New tennis head sees need for growth

Press, 18 November 1981, Page 36

New tennis head sees need for growth

By

JOHN BROOKS

The continued growth of tennis in Canterbury, both in the number of participants and the playing standards, will be the motto of the sport’s new provincial administrative head, Mr Maurice Agar. Although tennis achieved a record membership in Canterbury this year, Mr Agar believes it is important that the number of devotees of all ages should continue to grow. To this end he advocates a scheme introduced recently by the Canterbury Lawn Tennis Association to provide loans to clubs for the improvement of facilities. This, he reasons, is a positive way of attracting more members. Mr Agar and his colleagues are also meeting officials of unaffiliated clubs in a bid to encourage them to join the Canterbury association and thus make it stronger. But even in its present state, the provincial body has vast responsibilities, and Maurie Agar harbours no illusions about the importance and the complexities of his position. With Christchurch the permanent Davis Cup tie venue and the scene of' numerous tournaments and heavy inter-club activity, the chairman of the C.L.T.A.’s management committee has to possess a strong personality, a nimble mind and a capacity for hard work. Mr Agar, who has succeeded Colin Hunt in this hot seat of sports administration, has these qualities. And. he is quick to point out, he has the backing of an experienced

and dedicated team of officials. As chairman of the Canterbury junior association’s management committee for six years, Mr Agar brings a good deal of leadership expertise to his new job. And his background in the sport suggests that there are few problems that will elude his grasp. He served on the junior management committee for nine years, the last six of which he also occupied a

place on the senior body. He has had 16 years on the committee of the St Ninians club, of which he is a past president, three years on the Woolston club’s committee, and is a vice-president of .the Canterbury Tennis Supporters’ Club. A previous provincial senior selector, he has served on the N.Z.L.T.A. junior advisory committee, and is now a junior area co-ordinator and national junior selector. With racket in hand, Mau-

rie Agar was, and still is, no sluggard at the game. He played senior tennis from 1950 to 1965, captaining the Woolston seniors to success in the men’s championship in 1963-64-65. He was a Canterbury representative at both junior and senior level, rising to Wilding Shield status, and remains an active participant, playing in the senior reserve grade for St Ninians and in veterans’ tournaments.

As a man who has had much to do with the development of junior tennis, Mr Agar has confidence in the broad base of Canterbury i tennis, indicated by the re-1 cord number of junior club | teams this summer. “With the coaching I schemes now in operation I ] believe that the standard of ! junior tennis in the province I will continue to improve,” he < said. There are no clouds on Maurie Agar’s sporting hori- ’ zon, and even the bugbear of ‘ bad behaviour, does not per- | turb him. But, like every- ! thing, else in his association ; with the game, he will keep it under scrutiny. “It is desirable to keep a reasonably close eye on players’ behaviour to ensure that the sport, as a sport, doesn’t suffer.” If all players take this . amiable man in his distinctive floppy hat as their example, there will be no tantrums to mar the idyllic ; scene at Wilding Park.