20 August 2024 | Tennis SA

This collaboration marks a significant step forward in promoting inclusion and diversity in the tennis community across South Australia.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Tennis SA to increase sports participation for the over 332,000 South Australians who have a disability” said Sport4All State Sport Inclusion Coach, Kelly Hamlyn.

“Nationally 2.2% of all tennis participants identify as having a disability, in the 18 to 24 year-old age group this nearly doubles to 4.3% before tapering off with age.  Tennis participation levels for those who do not identify as having a disability have increased participation rates for all age categories above 24 years.  We’d love to see those identifying as having a disability remaining involved in tennis and its community.”

Sport4All is dedicated to promoting diversity and creating opportunities for people with disability in all aspects of sport.  The award-winning program aims to drive positive change in grassroots sport, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the benefits of sport when, where, and how they choose.

Tennis is the fourth largest club sport in South Australia across all age groups, which demonstrates the sports strong community footprint.  8% of children aged 5 to 8 participate in tennis across South Australia, while 3.4% of people aged above 65 are also playing tennis, showing that tennis is a sport for all ages and abilities.

Tennis SA has partnered with Sport4All to promote the inclusion of people with disability in all aspects of tennis, focusing on increasing awareness, capability, and sustainability in the tennis community, making tennis accessible for everyone, regardless of ability.

Tennis SA is delighted to partner with Sport4All to help provide more inclusive opportunities for South Australians to hit the court” said Tennis SA CEO Debbie Sterrey. “The Sport4All purpose is to drive positive change in grassroots sports, which aligns perfectly with our continued focus on our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion pathways” Debbie continued.  “We believe tennis is a sport for all, and look forward to working together to help everyone in our community embrace diversity and enjoy life through tennis”

“It is wonderful to be partnering with Tennis SA, aligning with our national partnership with Tennis Australia earlier in the year”. Says Sport4All State Manager Jeremy O’Sullivan. “Tennis has the capacity to welcome everyone and opens opportunities to both playing and non-playing roles for people with disability. We are excited to see Tennis grow and develop opportunities for the disability community in South Australia”.

By working together Sport4All and Tennis SA are working towards a more inclusive future for tennis and South Australians.