Increasing the representation of women and girls in tennis administration is the focus of a Tennis Australia initiative that's commencing in Albury Wodonga.
The Women Leaders in Tennis program has been running for about 18 months with more than 200 women across the country taking part.
Former professional player Casey Dellacqua is the women and girls lead at Tennis NSW and is helping to facilitate the program.
She said it was exciting to bring it to the border cities.
"It's the first time we're going to bring both states together, so it's going to be a collaboration between Tennis Victoria and Tennis NSW," she said.
Dellacqua said the four-month program was designed to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence of participants through face-to-face sessions and learning activities.
As a junior tennis player, Dellacqua participated in a series of tournaments in Albury and has maintained a connection to the city.
"That was in the forefront of my mind … I really wanted to get to Albury," she said.
"What a great opportunity to also bring cross-border women from different kinds of places to be able to connect through this program."
Dellacqua said there was a gender disparity in leadership positions in tennis clubs across the country, with women only performing 26 per cent of club president roles.
"That is a number we would like to see improve," she said.
She said it was crucial the leadership gap within the sport was addressed, with the Tennis Australia initiative aiming to support 1,000 women by 2024.
"We're really hoping that through this program, and giving the women these skills, that we can [boost female representation]," Dellacqua said.
Importance of women 'having a voice'
Thurgoona residents Barbara Martin and Trisha Baldwin, who are both involved with their local tennis club, are already taking part in the program.
Ms Martin, who gained her initial coaching qualification in the early 1990s, said she had not seen a similar initiative.
"What appealed to me is that it was a program that was going to be run by women in our tennis community," she said.
"I've witnessed over the years that tennis has very much been a male-dominated sport. Coaches are male-dominated, committees are male dominated.
"I just thought that it might be a way for women to get involved and to have a voice."
A key aspect of the initiative involves participants identifying an issue at their local club and undertaking that change.
Ms Martin and Ms Baldwin have focused on introducing community coaching in Thurgoona and training teenage students to coach local children.
"Thurgoona is a growth area and we cannot keep up with the number of children that want to have tennis lessons with the coaching hours we have available," she said.
The women were also trying to arrange a formal coaching course with Tennis Australia.
"We feel this to be a way of keeping coaching ongoing and sustainable in Thurgoona," Ms Martin said.
"It will be run by local Thurgoona people who have a passion for tennis and the community."
Registrations for the program are open in the border region until April 30.
