29 September 2022 | Tennis Queensland

The Sunshine Coast Regional Assembly are smashing it this year, having recently wrapped up another successful round of the Emerging Leaders program with local participants Aiden Massingham (Mooloolaba Tennis Club), Lucas Folley (Matthew Flinders College) and Brock Hamilton (Nambas Tennis Club) completing their club projects.

The participants partook in a range of club projects, which put their tournament directing, officiating and event management skills to the test, providing a great opportunity to explore what a career in tennis could look like off the court.

Since 2019, the Sunshine Coast have led the way as trailblazers of the program, which has seen significant growth with recent expansion into an additional four regions across the state (Metro Brisbane, Gold Coast, South QLD and Central QLD).

Established to grow the number of coaches and resources for clubs, the program has evolved to become a key part of Tennis Queensland’s strategic direction, providing opportunities for participants to develop new skills whilst giving back to their local community.

Tennis Queensland Tennis Development Officer for the Sunshine Coast Nick Todorov says, “Empowering and training our youth in coaching and administration has meant the region is in good hands for the future and will allow our clubs to deliver high quality events and continue to build participation in the years to come.”

Emerging Leaders participant Aiden Massingham from the Mooloolaba Tennis Club says, “The skills I obtained in this course will help me become a better coach and give back to my local community.”

Aiden Massingham (Mooloolaba Tennis Club) | Tournament Directing and Officiating the Sunshine Coast Junior Development Series Regional Finals.

Brock Hamilton from Nambas Tennis Club enjoyed tournament directing and officiating an interclub doubles challenge between Nambas Tennis Club and Yandina Tennis Club. He said, “I created the tournament to help promote relationships between the two clubs.”

“Although I’m only 15 years old, I think I really surprised some people with my commitment and what I was able to achieve. It was a great experience and I learnt a lot about tournament directing, coaching and myself!”

Brock Hamilton (Nambas Tennis Club) | Club Project: Tournament Directing and Officiating an interclub doubles challenge day between Nambas Tennis Club and Yandina Tennis Club.

Lucas Folley from Matthew Flinders College who tournament directed a Wimbledon themed coloured ball day says he, “recommends this program to anyone interested in developing skills in tennis. Not only did I meet new people but I also learnt new skills and built on current ones.”

Lucas Folley (Matthew Flinders College) | Tournament Directing a Wimbledon themed coloured ball day (red, orange, green and yellow ball).

Those who are passionate about tennis or interested by a career in sport are encouraged to apply for the 2023 Emerging Leaders program (minimum age 15 years old). For more information on how to getting involved, please contact Tennis Queensland ([email protected]).