Howick Tennis Club [HTC] has been honoured with the Club Spirit Honours award at the Tennis Auckland Gala Dinner to celebrate 100 years of Stanley Street.
“In the company of well-recognised players of the sport both in New Zealand and famous names internationally, Howick Tennis Club was both humble and proud to accept the award at this historic event held at the Cordis Hotel for over 400 guests,” says the club’s vets convenor Lindsay Olney.
The club came together on March 10 to run a highly successful tournament and raise funds for a Hawke’s Bay tennis club after Cyclone Gabrielle ravaged its facilities.
The Waipawa Lawn Tennis Club’s courts and facilities were severely damaged during the extreme weather conditions of Cyclone Gabrielle in Hawke’s Bay.
In total, $3330 was raised to help aid the club.
Tennis Auckland also acknowledged that players and visitors feel that the club ‘has a great vibe’.
The criteria for the honour covers community involvement, social events, club days, spectator support, team and tournament opportunities for all levels, sportsmanship and fair play.
Both social and competitive tennis are major HTC activities. Interclub, club champs, tournaments and long-standing trophy events are a feature of club play across all levels and combinations (singles, doubles, juniors and seniors and parents and children).
“The club is inclusive and family-centric. Juniors are carefully coached in sportsmanship and behaviours that enhance the game and, from youngsters to seniors, all are encouraged to take part in competitive play giving them the opportunity to develop tennis and life skills that bring credit to the club and the game,” says Olney.
“It was a great night in the history of Tennis Auckland and a great night that will go down in the history of the 121-year-old Howick Tennis Club.”
