As the sun starts to shine and the clouds begin to clear, tennis clubs will flock to the courts around Kyabram for the beginning of the 2024 season.
The association is gearing up to welcome clubs back with the beginning of the junior and senior seasons picking up on Saturday, October 12.
It will be trying something new this time round, with a shorter season to entice a younger crowd of tennis players.
Junior and senior players will experience an action-packed eight-week season, culminating in a grand final and gala day on December 14.
Kyabram Lawn Tennis Club coach David Starling said they were trying a new shorter season in order to make the sport more accessible for youngsters who want to trial the sport.
“We’re hoping with the new system that the sport will have more of an impact on kids,” Starling said.
“Since COVID-19, at every club and their association's levels, we’ve started to lose numbers, so what we thought, was rather than try and drag it out, we could condense the season and see if we get more numbers.”
This streamlined format offers a family-friendly solution, reducing the time commitment for parents shuttling kids to practice and matches throughout the week.
“We’re trying to get as many new people out on the tennis court and promote tennis as a fun sport that can give you good exercise and can play with your mates,” Starling said.
Following the eight-week season and a short break over the summer holidays, the association will run a short calendar of round-robin tournaments to coincide with the Australian Open.
While the details are not all ironed out, Starling said he hoped to use the excitement that the Australian Open brings as leverage to encourage more people, adults and children, to the sport.
“Kids who haven’t tried (tennis) can come in and have a bit of fun,” he said.
For more information about how to get involved in tennis in Kyabram visit https://play.tennis.com.au/kyabramlawntennisclub
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