoomba, Glenvale State School is a city school with a friendly, country feel. Its one tennis court is an old bitumen court with a net that has seen better days and a gate that footballs can easily pass through. The court is surrounded by trees which are home to magpies that swoop fiercely in spring. As rustic as the court is, it’s always a pleasure to go to the school on Thursday mornings for Kids Tennis Foundation.
The program at Glenvale State School (pictured) started in February this year, thanks to wonderful cooperation from principal Dave Saxton and PE teacher Chris Tait. This is the first KTF program I have personally coached, and it’s great fun. We are definitely giving many children their first taste of tennis and letting them see that they can play the game.
Near Toowoomba, coach Paul Ladewig has been continuing his great work at Murphy’s Creek State School. Principal Jo Sinclair-Jones told me: “We are extremely happy with the tennis program.” Further north, Kevin Banner has been coaching at Gayndah State School, about 150kms west of Maryborough, Kevin also started at Bundaberg South State School in Term 2.
Times are tough in Queensland, as elsewhere around Australia. So we are hastening slowly with the expansion of KTF in Queensland. But one prospective expansion we are pursuing is a second base of KTF activity in Brisbane, at the Morningside Tennis Centre. The Centre has expressed a strong interest in starting KTF programs in suitable nearby schools. This would couple with the work performed through the Fancutts Junior Tennis Club, and coaches Sandra Field, Genevieve Knight and Scott Morgan. Sandra reports that Windsor State School and Wooloowin State School are back on board for 2009.
As the weather cools in the sunshine state, more schools will resume their KTF programs and I look forward to reporting on these next time. |
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