My Tennis Coach - Jake

It’s been over 50 years since I’ve needed a tennis coach, however if I’m going to take up tennis again and play with other people I really needed some help  with my serve!!  Today was the day for my first session with Jake Robinson, the young tennis professional at the Royal Kings Park Tennis Club.  You have no idea how much I enjoyed the session and I now have lots to work on over the next few weeks.  When I was only 10 years old Jake’s grandparents, Margaret and Bruce Robinson used to pick Wally Foreman and I up from Wembley Prmary School and take us to Mt Lawley Tennis Club for coaching.   I used to love those sessions with them and they really inspired me to continue on with the sport.  It was wonderful today to walk on the court all those years later and have their grandson Jake teach me a thing or two!   The racket we’re holding is an old Dunlop Maxply wooden racket.  Jake thought I would enjoy seeing the classic.  I proudly told him that the first racket Mum and Dad ever bought me was a Dunlop Maxply when I was around 8 or 9 years old.  I have added an extra image of Margaret and Bruce and myself when I had a very emotional catch up with in October this year.  They are both in their 90’s now, believe it or not and boy did we share some stories.  I know my Mum and Dad were very fond of them.  They are both legends of the game in Western Australia and made 22 trips overseas representing Australia in the Masters Tennis tournaments.

Wally Foreman went on to be the head of the Western Australian Institute of sport and a commentator for the ABC Grandstand program and was based in Perth.  Wally was a much loved individual and I was shocked when he passed away very suddenly in 2006 at the age of 58.  Wally’s loss was a great loss to the sporting world in Australia.  I’m sure Wally would have been up there smiling today as Jake put me through the drills.