By BEN CAMERON and GEORGIA WESTGARTH
BEACONHILLS COLLEGE students’ dreams of playing tennis professionally have been given a boost by an educational first in the Cardinia Shire.
Year-nine student Samantha Merry and year-eight student Simon Young were excited to hear that the school was launching its own on-campus ‘Tennis School of Excellence’ this year.
Beaconhills College will be the first school in the area to offer a world-class on-campus Tennis School of Excellence, at its Pakenham Campus.
Merry will combine ten hours of tennis with her usual curriculum, along with strength and conditioning work, sports psychology, and learning about injury prevention and nutrition, as she chases her dream of playing in the Australian Open.
“At the moment I’m trying to increase my fitness, work on my shots and my mental strategies,” she said.
Tennis School director and head coach Brett Hillier is confident the young player has many of the necessary ingredients to go all the way.
“Samantha is very athletic and she works really hard,” he said.
“Passion is the number-one criteria for joining the Tennis School, along with the willingness to work – and Samantha certainly has both of those elements.”
While Samantha still plays local competition tennis, Mr Hillier said a big part of the Tennis School approach was to ensure the basic skills were sound, before advancing to the next level of regional and then international tournaments.
He said women’s tennis had changed dramatically over the years and was now “very much a strength game”.
Simon Young has been playing tennis for three years and is aiming for the International Tennis Federations junior circuit.
“It’s been really good to get out of class, hit a ball and practice my skills,” he said.
Hard working and diligent Mr Hillier said the mix between study and sport has brought out the best in the rising star.
“Simon is a talented young player, tall and strong with a big serve, we are looking to take him to the next level by the end of the year,” Mr Hillier said.
The elite Tennis School of Excellence currently has seven full-time junior players, all with goals to make a career out of tennis and play amongst the best on professional tours.
