The Be taught 2 Lead program is empowering younger girls to develop the abilities, confidence, and data to contribute to, and have an equal voice in, their native tennis communities.
Sydney, Australia, 25 July 2024 | Nadia Dimattina
Hayley Dyer is a former world champion karate athlete.
“I studied martial arts once I was three years outdated and continued till I used to be eleven,” she stated.
“I acquired the chance in 2018 to go to the World Martial Arts Championships, and I got here dwelling with the world title in Workforce combating and a 3rd on the earth in particular person combating. Then the next 12 months, I grew to become Australian Champion for my age group.”
Hayley was reaching the height of her martial arts profession when she badly injured her ankle – forcing her right into a moon boot.
“It was undoubtedly difficult. I used to be simply on the peak of my profession and I used to be near getting a black belt,” she defined. “However for the black belt, you needed to run, I feel, six kilometres, and I clearly couldn’t try this.”
Hayley’s mum, Naomi Dyer, stated: “It was actually devastating for her as a result of the extent of ache that she was in was monumental to begin with, however then to take care of such an enormous choice at such a younger age as as to if to have surgical procedure or to really retire from one thing she’d been so keen about, it was fairly a problem for her to get by.”
Hayley made the tough choice to retire from martial arts on the finish of 2022. As an alternative of giving up on sport completely, she determined to select up the racquet for the primary time, and transitioned to tennis.
Her coach, John Thompson, stated he hasn’t seen something fairly prefer it in his teaching profession.
“I’ve by no means had anybody like Hayley begin tennis. And truthfully, she couldn’t transfer in any respect in any manner. She would simply be stationary on a tennis court docket for a half an hour of tennis session to begin with as soon as per week. That’s now was her being on a tennis court docket three or 4 instances per week with us and loving the game, which is a very powerful half.” he stated.
The 17-year-old from Sydney is without doubt one of the latest graduates from the NSW Be taught 2 Lead Program.
This system, being rolled out nationally, goals to have interaction younger girls aged 14 to 18 years inside the sport to construct their life and management expertise.
This system has helped Hayley overcome the heartbreak of an damage and consequential finish to her karate profession, permitting her to give attention to her management expertise and proceed pursuing tennis.
“Her confidence degree from the begin to now’s simply insane. She has acquired a ardour for sport basically, but in addition studying,” Thompson stated.
“For her to return from being in martial arts at a extremely elite degree to beginning on the very base degree of tennis with not even having the ability to make contact with the tennis ball has been superb.”
Naomi Dyer added: “I feel as a result of she was reaching a lot in a single sport after which to be an absolute newbie in one other concurrently managing this damage subject, I seen that there was an enormous dip in her confidence.
“Even after just a few days of the Be taught 2 Lead program, I seen such an uplift and that that spark of confidence that she used to have was again already. And that’s continued to develop all through the entire program.”
Hayley stated she learnt that you simply don’t have to be loud to be a frontrunner.
“I all the time had a purpose of gaining extra confidence and since I joined the Be taught 2 Lead program I undoubtedly have gotten extra assured and I’m able to tackle new adventures now. I really feel I’m extra assured speaking to folks and speaking to youngsters once I coach them,” she stated.
Since Be taught 2 Lead launched final 12 months, 12 packages have been delivered throughout the nation, with a complete of greater than 130 members.
This system was co-designed with younger girls and is delivered over eight weeks. Matters coated in the course of the face-to-face and on-line periods embrace constructing connections with different members of their state and native tennis group, confidence and resilience and public talking.
Individuals see management in motion by Q&A periods with visitor audio system from the tennis and broader group.
Kelsey Lewis is Hayley’s mentor and likewise a former graduate of Tennis Australia’s different group management program – Ladies Leaders in Tennis.
“I used to be very, very fortunate that she chosen me as her mentor. It means lots. I’m very keen about feminine empowerment and dealing with younger females to get higher and develop,” Lewis stated.
“I hope that she continues to push herself and to push the boundaries of what she thinks is feasible. I hope she continues to get out of a consolation zone and push herself as a result of there’s actually no restrict to what she will be able to do.”
Former Grand Slam champion Casey Dellacqua leads this system in NSW and believes it’s essential for our subsequent technology of feminine leaders.
“It’s so essential to have packages like Be taught 2 Lead for future generations for younger girls in tennis,” Dellacqua stated. “I do know from my perspective had I had alternatives off the court docket, then little doubt it might have helped me keep within the recreation, have a ardour and have a function.
“I hope that these younger girls resolve to return to the golf equipment, implement the motion studying initiatives, and actually proceed that zeal and see how rewarding it’s to wish to be, a volunteer or actually make a distinction inside their group as a frontrunner.
“I feel they’ve acquired the abilities, they’ve acquired the boldness now and now it’s only a matter of them going again to their golf equipment to simply actually take the lead and go in and put all the abilities that they’ve discovered into motion.”
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