A CONTINGENT of Limestone Coast students put their tennis skills to the test at the recent SAPSASA competition in Adelaide.
Up against metropolitan opponents in the tough Division 1 draw, the Lower South East team did not return home with the desired results, but there were plenty of positives to come from the experience.
The four-day tournament was played from March 16 to 19 and was lucky to go ahead due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time Tennis SA had just called off its affiliated competitions, but as SAPSASA comes under the education department banner, the event was able to be completed.
St Martins Primary School teacher Duncan Savage coached the team and was proud of the way the Limestone Coast youngsters played against difficult opposition.
“Last year the districts (Lower South East) was in Division 2 and I think they finished second,” Savage said.
“The top two teams get bumped up.
“We were bumped up to Division 1 and there were eight teams.
“We were the only non-metropolitan team, the other seven were all from quite close to the city.”
Savage said the level of competition was fierce.
“A lot of the kids there, the only sport they play is tennis and they get hours of coaching daily before and after school,” he said.
“We were pitted up against the stronger section of junior tennis players in the state that’s for sure.”
Some of the juniors even had state ranking points, which puts into perspective the skill levels on show.
Despite losing all eight games, the Lower South East showed plenty of promise, with a nail-biting count-back loss to Torrens River, while the mixed doubles event at the end of the event showed improved results.
Scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, a couple of circumstances saw the mixed event postponed until the end of the carnival, which finished the week on a high note.
“It was seven matches and we had about three hours playing mixed doubles,” Savage said.
“Amazingly we probably ended up winning about 80pc of the matches we played on that Thursday afternoon.
“If the games were counted and there was a ladder, we would have probably finished pretty high up and probably top in our division I would say.”
Savage said those results put plenty of smiles on faces, but he was impressed with the way the regional youngsters conducted themselves throughout the tournament.
“The parents involved and me as manager/coach, could not be any prouder of how the kids continued to try even though a lot of them were getting beaten from match to match,” he said.
“They continued to front up and put their best foot forward and then if the match did not go their way they were terrific sports about it.
“They would tap racquets – because we were not allowed to shake hands in the current situation – and they were very good sportspeople which was nice to see.”
Savage said the event was “right on the balancing point” of being cancelled amid the health crisis.
“The Saturday before – we went up on the Sunday – that was when tennis around Australia was cancelled,” he said.
“It was a bit bizarre – everything else was getting cancelled and we wondered why ours was not, but it went ahead.
“It was nice for the kids, they still got the same experience, but if it was played the week after I doubt it would have happened.”
It was Savage’s first time coaching the SAPSASA team and he said he enjoyed the experience.
“It was great fun and the families and kids we were involved with had lovely attitudes,” he said.
“They did not take things too seriously, but still tried their best – it was good.”
