Rochester Lawn Tennis Club is supporting young talent on the court.
The club is a haven for the next generation of tennis players, who are learning the fundamentals of the game under tennis coach Paul ‘Milo’ Condliffe.
Condliffe oversees the junior squad consisting of players aged six years and up.
“The club has had some setbacks, with floods now damaging the infrastructure twice in as many years, but the club’s members have managed to keep things going,” Condliffe said.
“When the townspeople work together, the resilience of the Rochester community shines through.
“The club has managed to rerun some successful junior tournaments over the last few years, which has been great for all the kids to display their talents against players they wouldn’t usually face.”
Among the young guns is Sophie, 9.
“I want to be the next Ash Barty and be a role model for the next wave of future tennis stars,” Sophie said.
Rochester Lawn Tennis Club has a band of volunteers committed to its long-term survival.
President Karen Taylor works tirelessly with fellow committee members to ensure tennis remains a pivotal part of town life.
“As you can see, all the juniors are out there having fun, running around and just being children,” Taylor said.
“It’s all about skill development ... showing them the correct technique for holding a racquet and how to throw a ball.”
Taylor said the club had benefited from the spirit of friendship among the wider Goulburn Valley tennis fraternity.
“Earlier this year, I received a call from Chris Potter, a member of the Echuca Tennis Club. Through their Easter tournament, they were able to raise additional funds,” Taylor said.
“The amount totalled $1100, a tremendous financial boost for our tennis club.
“The money will go to new nets and the posts at either end.
“The fact is that tennis clubs are part of our community, run by local volunteers. The financial boost takes some pressure off the need to raise funds we needed to cover due to the ’22 floods.”
Rochester Lawn Tennis Club is at 1 Diggora Rd, Rochester.