ExcelTennis coaches Marcus and Nicole launched the Heritage Tennis Club’s new junior program with local youngsters last week.
By Paul Pickering
AN enthusuastic crew of ‘munchkins’ has arrived to revive Noble Park North’s Heritage Tennis Club.
Heritage, which has fallen on hard times financially of late, is looking to a new breed of players to return the club to its former glory.
On Wednesday 14 November, the club launched its new junior program with Melbourne-based coaching company ExcelTennis.
The afternoon attracted a healthy turnout of about 80 kids and parents, with many youngsters taking to the hardcourts for the first time as part of the Munchkin class for four to six-year-olds.
ExcelTennis marketing manager Andrew Petrou, who has been spruiking the virtues of the program to local schools and approaching patrons at Waverley Gardens Shopping Centre, is aiming to attract 100 kids to the program by year’s end.
“The idea is to get kids involved with tennis and get them away from the computers and Playstations,” he said.
“We also want to help get this club back on a financial footing, because it’s a terrific little club.”
Coaching will be provided by professionals from the ExcelTennis stable, including head coach and former Cyprus Davis Cup representative Marcus Petrou.
The sessions, which will be held on Wednesday and Friday afternoons from 4pm-4.30pm, include an array of tennis-based games and fun activities aimed at sparking a passion for the sport at an early age.
Junior and family memberships are also available.
With the assistance of a growing membership base, Heritage is hoping to undertake renovations to improve its facilities.
For more information about the coaching program, call ExcelTennis on 9533 5375 or visit www.exceltennis.com.au.
