Report 2021
Hello and welcome to the 2021 Lancefield Tennis Club AGM.
Who could have predicted we would be having another AGM via zoom? Laptops on, sitting in our chairs, tucked away in our various rooms in our houses; this feels like the opposite of what being a part of a community tennis club is about. I feel it’s safe to say that this last year has been a difficult time for everyone in our community, not just the tennis club but all the clubs and groups who are a part of the whole. We should be seeing light at the end of the tunnel with restrictions easing and a small sense of normalcy possibly returning by the beginning of November but I wonder how long it will take for momentum and enthusiasm to infiltrate our return to tennis. What, as a club, can we do to welcome back our members, to encourage players to join up and become involved in a friendly and exciting club? How do we develop a culture of endeavour and progress for our junior players so they can improve and remain involved in local competition? How can we increase our presence in Lancefield and be seen as an important part of the local community? I think it’s important for us to consider these questions and make plans and goals for the next few years that will see the club thrive and grow in what might be the new “covid normal” of community sport and recreation.
Competition Results
In the brief time the club was open for play and competition over the Summer and autumn months we had success in both junior and open comp. The B1/A3 team won the grand final in their section which was fantastic but unfortunately the team then disbanded for the Winter comp but will be back together for their final junior season together. The C grade team won their grand final, also a fantastic effort and it was wonderful to see the number of girls playing in that team and our D grade team too. This Summer season we have 3 teams submitted, in A, B and C grades.
This year saw the inaugural season of a Wednesday night ladies-only competition. Lancefield submitted one team and by all accounts it was a success for the MRTA with another season about to begin with Lancefield having another team to enter.
The Thursday night comp saw our section 4 team win the grand final!! We had 4 teams make the finals this past season so Lancefield is obviously competitive and certainly makes other teams nervous.. lol.
Congratulations to all teams who played and our thanks go to all the managers who take the time to organise and keep the comp going.
Special Thanks
I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to our committee for their time and effort in keeping the club functioning. A special thanks to Helen Coughlan for organising the junior competition, it’s not easy wrangling smaller kids and teenagers, you do an awesome job.
Thanks to Peter Liersch for his continued control and oversight of the club’s finances. You have done this year in and out and we are so grateful for your knowledge and commitment to the task. I hope you don’t think it’s thankless!
To Rhonda, I say a personal thanks for continuing to be an amazing secretary. You keep the records and administration in compliance and up to date, you manage to pull zoom meetings together and undertake all sorts of requests and demands. Your role is vital in keeping the club “together”.
Conclusion
It seemed like a quiet year, we weren’t able to play much or socialise nor could we fundraise and be “in” the community but let’s hope that these conditions will be a distant memory. I look forward to the coming year and hope to see everyone on the courts very soon.