Message from our new Board President for 2021, John deWolf

To say 2020 was different would be an understatement; however, for the sport and St Georges, 2020 was a great year. 2020 saw huge improvements for St Georges.

Change is inevitable—growth is optional. Under the direction of club President Jill Roberston, the Board implemented numerous advancements for St Georges. The words' great' and '2020' are rarely synonymous; however, Jill's Board implemented a court booking system, introduced online payment and registration, and sent out a regular newsletter. All under trying times. Furthermore, membership in 2020 surpassed our best-case projections for the year of the pandemic.

Kudos, Jill Roberston, and former club presidents. All sustained the club during their tenure while making positive steps to leaving the club in a better position than when they came "on board." All left a positive legacy and a club in good shape for the next president.

2021 will be no different. Numerous club improvements resulted from the year-of-the-pandemic. I hope to have a similar positive impact during my tenure, but for different reasons. We are now well equipped to deal with a global emergency.

If 2020 was about modernizing the club, my focus for 2021 and beyond is focused on succession strategies and planning. We have many volunteers who have given countless hours to the club for years and decades. In many cases, some of how we operate mostly exist in the memory of these individuals. The next few years are about knowledge management and ensuring we document and can pass on this information. Not necessarily in old ways—word documents—but looking to use technology to make knowledge accessible to many, particularly the digital generation who will run the club in the future.

A second topic on the same theme is financial planning. While every past president has done an excellent job at maintaining the clubs' fiscal health, I see 2021 as a year to start making bold long-term projections for club improvements over the next ten years. In the next newsletter, we will explain our approach, particularly looking at the role of sub-committees. Are you interested in helping? We have many opportunities for more volunteers: contact me at president@stgeorgestennisclub.com.

Finally, 2020 was an excellent year for tennis in Nova Scotia. The hiring of Kurt Kamperman was quite a coup for Tennis Nova Scotia. And while the pandemic proved a struggle for people and business, the sport of tennis experienced a boom. St George's benefitted. Our numbers were up from previous years. Industry noticed. Whether the sales on entry- and mid-level tennis racquets or more people on public courts, the sport proved with proper safety measures, tennis is a viable and healthy solution during the pandemic. Simply stated, tennis is a way to maintain physical and social activity while still adhering to social distancing and other health precautions.

Mr. Kamperman concurs. Not only should we promote tennis as a healthy pandemic activity, but we should also take this opportunity to bring new people to the sport of tennis. Ensuring a healthier future for the sport of tennis in Nova Scotia is his goal. Kurt intends to contradict the misconception that it is an expensive, elitist sport. He and Tennis Nova Scotia have strategic plans to address inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility to the sport through improving tennis education. Making the sport more open to all is his goal. As one in a family of clubs across the province, I also plan to align some of St. George's goals with the TNS strategic plan. More on this in a future newsletter.

Thank you for your time. Like everyone, I look forward to getting back on the courts.

/John deWolf, President, St. Georges Tennis Club.