CLUB Beenleigh will sign former WTA and ATP tour coach Mike Newell as its director of tennis.
Mr Newell has travelled to 41 countries and four grand slams coaching players who include former world number three Amanda Coetzer.
The Gold Coast based American Australian is a former the director of tennis for ATP Headquarters and Pat Cash International Tennis Academy.
He was educated at America’s Radford College and runs coaching outfit Go2 Pro.
Club Beenleigh board member Mark Ellis said the signing would help breath new life into the club following the recent Logan City Council decision to award the lease for Dauth Park’s 12 courts to Club Beenleigh.
It follows a tough year that saw the Club Beenleigh and Beenleigh Tennis Club, which has used the courts for 30 years, unable to reach an agreement on the site, leaving up to 400 junior players who used the courts in limbo.
Logan City Council recently awarded the lease to Club Beenleigh after long and protracted negotiations.
Mr Ellis said Beenleigh Tennis Club would still be able to use the courts but the real operational differences would be in coaching.
“We intend to break the monopoly that has been there,” he said.
“There will be a large of choice of coaches on offer. What we’ll offer is a variety of coaching academies and schools who cater for everyone from a junior who has never played before through seniors who have never played or touring professionals.”
Mr Ellis said Club Beenleigh was still negotiating a start date on its new lease but is hoping for a January 1 launch. It will run for 2.5 years.
“Understand this is not a test period. It means we will sign leases on AFL, cricket and tennis at Dauth Park all at the same time. It is a common sense approach that we agree with,” he said.
Mr Ellis said three of the 12 ageing tennis courts had been judged grossly damaged and unplayable by Tennis Queensland. He said the club’s priority would be to apply for grants to fix the courts and to refit bathrooms, changerooms, showers.
Plans to modernise the venue would follow.
Makeover plans included a pro shop, guest access to an upper deck and lounge where visitors could have coffee, cake or drinks.
Mr Ellis conceded Club Beenleigh had taken some flack over its long and protracted negotiations with Beenleigh Tennis Club which has used the courts for 30 years.
”There was a lot of bad press about this being a place with big bad poker machines and nothing about the tennis or that Club Beenleigh has a good track history of success – we’ve given away about $1 million to clubs, sporting bodies and community organisations over three years.”
“I’m jumping around I’m so excited about what’s happening here and I truly believe that when people see the changes we’re making, they’ll realise there are two sides to every story.”
