Ocean Grove Tennis Club has its first female president following the club celebrating its 100th birthday this year.
Pip Gent was announced as the club’s new president at its annual general meeting on Sunday, December 15, making her the first woman to take on the role since the club was formed in 1924.
Ms Gent said she encouraged women and young girls to get involved in sports and be an inspiration to others within the community.
“I hope this inspires women and girls in clubs and the broader community to embrace any leadership opportunities,” she said.
“The people at the club make it such a wonderful place to be part of, and I’m super excited to take on the role.
“Tennis is such an inclusive sport, and you don’t have to be an amazing tennis player to be part of the club. It truly is a sport for life.
“The members, coaches, and the general community around the club are amazing. There are so many people all looking to put their hand up and help wherever they can.”
Ms Gent said it was “very exciting” to take on the role and that she had plans to help make the club more accessible for everyone in the community.
“We’ve been building up to it and over the last six months I’ve been supporting the current president,” she said.
“I’ve been part of some leadership initiatives being delivered by Tennis Australia, which supports women and girls in tennis through many different opportunities.
“We’re definitely hitting the ground running… and we’ve also got grand plans to make Ocean Grove a Universal Tennis Hub.
“The tennis club has just been awarded a planning grant from the City of Greater Geelong to upgrade the Shell Road venue to support regional wheelchair tennis.”
Ms Gent said the club was an “exciting place to be a part of” and has experienced a “huge growth” in its membership numbers and junior players.
“The club itself is a hub and a community that’s got many diverse members, with everybody looking to help chip in,” she said.
“My 10-year-old daughter is also a passionate tennis player who plays five times a week. So, I’m also forever picking up tennis balls for her at the club.
“I would love to say that I’m an amazing tennis player, but that’s not true. I didn’t start playing tennis until about six years ago, but I personally love cardio tennis, which is my happy place at the club.”
Ocean Grove Tennis Club has more than 350 members and over 200 kids participating in activities, with numbers continuing to grow.
