Schools with tennis

[Sharon]

Hi

We are planning to move to Brisbane from Dbn. I have a 13 year old child who is very involved in tennis here - in the provincial squads etc. In order for him to settle quickly, I thought it would be best to find him a school that has tennis as one of it's main sports. We won't be able to afford private education when we first get there, if ever. At the moment they are in a private school in SA which is not a "tennis" school but they employ a pro coach and a strong team. This is what I'm looking for in Brisbane. My other child (11) is into squash and all the other sports like soccer and hockey. Does anyone have any ideas?

[Dax]

I can only speak for South Australia

Over here Tennis is not part of extra curriculum in the state schools. All sports as you knew it in RSA on school level, are ofered on club level here in Adelaide.

Junior Tennis is very well organised here. You have to pay for coaching and th eseason fee for Junior Tennis (when my son played a few years back) was about $40 for the season and any coaching sessions was about $15 - $20 a session.

Coaching was on week nights and al matches were played on Saturdays. It is parent responsibility to get their kids to the venues.

I imagine other states would follow more or less the same system

Hope this helps,

Dax

[Sharon]

Thanks for the info - much appreciated.

[MzT]

It's pretty much the same as Dax described in QLD. There are plenty of extra curricular sports on offer, with the tournaments and whatnot that go with it, and I'm sure you will have no problem finding something to suit you.

[Tracy]

When I was a "lightie" in SA, I played provincial and national tennis, and tennis was a big thing then. Unfortunately it has slipped to a very minor sport nowadays.I remember Westridge Park Stadium in Durban having 50 odd courts! It's mostly been taken over by housing today.

To my surprise, I see it is very popular here. Especially in Alice. So many kids take coaching lessons, and the social and league nights are packed with peopel. It is very encouraging.

I would imagine it is just as popular elsewhere in Aus.

Tracy

[Queensland Girl]

Hi Sharon

Dont know if your child is perhaps considering a career in tennis, but we have the Pat Cash tennis Academy in Hope Island. It is run in association with Snt Stephens College. Maybe worth a look.

www.hir.com.au/tennis/academy

[Heather]

Hi Sharon

My son was at the Pat Cash that Queensland Girl speaks about - he played the circuit in SA and was junior ranked in the top 150 - so tennis was important to us as well - he didnt go to the academy to play tennis but went their to train as a TCTA tennis coach and really enjoyed being there as he said the training was good for the tennis players. He had coaching at Pro-One academy which he really enjoyed as well. This however is all Gold Coast based. He went to Somerset college that had a tennis team - I also know that The Southport school has tennis at their school and they are one of the top sporting schools on the Gold Coast - I would try Nudgee college in Brisbane as they are incredibly good with sports as well or maybe even Bribane Boys College - if you have all his achievements in Tennis - I would be approaching these schools I have mentioned for a sporting scholarship - I think they normally take them for year 8 and year 10 intakes but not 100 percent sure on that..(sorry all these schools are private school- but offer sports scholarships)

The Palm Beach Currumbin school is a state school with sports accelerated subjects - and they offer all sorts of sporting facilities and you do your sport as one of your subjects - they have an excellent reputation for sporting excellence...(They do hockey and soccer as well) My boys play hockey for a club - the funny thing is Sharon - at most state schools their sports are a joke in a sense...as they have a list that comes out for sports for the term and it is a case of first come first serve... my son who played provincial hockey did not make the school team in the state school as there were too many applicants so he had to do beach walking instead ...but that is why they do the club sports thing...(he loved the beach walking btw ha ha) - but I would look at the Palm Beach Currumbin school - if you had been looking Gold Coast...

regards

heather

Hope this helps

heather

[Sharon]

When I was a "lightie" in SA, I played provincial and national tennis, and tennis was a big thing then. Unfortunately it has slipped to a very minor sport nowadays.I remember Westridge Park Stadium in Durban having 50 odd courts! It's mostly been taken over by housing today.

To my surprise, I see it is very popular here. Especially in Alice. So many kids take coaching lessons, and the social and league nights are packed with peopel. It is very encouraging.

I would imagine it is just as popular elsewhere in Aus.

Tracy

Ht Tracy

You'll be happy to know that Westridge is still alive with about 30 courts, all newly surfaced for the SAA Open and the Vets. Although it's become a minor sport here, to those involved it is a very big thing. My son travels the country playing most holidays in the tournaments. It is hugely competitive. It's also played in most of the good schools here and there are still very strong clubs. We just don't seem to produce the goods due to lack of sponsorship I think!

Sharon

Hi Sharon

Dont know if your child is perhaps considering a career in tennis, but we have the Pat Cash tennis Academy in Hope Island. It is run in association with Snt Stephens College. Maybe worth a look.

www.hir.com.au/tennis/academy

Thanks, I have looked into the Pat Cash Academy and it looks absolutely wonderful as does Snr Stephens College. I don't think however we'll be able to afford it straight away.