MATTHEW WILSON

I began my tennis career at age 6 being coached under Stuart Ware at my primary school. Tennis has been in my family for generations and my mother and uncle both played competitively through their younger years. It has always been a sport that I have enjoyed both for its individual competitiveness and team atmosphere. I have continued to play every year since, beginning in the lower grades of Ipswich Tennis fixtures to my current position in the highest grade.

The achievements over the years I have attained in tennis include being the Firsts’ Tennis Captain at St Edmund’s College in my senior years of schooling. I have represented Ipswich in the Perrett Shield competition and in addition to this I have also competed in many tournaments during my school days when time was more available to me.

Since finishing secondary school I completed the Tennis Coaches Australia Development (Level One) Coaching Course in 2008 and have coached at Tall Gums, at Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School and a number of schools in rural areas around Ipswich implementing tennis development programs with Stuart.

I attended QUT completing a dual degree in a Bachelor of Secondary Education and a Bachelor of Applied Sciences, specializing in Human Movement studies. During my time at Uni I participated in Australian University Sport and for three years I both managed and played for the QUT tennis team. In 2009 at the Northern University Games we attained a gold medal, coming first out of six Queensland universities. We went on to come fourth in the Australian-wide University Games held at the Gold Coast. The following year in Perth, we were able to maintain our fourth position out of twelve competing universities from across Australia. At the end of my time at Uni, my efforts were acknowledged by receiving the QUT Contribution to Sport Award.

I am currently working at Bremer State High School teaching Physical Education. One of my aims while at this school is to implement an interschool tennis competition to increase the participation of Ipswich children in the tennis community. I believe I am a positive influence on any enthusiastic student of mine and I endeavour to help children enjoy and succeed to the best of their ability in tennis.