Cobar kids got to have a hit at tennis on Friday afternoon when the RALLY4EVER coaching team visited.
RALLY4EVER’s mission is to utilise tennis as a catalyst for meaningful connections and to empower communities to thrive.
Louise Pleming, RALLY4EVER CEO, a former professional player and Grand Slam commentator, said RALLY4EVER was formed to improve the mental and physical well-being of communities through tennis and social connections for adults and youth.
“We want to make the social game of tennis accessible to all by making it free with our team of passionate tennis coaches, clubs and volunteers,” Louise said.
“As of this year, we are running over 30+ free weekly tennis programs across the nation, reaching out to more than 12,000 adults and youth nationwide.
They are working with local tennis clubs and community groups.
“The RALLY4EVER community program gives people the opportunity to learn new skills and make new friends, motivating them to keep coming back each week once they start playing regularly.
“You can drop in or drop out anytime, depending on your needs,” she said.
Louise said the primary focus for this Western tour is to make a connection with young people but the programs will be available for everyone in the community.
“We aim to train enthusiastic local people to keep these programs going, every week during school term and to return to ensure the coaches are up to date with all their skills.”
Travelling with Louise on the tour are co-coaches Shaun Lambert and Ian Goolagong (a former professional player and brother of legendary tennis champion, Evonne Goolagong-Cawley).
They aim to recruit and train local coaches in each town they visit and Ian (who is soon relocating to Condobolin) will travel around supporting the weekly sessions or workshops during school holidays.
“All of these towns have tennis courts, some in better condition than others, that are all waiting to be a venue for physical exercise and social interaction,” Louise said.
The RALLY4EVER visits are hoping to kickstart the revival of tennis in these towns…see this week’s edition for full article.
