Last week, #1 tennis dad Robert Barty visited the NT to spend time at our most remote club, the Gove Peninsula Tennis Club in Nhulunbuy (East Arnhem), and to present ‘The Ash Barty Story’ to the local tennis community.
In Nhulunbuy, Robert met with club President Nicky Mayer and Vice President Ray Winn, gaining a wonderful sense of history from the “biggest smallest club in Australia.” The Gove Peninsula Tennis Club is currently thriving, with almost 10% of the town’s population counting themselves as members.
Later, alongside the NT Junior International Finals in Darwin, a huge turnout of local tennis fans gathered at the Darwin International Tennis Centre to hear Robert speak. He shared insights into the Barty family journey, including personal stories of Ash’s challenges and successes. While he noted this isn’t a one-size-fits-all blueprint, it was exactly what worked for Ash and her family.
Robert shared the 5 golden rules that Ash’s parents set for her:
1. Be happy
2. Be a nice person
3. Have fun
4. Have respect for others and be respected
5. …Then play tennis
He also left the crowd with a few extra pieces of wisdom to consider:
Parents: Watch tennis to see your kids play, not to see them win.
Players: Regularly play against seniors to understand that tennis is about placement, not power.
Everyone: Listen to your coach!
We are incredibly grateful to Robert for making the time to visit the NT, connecting with our local tennis community, and sharing his wisdom on the ups and downs of the sport we love.
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