Besides that, the club is also running a development project with more than 20 children. The project started in April 2010 after a successful open day, when the club organized tennis coaching for children from the previously disadvantaged areas.
Seven months later this experiment has become a well structured development project, mainly sponsored by the Belgian charity organization ‘iThemba’ and some Dutch enthusiasts.
As the project grows, people and organizations are becoming inspired and are starting to support the initiative. All sponsorship, cash or kind, is still welcomed by the club, however.
"The final aim is to have juniors from all the communities playing and enjoying tennis together on our courts. Today, the children are coming from rural areas, Sedgefield and Smutsville, with the support of Masithandane," said chairman Roger vande Wiele. "What is also important is that projects like this are dependent on volunteers. We are lucky that one of our members, Watson Buhle Nyembe, is coaching the kids, but as we want to offer tennis to more kids, we hope more people will volunteer to help."
One of the unique aspects of tennis is that one can start very young and can be played until one is well over 80. The club’s oldest member, Eddie Rootenberg, is 86 and still able to beat much younger players with his famous passing shots and his dreaded drop-shots. He is not the only ‘old timer’ though - every Friday afternoon for the past 20 years, a group of ‘elderly’ players (who keep their ages a secret) - Ken Dibb, Gordon Wright, Ralph Read, Peter Farrand, Neil Fagan, Bill Collins and George Emslie - still enjoy their game and a large beer afterwards.
Upcoming activities at the club:
Thursday, December 16: annual club tournament.
Saturday, January 1: all welcome for social tennis for free from 14:00 onwards followed by a bring and braai.
For more information, go to www.sedgefieldtennis.co.za
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The large group of youngsters enjoying the Sedgefield Tennis Club’s development project with their coaches.
