THE Mount Gambier and District Tennis Association will witness the amalgamation of three clubs, as Uniting Church, Centrals and Mil Lel join forces for the sake of the sport’s future.
Having previously worked together to fill teams throughout their various grades, Uniting Church president Rowan Williamson said the merge had been in the works for some time now.
In addition to this, the clubs have been working alongside the association, with support from the Mount Gambier City Council as well as Tennis SA and Tennis Australia in an endeavour to upgrade the deteriorating Olympic Park complex, with the goal to make the iconic venue the home for the new club.
Backed by the association and members from each club, Williamson said the merge, unlike many amalgamations, is a positive move and is about building a strong foundation for tennis in the region looking into the future.
“I think in small clubs people often only look ahead maybe two years at the most, but it is actually about looking five or 10 years down the track,” he said.
“Often amalgamations can be seen in a negative light, but this is a positive move.
“It was just about putting our heads together and working out how we can move forward together in a way that will ensure our members still have a home to play tennis in five, 10 or 15 years time.
“We are all excited about working together.”
Recently holding their Annual General Meeting, Williamson said the ball has only started rolling in terms of the finer details of the new club and the main focus at present is the Olympic Park complex.
“Things will just be business as normal for the time being and we will get everything going in the background ready to pull the trigger if we can get the funding and support to upgrade the facility,” he said.
Nothing is set in stone in terms of the upgrade at this stage, but the clubs will remain committed to their merge regardless.
However, Uniting Church president Rowan Williamson is confident the facility overhaul will become a reality.
“We have been working on this for close to two years now, in terms of discussions amongst the clubs,” he said.
“The association has been working with the local council and the peak tennis bodies for what could be close to 10 years.
“It is all coming to a head now and we have really made a lot of traction over the last 12 to 18 months.
“Now with an amalgamation and a real vision for the future of this complex, I think it puts us in good stead.”
With the association currently in charge of the Olympic Park complex, Williamson said having a club move into the facility permanently would ensure the courts and club rooms are maintained to the standard necessary, while relieving the association of the burden and allowing it to apply its full focus to the competition itself.
“Olympic Park is the marquee tennis facility in Mount Gambier,” he said.
“It’s not home to any club, so it makes economical sense to move and get the facility upgraded, rather than start a fresh facility.
“By coming together and looking to move in, it is only going to provide more opportunities for the current members and future generations of players.”
This will not only benefit the three clubs themselves, but the entire association, as the upgrade would see more tournaments and opportunities for the region’s tennis players, along with international-standard courts and lighting.
“The facility does need to be used,” Centrals president Mark Heemskerk said.
“We have been talking about it for years.”
With the Mount Gambier City Council committing $400,000 towards the project, the next step is applying for State Government grants to help reach the estimated $1.3-1.4m budget.
“We have the full support of the Mount Gambier City Council,” Williamson said.
“We are being supported by our association as well and our peak bodies in Tennis SA and Tennis Australia are right behind us.
“We are currently applying for some State Government funding to upgrade the surface and then also the lights and the fencing.”
This overhaul is hoped to return Mount Gambier to the state, national and even international tennis map, with Williamson determined to see the return of tournaments previously held in the Blue Lake City.
“Having another international tennis tournament here is absolutely on the cards,” he said.
“It is my understanding the Blue Lake Women’s International, which used to be held here, is one of the only recurring international sporting events this city has ever held.
“It was a great shame to lose that.
“And we only lost it because the facilities were not up to scratch and the playing surfaces deteriorated.
“If we can get that back again as well as some junior tournaments it is really going to boost the sport down here.”
Aside from attracting players from outside of the region to compete in tournaments, Williamson would also like to see further competitions within the local association.
“We would like to see the lights on every night and people out there playing tennis,” he said.
“I think we need to steer away from just trying to maintain one competition in the Mount that is played on weekends.
“We are competing with six or seven day trading now, people just have busier lives.
“We need to cater for that and make sure people have an opportunity to play tennis whenever they like.”
