By Jenny Easey, Sunshine Beach State School Principal
BEING an official venue of Tennis Australia’s Hot Shots Tennis program has seen some great benefits for Sunshine Beach State School students.
From Prep to Year 6 throughout the year, all students are engaged in 4-6 weeks of tennis as part of the schools HPE program.
To assist with the running of the program, schools receive some specialised equipment and this year delighted Prep children were given their very own tennis racquet.
In addition to the programs included in the curriculum, Sunshine Beach students have progressed through to the state finals of the Brisbane International Schools Tennis Challenge which gives tennis players a chance to test their skills against players from state and to play alongside the stars at the Brisbane International Tournament.
“The ANZ Hot Shots tennis program is designed specifically to meet the needs of children. With the inclusion of smaller courts, lighter racquets and low compression balls it makes tennis fun and easy to learn,” Sunshine Beach Physical Education teacher, Cameron Porter, explained.
He added that in addition to the skill improvement, students also benefit from such programs in terms of the child gaining a sense of achievement, self-worth and confidence.
“It helps their social skills and develops a sense of sportsmanship and fair play. Evidence also suggests a positive correlation between children’s physical activity participation and academic achievement,” he said.
School Development Coordinator for Tennis Qld, Jenni Hakl, said Tennis Australia, along with sponsor ANZ, is proud of the free Prep racquet program available to all partner schools.
“Tennis is a game for life and our aim is that all schools will have equipment so that students will have the opportunity to play tennis whenever they want,” she said.
