Play It Forward (PIF) or Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a group of Tennis Victoria Youth Program participants who act in an advisory capacity to Tennis Victoria (TV). Play It Forward aims to create a pathway for youth involved in tennis from an off-court and on-court perspective; along with creating the next wave of volunteers and sport industry leaders.
Values
Play It Forward will commit to the following specific values which are underpinned by the Tennis Victoria values of Imagination, Humility, Excellence and Collaboration –
- Respect
- Fairness
- Creativity & Innovation
- Determination
- Confidence
Skills and Experience
- Be involved in tennis in an on or off court capacity
- Must be aged between 14-21 years as of January 1 when applying
- Must have a valid Working with Children Check (only for 18 years and over)
- Preferred leadership experience or desire to develop this experience
- Ability to have high engagement within the group across the financial year
- Live in Victoria
This is an opportunity to contribute to the evolution of engaging and encouraging young people in tennis. Some benefits for members will include, networking, self-development, and invites to major tennis events, as well as the opportunity to contribute towards Tennis Victoria decision making.
At Tennis Victoria, we embrace differences in gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion, and sexual orientation. We value diversity and understand how it assists in attracting, recruiting, and retaining our talented tennis family. Tennis encourages all people to apply for this role.
Register your interest here!
Nicholas Craig
Lead Ambassador |
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Click to read moreNicholas or better known as Nick amongst the group, is proud to be a founding member of PIF and is currently undertaking his 3rd year of study in his Bachelor of Sport Management/Business double degree at Victoria University. He currently plays Wednesday night mixed tennis at Buckley Park Tennis Club and has a passion for all things sport, music and movies. |
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Silas Kingma
Existing Member |
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Click to read moreSilas is in his first year of university studying mathematics, having moved down from Echuca where he grew up on the family farm. He has played tennis his whole life for the Gunbower LTC, coaching the junior teams, he has further represented the Loddon Campaspe region many times as a junior. He was a 2021 Future Leader and is a current returning PIF member. In his free time when he isn’t playing sports you can find him watching movies with friends. |
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Demisha Sen
Existing Member |
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Click to read moreDemisha is a 20 year old university student in her second year of studying architecture at RMIT University. She grew up playing tennis at Carrum Downs Tennis Club at the age of 10 and eventually decided to pursue being a tennis coach which had come to a halt in 2020 but has started again after renovations were completed 2023. She’s eager to give back to the community and make an impact. Demi graduated from the Future Leaders Program in 2019 alongside Danni and Nick where they shortly became the founding members for Play It Forward. |
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Madelyn Brown
Existing Member
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Click to read moreMadelyn is 17 and is studying Year 11 in 2023. She discovered her passion for tennis at a very young age and continues to play competitively for her school and for her local tennis club in Port Melbourne. Madelyn is a returning member of the ‘Play it Forward’ team and hopes to continue to create meaningful pathways for youth involved in tennis at all stages, even for those who through injury or other medical conditions, may not be able to compete all the time. She believes that encouraging young people to stay in our wonderful sport of tennis throughout their lives is key. Aside from tennis, Madelyn enjoys playing football, riding her bike, going to the beach, socialising with her friends and hopes one day to study and travel overseas |
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Mia Stefanovska
Existing Member |
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Click to read moreMia is a dynamic tennis coach that has been playing since she was 10 years of age. Her bubbly, outgoing personality makes her a favourite amongst the kids. Mia is continuously striving to exceed her knowledge as a tennis coach and has a promising future ahead. Her most recent achievement was being recognised by Tennis Australia, with the prestigious “Women in Tennis” scholarship. She has also her a Future Leader program completed that reflects her dedication to the sport. Mia is currently a participant in the Play it Forward program and, pursuing a Junior Development coach degree as well as being involved in the learn2lead program. Her competitive experience up to A grade level, adds depth to her coaching prowess. While also working at Hume Tennis and Community Centre, Mia enjoys coaching her Red Ball group, reflecting her passion for nurturing young talent. She is a huge advocate for the success of young girls in tennis, fostering their love for the game. “I love to encourage young girls to stay in the sport and play. I strive to better their skills and help them pursue what they love. It is a very rewarding career.” |
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Paris Tong
Existing Member |
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Click to read moreParis is a 16-year-old VCE student who grew up in the Metro South East region. Paris is from Keysborough TC who currently plays junior competition as well as the Australian Junior Tournaments. Paris is a returning Play It Forward member as well as a Tennis Victoria Future Leaders graduate of 2022. Paris is also undertaking the Tennis Australia’s Learn2Lead program as well as Play Like A Girl Australia – Leadership Challenge Program. In her spare time, she loves to spend time on court whether that’s training, strength and conditioning or having a social hit. She also loves spending time with family and friends, going to events, listening to music and travelling. |
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Danielle Welcome
Existing Member |
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Click to read moreDanni is a third-year tertiary education student studying exercise/sport science and sport management. She has been an avid tennis enthusiast from a very young age and has not only competed but coached and has a background as a committee member at her local tennis club. Completing the Future Leaders program in 2019 and attended SEDA College completing studies in the Tennis/Aquatics class. Danni enjoys being out in the community and being involved in sport in all capacities. |
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Allie Wilson
New Member |
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Click to read moreAllie is a 16-year-old high school student and has grown up playing tennis at Clarinda Tennis Club. Allie is a year 11 student attending SEDA College in the Tennis Victoria Program and is participating in the Future Leader program for 2023. In her downtime, Allie enjoys listening to music and watching different sports. |