High performance coach Jeremy Quast has moved to the region from Adelaide and will be a full-time tennis coach. 

Quast said he was looking forward to the opportunity of helping junior players and trying to increase participation in tennis throughout the Wimmera region. 

“My goal is to grow tennis in the region with participation and getting children active,” he said.

Quast said he would be coaching at some of the smaller clubs in the region as well as the larger ones.

“I’ll be travelling to clubs such as Harrow, Goroke and Hopetoun as well as coaching at Haven and Horsham Lawn,” he said.

“Whoever walks through that gate could be the next champion, you just don’t know. That’s why these juniors need to have the right guidance when they start.”

Quast has coached high-performance athletes in the past and will have a focus on junior development in the Wimmera. 

“I will be able to go to junior tournaments and will be engaging with the juniors and helping them out wherever I can,” he said. “I would love tennis to be up there and thriving again.”

Tennis Victoria Participation Leader for the country central west of Victoria Andrew Cronin said Quast’s appointment was part of a strategic plan to try and grow tennis in the region. 

“Tennis Victoria has had a Wimmera coaching strategy for at least three years trying to attract a Tennis Australia qualified coach to the area to service the needs of the participants,” Mr Cronin said. 

“It’s going to be fantastic to have the smaller clubs who in the past have been starving for a coach will now have access to a full-time coach living in the area.

“Jeremy will be looking to grow the HotShots program and tennis at schools. Hopefully then we can look at growing the competition base in the Central Wimmera Tennis Association. 

“To have a coach come in and teach the basic technical aspects of the game as well as making it fun, it’s a bonus for clubs and hopefully it will grow and strengthen tennis in the region.”

Another professional tennis coach in Gary O’Callaghan started working in the region part-time earlier in the year at Central Park, while Horsham’s Reece Harman is also completing his tennis coaching certificate. 

“Essentially we have one and a half professional coaches at the moment and Reece will be fully qualified in the next six to 12 months,” Mr Cronin said. 

“We will in effect have two and a half coaches to service all the Wimmera clubs in the area, which is fantastic for the region’s tennis.”