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Serving up Mildura’s new head tennis coach

Posted on February 10, 2012

By VINNIE RODI

MILDURA resident Justin Raiti has made tennis history this week, after being appointed head coach of Mildura’s Vida Tennis Program.

NEW FACE ON THE SCENE: Mildura’s Justin Raiti has been named Head Coach of Mildura’s Vida Tennis Program. Photo: IZABELLE FALVO.

Considered one of the youngest people ever to be appointed to the role, the 24-year-old said he was excited by the challenges facing him.

“Tennis has been a passion of mine since I was eight-years-old,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to taking on this position, working with local tennis enthusiasts, and offering a positive environment for tennis to be played in Mildura.”

To be based at the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club, Justin’s new role will initially see him take on all things coaching at the club, incorporating Vida Tennis’ methods locally.

“My responsibilities will range from heading up the ‘Hot Shots’ program (which is aimed at beginners) through to junior development, travelling to tournaments, hosting social competitions for both juniors and adults, running ladies programs, and establishing fitness-based programs like cardio tennis,” he said.

“The Mildura program will be linked to similar initiatives in Melbourne and Bendigo, and it’s all about promoting fitness, healthy living and even travel.

“The aim is to include all types of players, ranging from those looking to simply improve as players and take the next step in their development, to those simply looking for a way to stay fit or socially active.”

Justin said the goal of Vida Tennis – an established academy based in Melbourne – was to create opportunities for people through the sport, encompassing both the professional and social aspects of the game.

“Vida has, in the past, gone on to discover and train future stars of the sport,” he said. “A number of junior national champions have been products of this program, and one of my goals is to try to continue that trend.

“This is a proven program that produces elite players – from juniors through to seniors – and while the main emphasis will be on fun, fitness, and enjoyment, my biggest concern is to ensure that those who want to further their tennis careers have access to the vast resources Vida offers.”

Justin said that in terms of expanding development, his first aim was to establish a number of Junior Vida Squads, which would help identify potential stars of the future.

“These squads will be based on identifying serious players, helping them prepare for upcoming tournaments, and generally improve their game,” he said.

“Like any sports-based squad program, participants will be selected based on their skill-sets, with the aim to help them take that next step, and potentially go on to bigger and better things.

“Once everything is up and running, I’ll be spending time gauging local juniors, and if they are ready to take that next step them I’ll certainly invite them to join these squads.”

An accomplished tennis player in his own right, Justin’s career dates back to when he was just eight-years-old, when – alongside his younger brother Nathan – he picked up his first racquet.

“I’ve always been one to take to any and every sport,” he said. “Locally I’ve played everything from tennis through to footy for South Mildura, and cricket for Irymple.

“At the time there was never any pressure on me to take up the sport seriously, it was all about having fun with my brother, and just having a go.”

It wasn’t long before Justin – and Nathan – started seeking professional coaching, with the Mildura Lawn Tennis Club head coach of the time, Ray Kilkenny, taking both youngsters under his wing.

Justin soon started taking his tennis to the next level, playing in a number of local and out-of-town competitions, and fast becoming one of the region’s better juniors.

At 15 he decided to leave the region to pursue a career in the sport, making the move to Melbourne to become a student of Vida Tennis in Melbourne.

“It was a big move to make for a 15-year-old kid,” Justin said. “I was leaving behind my family and friends, but at the same time it was a decision that I wanted to make to further my tennis career.

“At the time there weren’t a lot of opportunities to improve here in Mildura, which was one of the main reasons I decided to go.

“Thankfully that has changed significantly in recent times, with the establishment of a Vida Tennis program in Mildura to certainly go a long way in bridging the gap between regional and metropolitan players.”

Justin spent six months ‘studying’ full-time with Vida in Melbourne, before being offered a scholarship to attend the prestigious Xavier College.
A recognised sport-based school in Melbourne, the College has gone on to produce some of

Australia’s top sportspeople, with a number of the Australian Football League’s elite former students.

It was an opportunity too good to pass up, with Justin spending the next three years completing his VCE, and continuing his development with Vida Tennis.

In that time he competed in a number of school-based regional and national events, finding moderate on-court success.

It’s success that saw Justin offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel overseas, offered a scholarship to attend the St. Edward’s University in Austin Texas – located in the United States.

Continuing his tennis development while also completing a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Justin spend four and half years living in the US, enjoying the college life, and continuing his development.

“It was a tremendous opportunity, and certainly something that I think helped me become a better player, and certainly helped me grow-up as well,” he said.

In his time at St. Edward’s, Justin continued to develop into a quality player, regularly ranked in the top three players in his school, and at one time was even ranked in the top five players in his University region.

He went on to represent the University at a number of tournaments, continuing the success he found at Xavier College.

Finishing his time with the University in May 2010, Justin admitted to being at a crossroads in his life, with the choice to try his luck on the World Pro Tennis Circuit, or return home to Australia.

“I was at a point in my life where I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” he said. “I had a choice to join the Pro Circuit and try my luck, or come home to Mildura and join the family business.

“At the time I had no illusions about my own ability, I knew that while I probably could have done well playing professionally, I didn’t see a long-term future in it.

“I certainly could have had a crack at gaining a world ranking, and maybe even gone on to break into the Top 500 players in the world if I kept working hard.

“To be honest I think at the time I was burnt-out, the previous years had been all about tennis, and I just needed a break from it.”

Justin decided to return home to Mildura in early 2010, with his father, Seb, at the time setting up The Shed Company Mildura.

The following six months after his return saw Justin forget about tennis entirely, with all of his energy going into the business.

“I don’t think I touched a racquet in that time,” he said. “I think the first time that I actually had a hit on the tennis court was with my brother over Christmas that same year.

“It was what I needed to do, and deep down I know I made the right choice.”

Over the past year Justin has been slowly rediscovering his passion for the sport, opting to take on coaching rather than continue his own playing career.

“Coaching is something that I’ve thought about for a while,” he said. “And when this opportunity came up I immediately jumped at it.”

Justin said that while he encouraged young sportspeople to look abroad to continue their development, things have changed dramatically since he was a teenager.

“I honestly believe that if I had access to this program when I was 15, I wouldn’t have moved away,” he said.

“The opportunities Vida provide, and the resources gained from Melbourne, are significant, and will provide a number of Mildura’s elite tennis players with all they need to develop into quality players.”

Justin said that while the next few months would be about getting the new program up and running, he already had plans to make it a resounding success.

“I want this program to be a fun and engaging way for anyone to embrace tennis,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, novice or professional, there will be something for everyone, and I’m encouraging anyone interested to take part.”

More information on Mildura’s Vida Tennis program is available by contacting Justin on 0408 149 252 (or via email; justin@vidatennis.com.au), or by visiting www.vidatennis.com.au.

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