https://clubspark.kiwi/tennisnorthland

Tennis Northland, 42-56 Winger Crescent, Whangarei (2026)

19/06/2026

Volunteer Spotlight! Kyle and Sarah Apaapa Springfield Tennis Club

These two are part of the community that is Springfield Tennis Club: President Kyle and his wife Sarah, both who have been on the committee for a long time

Sarah's connection to Springfield runs deep, she started at a very young age being coached by Nana (Mary Miller) as a child.
Her Nana is her inspiration.
Kyle was inspired by Sarah's wish to win the Mal Salmon tournament, he resolved to get better at the game, and the pair have since won it multiple times.
Kyle first started playing against all the Heywood/Miller family, getting beaten by everyone at the beginning, to now giving everyone a good game.

Kyle was nudged into the President's role, and together with Lisa Miller, he helped start the now-famous Twilight BBQ, feeding players and kids every Tuesday night during the Springfield Tennis Twilight series, which Kyle and Sarah have run for the last few years. Kyle's also a dab hand at securing sponsorship, with PitStop and their associated businesses among the club's great supporters.
Kyle brings new members to the club, generally his mates, by playing and coaching them while playing with them in the Twilight series. He is happy to help new players learn tennis.

On what they love about the club:
"Springfield is a social, fun club — mainly family and community orientated."

A moment they'll never forget:
Kyle still cops it for the time he mis-hit a serve and accidentally smacked Sarah in the back of the head — while she was on HIS team! 😅

Why they volunteer:
"Being a close-knit club, everyone volunteers their time in one way or another." For Kyle and Sarah, being part of Springfield means being part of a family and a community, and helping keep the club going in honour of Nana.

Why is Springfield the best club in Northland?
"It's the close community we have, and the fun, social aspect we bring to tennis. We're a smaller club, but we're all very close — family and friends."

Their advice to a new volunteer?
"Just get involved and give it a go."

18/06/2026

Northland Tennis Seniors will be holding the Charlie Tana Mixed Doubles tournament at Thomas Neale on the 5th July 2026.
Get your entries in today! Cheryl 022 4050613 🎾🎾

18/06/2026

Volunteer Spotlight! - Sue and Ray Webb
Club Captain and President Maunu Tennis Club 🫶

We moved to a dairy farm at Kokopu, Whangarei in 1991.
Sue immediately became involved with junior coaching after our eldest daughter let slip that her Mum had done some coaching at our previous club!

Our four children all played tennis, so she spent many years helping out with juniors both at the club, and with junior inter club at Thomas Neale. She gradually became more involved with the club, playing ladies inter club, and organising the ladies day session.

Ray was involved as a committee member for many years, and became President over 20 years ago, with Sue holding the Club Captain position for a similar time.

Sue’s most reliable shot is probably the backhand slice, while her ability to topspin is almost non existent. Ray favours the cross court backhand, but his overhead smash needs work!

The club motto is ‘Tennis for all ages and abilities’ and our favourite aspect of the club is endeavouring to do this in practice. This translates into having genuine club days, with players of all levels finding themselves on court together. This means everyone gets to know each other, resulting in a very sociable atmosphere.

We often have a ‘Chocolate fish’ award at our annual prize giving, highlighting a funny incident. On one occasion a regular member (who shall remain nameless), spent ages searching for a ball in the long grass near the adjacent golf tee.
Finally, someone yelled impatiently “just leave it, get another one” only to be told that he had actually thrown his racquet over the fence in frustration!

One of the most satisfying aspects of volunteering is to see a new or returning player grow in confidence and ability. For anyone, particularly children, this often results in a far-reaching positive effect on daily life.

It would be impossible for our club to function without volunteers. Our biggest challenge is to encourage new (younger!) people to take on responsibility. To anyone considering volunteering, start small, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice. You will ultimately get more out of the experience than you put in 😄

17/06/2026

Save the date tennis fans! 🎾 Davis Cup tie against Japan in Auckland, at the Trusts Arena 19-20 September 2026.

Tickets on sale now!!

Don't miss the most significant Davis Cup tie in recent memory. 🇳🇿

17/06/2026

Volunteer Spotlight!
Paul Ramsay – Waipu Tennis Club Life Member
Paul has been a dedicated volunteer at Waipu Tennis Club for 26 years, serving as President and Club Captain and is the chief organiser of the Waipu One Set Wonder tournament.
Since retiring he’s a self-appointed grounds man and court maintenance person and also writes a column each month in the Bream Bay News letting everyone know what’s happening at the club. Paul is also the President of the Northland Masters club.
Volunteering runs in his blood — his parents were volunteers, and his wife Margaret notes he's held a club role for all 54 years she's known him. He joined Waipu in 1999 after moving to the area and quickly found that getting involved was the best way to connect with a new community.
Paul's favourite shot is the crosscourt forehand in doubles, and his favourite player is Roger Federer. A recent mishap chasing a lob ended in a bruised hip, scraped elbow, and concussion — prompting a club rule banning lobs and drop shots aimed at retired players! 😄
Waipu is a great club. It is made this way by friendly yet competitive people who enjoy this awesome game for all ages. All are prepared to play with new players and help them improve their game.
A group of volunteers prepared to work hard so others can enjoy the facilities we have and continually work to improve what we have.
He believes a club's strength reflects its volunteers, a group prepared to work hard so others can enjoy the facilities and play tennis. Committees should involve all ages to ensure continuity in the club.

His advice: give back a little, share the load, and you'll find it more rewarding than you expect.
These days, Paul gets as much enjoyment watching others play as he does playing himself.

16/06/2026

Volunteer Spotlight! - Carol Crowley Kamo
Carol is a well-known member of the Kamo club scene!
Here is a "shout out" to Carol for all of her hours volunteering for her club:
- Role at your club: Treasurer plus

- How did you first get involved? My Bestie Francie James who had been running the club for 20 yrs plus, said come join me at Kamo, and the rest is history ☺

-How long have you been involved at your club? Since the early 2000's (she thinks)

Best tennis shot in your arsenal? Love the backhand

-What's your favourite thing about your club? Favourite thing is if I ask for help members and parents are happy to help and step in.

- If you could be any tennis player in the world, who would it be?
Steffi Graf and Roger Federer of course, love their attitudes on and off the court.

-If you could play one set against any player in the world and win, who would it be?
Raewyn Heywood 😆😆

- What's a moment from time with your club that you will never forget?
Lyle Turner Tennis tournaments in the old clubrooms, crammed with people and lots of good times

- What is your favourite thing about your club? We are a small club with a big heart

- Who at your club has inspired you and why? Helen Drinkwater has run the Thursday morning group for years and years and still plays at age 91!

- What made you first put your hand up to volunteer?
It was just a normal progression in the club and in the early days we only had 14 full members.

-What does being part of your club mean to you?
Belonging, it's like a family we all have to work together, to make it work

- What do you enjoy most about being a volunteer?
It's very rewarding watching the club grow and to see the juniors out there enjoying playing tennis, our future

- What's your clubs best feature? Why is your club the best?
We are now Tennis and Pickleball club, so members have the choice of playing both. And we are just one of the clubs in the North and together we are all great!

- If you could give one piece of advice to a new volunteer, what would it be? Volunteers make clubs survive and grow; new volunteers bring new ideas. Get in there and give it a go 🤩

25/05/2026

Register now to be in our "club nights under lights" series.

Bored without your summer tennis fix? Join our winter singles Box league. To enter: email admin@tennisnorthland.org.nz

25/05/2026

Bored without your summer tennis fix? Join our winter singles Box league. To enter: email [email protected]

22/05/2026

NEW GENERAL MANAGER FOR TENNIS NORTHLAND

Tennis Northland has appointed Cheryl Baker as the new General Manager.
Cheryl is no stranger to Tennis Northland, having spent the past two years working as the Administrator and Competitions Coordinator. That experience means she hits the ground running — already knowing our people, our clubs, and the community we serve.
Her career has always been centered around sport, with roles at Kamo High School, Northern Football Federation, and Kensington Fitness giving her a well-rounded understanding of what it takes to build thriving sporting communities. Cheryl brings with her a genuine passion for creating strong working relationships and a belief in the power of sport to make a real difference.

For the new GM, the focus extends beyond playing opportunities alone. While growing access to tennis remains central— from the social hitter to the dedicated competitor, the vision is equally about strengthening the clubs that make it all possible. That means working alongside clubs to help them stay viable, well-supported, and able to deliver what their own communities need. She is also committed to developing the coaching workforce and creating clear pathways for players who want to take their game to the next level.

“I’m excited to be stepping into this role. Tennis, like any sport, has the ability to connect people and I will be working to support clubs, players, schools and coaches to build a cohesive Tennis community.
Studies show that tennis players live longer than participants in almost any other sport, regular play is linked to nearly 10 years extra life expectancy. Tennis Northland is here to help everyone in our region get on court”

From Our Board:
The Tennis Northland Board is delighted to welcome Cheryl Baker as our new General Manager. Cheryl brings a strong combination of leadership, strategic vision and passion for sport and we are confident she will play a key role in continuing to grow tennis participation, strengthen community/club connections and support excellence across all levels of the game. We look forward to working alongside Cheryl as we build on momentum and create exciting opportunities for players, coaches, clubs and stakeholders throughout the region.

Cheryl is keen to build and support relationships with all of the Tennis community. To get in touch:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 022 405 0613

Tennis Northland

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