Fresh faced out of college, my first "proper" job landed me not too far from my tennis roots!

In the three years with Tennis Queensland, my role as Player Development and Events Manager grew to include managing a team of four, including two coaches and two administrative staff.

I maintained the Tennis Queensland website and managed the production of the division’s publications, including annual calendar of events and tournament entry forms. 

When I first started, there was a huge task of establishing systems and applying the policies that were established but not actively applied. 

My first big ticket item was to pull the Tennis Queensland code of conduct system into shape. This involved processing a backlog of code violation reports and implementing a system to process and communicate the outcomes, as well as setting up committee that oversaw the allocation of demerit points! FUN!

This system was later taken up nationally by Tennis Australia.

I also developed and implemented business plans and various policies and procedures relating to the core business areas of the Player Development and Events Department. A big element of this was implementing a state-wide tournament management system (TMS).

This really was bringing the sport of tennis into a digital age and took a lot of convincing and cajoling - there were a lot of very dedicated coaches and administrators that were entrenched in the old ways (all on paper). It was a great lesson in diplomatic negotiation. 

One of the proudest and most enjoyable and challenging parts of this role was to manage the state tennis events. One of which was the Rod Laver Queensland Junior Tennis Championships. This event catered to over 600 participants and was played across four venues in Brisbane.

In my time managing the event, I introduced new player services, improved scheduling, obtained better sponsorship results and achieved year on year increases in player participation.

I also served as a member of the WTA Australian Women’s Hardcourt Championships tournament committee (now the Brisbane international) - this was a great experience and insight into the other side of pro tennis.

The Highlight Reel

• Re-established the implementation and application of the code of conduct system in Queensland and provided strategic advice to Tennis Australia in the national application of the system.

• Feature articles published in the national Tennis magazine, covering the outcomes of major events in Queensland.

• Managed the Rod Laver Queensland Junior Tennis Championships, which caters to more than 600 participants and is regarded as one of the premier junior tennis events in Australia. Delivered increased participation over the three year period of management.

• Implemented the use of the national Tournament Management System software across all Tennis Queensland sanctioned tournaments, including providing state-wide specialist training courses to tournament directors.