15 February 2024 | Tennis West

Tennis West, in its ongoing commitment to supporting community initiatives, hosted a tennis delivery upskilling session for the dedicated staff of Edmund Rice Centre WA (ERC) (Mirrabooka). This event marks a significant milestone in the partnership between Tennis West and ERC, which has been flourishing for the past two years. 

The Edmund Rice Centre WA has a proud history of assisting individuals from refugee and migrant backgrounds, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, embodying a commitment to inclusivity and empowerment. Along with other leadership and mentoring programs, ERC hosts a series of afternoon sporting programs in local parks where kids have free access to different sports, friends, consistent positive role models and a vibrant community.

Tennis West has been lucky to play a part in ERC’s sport programs in recent years, sparking great interest among the participants, especially children and teenagers, to explore the sport of tennis.

The upskilling session, led by Tennis West Schools and Pathways Officer Radu Vaidean was designed to excite and empower ERC staff, enabling them to deliver tennis programs effectively to their diverse and vibrant community.

“Working with ERC has been such a joy, I’m grateful for the relationships built and enthusiasm from their staff to incorporate tennis in their programs. As we help foster community engagement through sports, sustainable partnerships like these serve as a testament to the transformative power of tennis in bringing communities together in a happy and active setting,” said Tennis West Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead Zara Cavalot who has worked closely with ERC over the past two years in her role.

“We will host a second upskilling session with ERC staff in the school holidays where their high school aged youth workers can also learn the basics of junior tennis delivery.”

The collaboration between Tennis West and ERC signifies a shared vision of creating positive impact through sport and physical activity, fostering empowerment, and promoting inclusivity and access.