Oasis Magazine - Cairns & Tropical North Queensland Issue 28 - Feb | Mar 2019 | Page 26

Game, Set, Match
SHAY-LEE HAYNES
Edmonton junior tennis ace, Shay-lee Haynes, is
setting the bar high for junior players all over Cairns
and the Far North.
With the world at her feet, Shay-lee is ready to game,
set, match her tennis career into overdrive and has her
sights set on bigger and better competitions beyond the
Cairns region.
Oasis Magazine’s roving reporter, Maddy Smith caught
up with her coach, Guy Thomas, to give us the lowdown training session a day.
on what is next for this rising star.
This large volume of training has at times, proven
At only 11 years of age, Shay-lee only began her tennis difficult for the parents of those talented kids, so Guy
career nothing shy of 2 years ago, and has been com- dedicates his time to being a Tennis Taxi Driver. From as
peting for just 12 months. And despite seeming to be early as 5am, he will pick the aspiring stars up, and then
relatively new to a the sport, she is already proving to be drop them home again after training in the afternoons,
a fierce opponent for her age group.
to allow those kids who are keen to get the most out of
their game every opportunity.
Lack of experience hasn’t stopped Shay-lee, having
already represented North Queensland in December A hard-working mentality is not unusual amongst
last year.
members of the club, Shay-lee being one of many train-
ing youths who are training seven days a week with her
And national training programs held in Brisbane are coach. Guy stresses the importance to not put pressure
firmly in Shay-lee’s grasp, and Guy believes Shay-lee on the young athletes, but to allow them to develop a
has what it takes to take the sport to the next level.
love for the sport, and the desire to improve being vital in
progressing on the court.
And he should know. Guy is no stranger to the tennis
community, having been a part of the sport and an With her eyes on the prize, Shay-lee is training hard to
active member within the Edmonton club since the improve her skills with her coach by her side. With an
1970’s.
overwhelming sense of community amongst members
of the Club, it is a perfect environment for emerging
Guy is associated with running ‘Blitz”, a junior high juniors to pursue their dreams of becoming a force to be
performance training program, having a diverse group reckoned within their chosen sport.
of 30 kids ageing from 6 to 14 years of age. The young
ages of club members haven't stopped them from We can not wait to see whats next for Shay-lee and look
training up to 5-7 days a week, some doing more than 1 forward to following her journey right to the top!