Tennis Victoria’s top award goes to Boroondara Tennis Centre

BOROONDARA Tennis Centre is the toast of Victorian tennis after being named the most outstanding club or centre at last week’s Victorian Tennis Awards.

Warren Maher (director of Boroondara Tennis Centre) and his team with the award. Picture: SDP Media

BOROONDARA Tennis Centre is the toast of Victorian tennis after being named the most outstanding club or centre at last week’s Victorian Tennis Awards.

With the state boasting more than 1000 tennis clubs and facilities, the North Balwyn centre can be well pleased with the honour.

Boroondara centre director Warren Maher said all at the centre had been delighted with the award and the state function had given him the perfect opportunity to thank all the coaches, centre personnel, participants and sponsors who’d put in so much effort over the years.

“It’s obviously very exciting to be the recipient of this award and, from my own personal point of view, it’s a great opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved,” he said.

“We’ve been a finalist before in a variety of things but because we are a centre and not a club we thought maybe we wouldn’t win.

“It’ll be exciting for a lot of people to know we were fortunate enough to win and I’m sure a lot of people will be very pleased for us and support us going forward.”

The event, hosted by Ian Cover, drew more than 400 guests and also in attendance were the state minister for sport John Eren, tennis legends Todd Woodbridge, Judy Dalton John Fitzgerald and Neale Fraser and former Victorian Premier John Cain.

Maher said Boroondara’s ability to deliver a versatile tennis program had been the key to winning the award.

“It’s probably not just one thing,” he said. “We offer a wide variety of programs.

“It’s really a cross-section across (the tennis spectrum) that sets us apart.

“We can have participants from three to 73. They can be beginners or someone who’s on the tour.

“We have 23 courts, we’re a massive venue, and that really opens us up for tournaments, coaching and schools programs.

“In excess of 45,000 would come through the doors in a year and we have six to seven hundred in our coaching programs.”

The Boroondara Tennis Centre is owned by the Boroondara City Council and managed and operated on their behalf by Maher and his team of support staff.

For more about Boroondara and its programs, visit boroondaratenniscentre.com.au