over the net , and then advancing to having rallies .
“ I have lived a fortunate and rewarding life through tennis , watching my students improve their skills but more importantly , developing a true love of the game .”
John grew up in South Windsor and always had the right sire and dam to show an
aptitude for sports .
“ My dad ( Chris ) was a very handy sportsman , especially as an amateur boxer while mum ( Florence ), represented New South Wales in vigoro ,” John said .
He did his learnin ’ at the local public school and his secondary education at St Patrick ’ s College , Blacktown .
“ I started playing tennis when I was 12 and taught myself until my late teens when I was fortunate to enough to have two wonderful coaches take me under their wings – Noel Kirkby , and the 1947 Australian singles champion , Dinny Pails ,” John said .
His game improved markedly under their tutelage , but John ’ s natural ability saw him playing A Grade at 16 when competition in the Hawkesbury Association was of a very high standard .
Crikey , back then , nearly every second house had a tennis court !
Dinny Pails was in the twilight of his career
I have coached players from six years old to nonagenarians but teaching the kids and watching them develop their games gave me the most fulfillment
but still playing on the Satellite circuit when he became friends with young John .
“ He was the promotions manager at sporting goods company Spalding , and he gave me a leg-up to join the firm in sales service ,” John said .
“ A year later I was appointed the company ’ s North Coast sales representative , and I ’ ll
never forget that first trip up there .
“ I didn ’ t sell a thing – cricket bat , basketball , golf clubs , racquets – anything – and I thought ‘ well , this job mightn ’ t last too long ’.
“ But being a gregarious soul , on that trip I had built up bit of a rapport with all the clients I visited and next time round hit the jackpot at just about every venue .”
In 1974 John took on another role at Spalding when the company expanded into child-guide toys and Sesame Street promotional products , becoming the State Manager .
“ I left Spalding in ’ 79 and worked in a sports store in Blacktown before being lured back to Spalding a year later to be the Sydney Metropolitan sales representative ,” John said .
He remained with Spalding for three years before commencing his full-time coaching career at Whalan Reserve Tennis Complex .
That ’ s it , I think I ’ ve aced it !
John has spent most of his life giving back to the game he loved . Here he is early in his coaching career showing how it ’ s done to a group of aspiring Evonne Goolagongs and Rod Lavers .
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THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 150 // NOVEMBER 2022 7