Barbara Stubbings, the President of the Papua New Guinea Tennis Federation writes that “A new partnership between Tennis Australia and the Oceania tennis Federation (OTF) with the support of the Australian Government was launched at the closing ceremony of the Pacific Oceania Junior Championships in the presence of players and coaches. The following dignitaries were acknowledged and thanked for their presence to witness the Launch, as well as the successful conclusion of the POJC:
Hon. Alvick Maharaj – Assistant Minister for Employment, Productivity & Industrial Relations and Youth & Sports
Songhie Tatipata – Second Secretary-Political, Australian High Commission, Fiji
Gary Purcell – ITF Development Officer – Pacific Oceania Region
Richard Breen – OTF Joint Executive Officer
Vicki Reid – Tennis Australia Director – Government, Community and Stakeholder Relations, OTF Board Member and ITF Gender Equity Committee Member
Andrea Buckeridge – Facilitator – PWSAP Workshop
Rajiv Singh – Tennis Fiji – President
Davina Hosking-Ashford – Tennis Cook Islands President, OTF Board Member
Florence Wasko – Tennis American Samoa Vice President, OTF Board Member
The Pacific Women’s Sports Administration Program (PWSAP) is the initiative of Tennis Australia, led by Vicki Reid, with assistance from Richard Breen, and the Australian Government under the Australia Pacific Sports Partnership Program.
The Program is being funded over a 4-year period, from August 2022 to 2026, and aims to create a pipeline of women in tennis, to be identified and developed in three key areas to ensure we retain and increase their participation in our sport.
Coaching – To build the number of women coaches in each country to attain international standards which will help lead to careers in coaching. The goal after 4 years is to have the very first female BJK Cup Captain.
Players – Provide pathways for our junior and senior female athletes (14 to 24 years) to stay in tennis and assist those who wish to excel in the sport through safe and inclusive competitions – transitioning to the junior/senior ITF circuit.
Administration and Governance – Leverage Tennis Australia’s ‘Women Leaders in Tennis’ program to develop the current female administrators and assist in growing the pipeline of female administrators to assist in succession planning for each nation.
The inaugural 2022/2023 PWSAP cohort will involve 10 female leaders participating in 3 workshops (1 in person, 2 online sessions) over 4 months, commencing on Sunday 18th September 2022 and culminating in a graduation to be held at the 2023 Australian Open in Melbourne.
The 2022/2023 PWSAP included the following:
Barbara Stubbings – PNG Tennis – President, OTF Board Member & Gender Equity Rep.
Davina Hosking-Ashford – Tennis Cook Islands – President, OTF Board Member
Florence Wasko – Tennis American Samoa – Vice-President and Coach, OTF Board Member
Ernestine Rengiil – Palau Tennis – President
Sarah Sands – Vanuatu Tennis – Acting Secretary General
Steffi Carruthers-Thomson – Tennis Samoa – Board Member and Coach
Doreen Numa Ningalo – Solomon Islands Tennis – Board Member and Coach
Sereima Lalavanua – Tennis Fiji – Secretary and Coach
Donna Rini Naisau – Tennis Fiji – Administration
Lucy Vakere – Tennis Fiji – Administration
Facilitators – Vicki Reid and Andrea Buckridge – Tennis Australia
Day One of the PSWAP, at the Tanoa Waterfront Conference Room, Lautoka commenced with a meet and greet, before being taken through the course framework by Andrea Buckeridge– understanding leadership styles, emotional intelligence, effective communication and energy flows. Day Two focussed on a review and reflection of the previous day’s work and discussions, and how our learning might frame our current work and how we progress – inclusion, diversity, respect and design thinking.
The participants were extremely grateful to Vikki and Andrea, who were able to present and lead this first workshop in a professional manner respectful of each and every member present. You provided a safe, welcoming environment that allowed each and every participant to communicate and participate freely without fear of failure or judgment. Thank you!
The greatest take-a-way for the majority of the participants, was that we were all in the same boat – all going through very similar challenges and struggles in our Nations. It was heartening for many to know they were not on their own. Open discussion and structured activities allowed the participants to understand leadership styles, design thinking and their individual personalities to lead discussions and resolve difficult situations in their tennis communities .
The first workshop was very productive, with participants keen to share the knowledge learnt and the activities undertaken with members of their own tennis federations or communities.
Thank you again to Tennis Australia and the Australian Government for this wonderful initiative for the women of the Pacific Islands region.
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