Tennis definitely has a reputation as a solo and competitive sport, but in the regional town of Maryborough, two hours from Melbourne, the tennis court is bringing people together one volley at a time.
ASTERIA Services is a community organisation committed to providing support and resources to people with disabilities. They were recipients of a 2023 Bank Australia Community Customer Grant – a program we run annually to support the ongoing work of organisations making positive change in areas important to our customers.
As part of the vast array of services, ASTERIA runs dozens of sports programs that work to promote independence and inclusion.
“We have a group program called Functional Fitness,” explains Claire De Natris, ASTERIA Services’ Planning and Community Liaison. “And the Bank Australia grant funded a 12-week tennis course that ran as part of that.” Held weekly at the Maryborough Tennis Centre by coaches Brian and Heather Carr, the lessons were a chance for individuals – who ranged in age between 19 and 60 years old – to not only improve their fitness and capacity, but create meaningful social bonds as well.
“In addition to the development of physical skills, the social component is such a big part of these programs. It means people from within the community get a chance to socialise and build relationships and bonds,” Claire says.
Maryborough is located one hour either way of the bustling regional hubs of Bendigo and Ballarat, which means there are limited opportunities to participate in sports and social activities for individuals who don’t have access to travel. The program is designed to be local and for locals. This can create surprising connections and reinforce social bonds. For example, when a number of participants turned up for the first tennis lesson at the Maryborough Tennis Centre, they remembered the coaches from their time in high school.
“Where possible, we’re out in the community, we're down at the local park utilising the cricket pitch, we're out on the footy oval or in this case at the tennis centre. We want to be out and engaging participants in the community – showing them opportunities that exist for them there,” says Claire.
When Bank Australia visited one of the tennis sessions in February, it was clear how well-loved the tennis program was, with participants offering high-fives and words of encouragement. The experience was equally valued by the coaches, who hope to be able to continue the program in the future.
“The Bank Australia grant allowed us to actually engage the tennis clubs and have coaches with expertise come and deliver a program which was really meaningful for the participants and probably something that they wouldn't have done otherwise,” Claire says. “It also means that, once that connection and capacity has been established, we hope perhaps an individual would have the confidence or find it easier to access these activities into their everyday lives.”
