Increasing the representation of women and girls in tennis administration is the aim of a Tennis Australia initiative starting in Albury Wodonga.
Key points:
- Casey Dellacqua says women hold only 26% of president positions at Australian tennis clubs
- Tennis Australia’s program aims to support 1,000 women into leadership roles in sport by 2024
- Thurgoona residents are taking part in the programme and are welcoming its efforts to attract more women to local leadership positions
The Women Leaders in Tennis program has been running for about 18 months and has over 200 women across the country participating.
Former professional player Casey Dellacqua is Tennis NSW’s Head of Women and Girls and helps facilitate the program.
She said it was exciting to bring it to the border towns.
“This is the first time we’ve brought the two states together, so it will be a collaboration between Tennis Victoria and Tennis NSW,” she said.
Dellacqua said the four-month program was designed to build participants’ knowledge, skills and confidence through face-to-face sessions and learning activities.
As a junior tennis player, Dellacqua competed in a series of tournaments in Albury and maintained a connection with the town.
“It was in the back of my mind… I really wanted to go to Albury,” she said.
“What a great opportunity to also bring together cross-border women from different places to connect through this program.”
Casey Dellacqua wanted to launch the program in Albury. (Provided by Tennis Australia)
Dellacqua said there was a gender disparity in leadership positions at tennis clubs across the country, with women holding only 26 percent of club president positions.
“That’s a number we would like to see improve,” she said.
She said it was vital to address the leadership gap within the sport, with Tennis Australia’s initiative aiming to support 1,000 women by 2024.
“We really hope that through this program and by giving women these skills, we can (increase female representation),” Dellacqua said.
The importance of women’s voices
Thurgoona residents Barbara Martin and Trisha Baldwin, who are both involved in their local tennis club, are already taking part in the program.
Ms Martin, who first qualified as a coach in the early 1990s, said she had never seen anything like it.
“What attracted me was that it was a program that was going to be led by women from our tennis community,” she said.
“I’ve seen over the years that tennis is a very male-dominated sport. The coaches are male-dominated, the committees are male-dominated.
“I just thought it could be a way for women to get involved and have their voices heard.”
Mrs Martin and Mrs Baldwin run a tennis program in Thurgoona. (ABC Goulburn Murray: Callum Marshall)
A key aspect of the initiative involves participants identifying a problem in their local club and undertaking that change.
Ms Martin and Ms Baldwin focused on introducing community coaching to Thurgoona and training teenage students to coach local children.
“Thurgoona is a growing area and we can’t keep up with the number of children wanting to take tennis lessons with the coaching hours we have,” she said.
The women were also trying to arrange a formal coaching course with Tennis Australia.
“We believe this is a way to keep training ongoing and sustainable in Thurgoona,” Ms Martin said.
“It will be run by local Thurgoona residents who have a passion for tennis and the community.”
Registration for the program is open in the border region until April 30.
