The revamped Tennis NZ programme, Hot Shots Tennis for junior tennis players has helped clubs in the Northland region boost their junior club numbers. Hot Shots is the national starter tennis programme for New Zealand children which modifies the game using smaller courts, shorter racquets and softer balls allowing kids to play a game of tennis from the time they step on the court.

Over the past two years, Hot Shots has been introduced and delivered to over 1,500 primary school kids around Northland through Tennis Northland’s Development Officer in partnership with KiwiSport and also by professional coaches engaged by local clubs. The spin off has been increased junior membership at several of the clubs closely aligned to local primary schools. One such club is the Onerahi Tennis Club.

Onerahi Tennis Club engaged a private coach to go into the local primary schools (Whangarei Heads, Onerahi and Raurimu Primary) and deliver the Hot Shots programme free for several weeks. The same coach also runs the junior programme at the Onerahi Tennis Club. As a result, the club has doubled its junior membership from 27 to 55 juniors.

The club also, for the first time this year, decided to award one tennis scholarship to each school (an annual membership, free coaching and a new tennis racquet the student could keep) whereby the school were given the opportunity to award the scholarship to a student that was unlikely to afford such an activity, which has helped the club boost its profile within the schools. They also offer the first two lessons free to juniors who come along so they can make sure they really want to play tennis. Onerahi Tennis Club President Warren Thomas says “we have felt that it is important to have coaching for juniors and support tennis as a future sport for them”.

For more information about Tennis in Northland and contacts for local tennis clubs visit http://www.sportsground.co.nz/tennisnorthland