Are you a young woman in Sydney who’s looking to make new friends, stay fit and get healthy mentally and physically?
Then why not come along and join Girls Gang – an inclusive, free initiative that invites young women ages 16 and over of all skill levels to come and socialise and participate in tennis matches, workshops and games.
Evangelia Stivactas, the founder of Team Tennis Sydney from Earlwood, began coaching six years ago as she had a passion for playing tennis and wanted to use her skills and knowledge to help others.
The 22-year-old pre-service primary school teacher and tennis coach told The Greek Herald that after being involved in so many types of group settings when it came to sport, she wanted to come up with a way to make tennis more inclusive.
“Even though tennis can be seen as an individual sport, I like to see it as a team sport. That way each player can help one another with their strengths and weaknesses,” Evangelia said.
“This is why I decided to create Girls Gang, so that I could invite young women of all skill levels to get active on the court.
“Whether they’re a beginner, experienced, competitive, or just want to have a good, fun time and socialise, they’re all welcome to come along on a Saturday morning and participate. It’s free too.”
Evangelia said the inspiration for Girls Gang came from Team Murph Bondi, which is a free community fitness initiative that takes place every Friday and is run by personal trainers.
“These sessions just have such a positive environment and they inspired me see what I could do for the community in my area,” she said.
“I wanted to form my own free initiative that people could come and just have fun with. Now I accept new people every weekend and encourage the girls to bring their friends along too.”
Evangelia’s Girls Gang sessions take place on Saturday mornings and run for 1.5 to 2 hours. The sessions involve tennis drills, warm-ups, one-on-one technique tutorials, games and singles and doubles matches.
“I accept anyone from ages 16 and up,” she said.
“Often, I get groups of six to eight people come along, but I’d love to encourage more young women to get involved. Many of the girls are in their early twenties, however I have people of all different ages, skill levels and backgrounds participate.”
The sessions are designed to allow the girls to socialise on the court, make new friends and improve their tennis skills. Evangelia said she always provides light refreshments and snacks too.
“It just brings people together and it encourages people to stay healthy and fit both mentally and physically,” she said.
“The girls get to build social skills and connect with their community, which is a great benefit. Especially after experiencing COVID lockdowns over the last few years, it’s nice to come together, get active with people again and make new friends.”
To find out more about Evangelia’s Girls Gang, visit Team Tennis Sydney’s Instagram @teamtennissyd to see where and when the sessions will be held.
