AGM:
Our UC Tennis AGM has been set for Thursday 24 September, 6:30 pm at Burnside Tennis Club clubrooms. We will run clubnight before and after.
Minutes are as follows: UC Tennis AGM 2026 - Google Docs
Aside voting on committee members, we will be voting the following AGM items:
UC Tennis Regulation - Committee Roles
UC Tennis Constitution 2026 final.docx
Non-Binding Referendum on Tennis Canterbury Affiliation
If you are interested in joining the UC Tennis exec for one of the roles, or wish to raise a motion to discuss you will need to either:
If you cannot attend,you can cast your proxy vote by emailing the club. you may also nominate someone to vote on your behalf.
Kia ora UC Tennis members,
I am running for President of UC Tennis at the upcoming AGM. Ana Sleghel is running for Secretary, and Ryo Kimura is running for Treasurer. As you may already be aware, we are also open to taking on auxiliary roles and continuing to contribute to UC Tennis if we are not elected to our respective officer positions.
Regardless of the election outcome, I would be happy to work collaboratively with whoever is elected and contribute wherever I can to help UC Tennis continue to develop.
Tennis Canterbury affiliation
First, I would like to share my position on the non-binding poll at the upcoming AGM regarding whether UC Tennis should end its affiliation with Tennis Canterbury from March next year.
My preference would be to continue the affiliation for one more year while making a stronger effort to communicate and utilise its benefits. After giving the affiliation that opportunity, members would be in a better position to assess whether it provides sufficient value to UC Tennis in the future.
I understand that affiliation with the regional body comes at a cost, which is why I believe we should make sure our members are actually able to benefit from it.
Some of the potential benefits associated with Tennis Canterbury affiliation include:
Opportunities for UC Tennis members to participate in tournaments and Interclub competitions.
Access to affiliated club court-hire rates for both indoor and outdoor courts at Wilding Park, making court bookings more affordable and allowing members to play outside organised UC Tennis sessions.
Opportunities for members to establish and build their World Tennis Number (WTN) through eligible competitive matches.
I believe these opportunities could be communicated more clearly so members understand what is available to them and can make greater use of the affiliation.
My proposed plans for next year
1. Explore extending club nights/ hits
One of my priorities would be to explore extending our club nights/ hits, which have decreased from 2 hours last year to 1 hour and 30 minutes this year.
Additional court time could give members more opportunities to play. Any extension would, of course, depend on court availability, costs, and member interest.
2. Introduce coaching opportunities
If there is sufficient interest, we could explore incorporating occasional coaching sessions into club nights or organising separate coaching opportunities, particularly for beginners and developing players.
This could make the club more accessible to people who are new to tennis while also giving existing members opportunities to improve their game.
3. Organise more social events outside tennis
Beyond tennis itself, I would like to encourage more social activities throughout the year. These could include dinners, movie nights, game nights, and other activities based on member interest.
UC Tennis should not only provide opportunities to play tennis, but also be a place where members can meet new people, make friends, and become more involved with the club community.
4. Enter an official UC Tennis Winter Interclub team
A key goal would be to work towards entering an official UC Tennis team in Winter Interclub, alongside our involvement in Business House.
UC Tennis has unfortunately been unsuccessful in entering a Winter Interclub team for the past two years. This year, I personally created and organised a team made up of UC students and worked with local tennis clubs to arrange the necessary entry and player administration.
Having gained experience organising and captaining that team, I would be keen to bring that experience to UC Tennis and work towards entering a team officially under the club next year.
5. Improve access to competitive tennis and MatchPoint
For members interested in competitive tennis, I would like to explore whether UC Tennis can have the ability to create Player IDs/NINs for members through MatchPoint, making it easier for interested players to participate in eligible competitions and establish a WTN (World Tennis Number).
At present, members interested in certain competitive opportunities may need to rely on another tennis club for registration or administration. This can create an additional barrier, particularly for students who do not want to pay for a separate club membership.
I would also aim to communicate upcoming tournaments, Interclub opportunities, and other competitive events more clearly so interested members know what is available to them.
6. Make better use of our Tennis Canterbury affiliation
If members support continuing the affiliation, I would like the club to make greater use of it over the next year rather than simply maintaining the affiliation without fully utilising its benefits.
This would include better communication about relevant competitions, playing opportunities, affiliated benefits, and other opportunities available to UC Tennis members.
After a year of making a stronger effort to utilise the affiliation, members would then be able to make a more informed assessment of its value to the club.
7. Explore moving from Sporty to ClubSpark
Another area worth exploring is whether UC Tennis could move its current website and membership management from Sporty NZ to ClubSpark (Tennis Kiwi).
This could potentially provide a more tennis-focused platform and make membership registration, club information, events, and other tennis-related information easier for members to access in one place.
Listening to our members
These are some of my initial ideas rather than a fixed list of plans. I would also like to seek feedback from members throughout the year so that decisions about club nights/ hits, coaching, social events, competitions, and other activities reflect what members actually want from UC Tennis.
Overall, my aim is to maintain the welcoming and social environment of UC Tennis while creating more opportunities for members who want to improve their tennis, compete, meet new people, or simply have more opportunities to play.
Regardless of the outcome at the AGM, I would be happy to work collaboratively with whoever is elected and contribute wherever I can to help UC Tennis continue to develop.
Thank you.
Ngā mihi,Vaishnoraj Shivan
I’d love to put myself forward for the Secretary position on the committee, or one of the auxiliary roles - social media /events.
I’ve really enjoyed being part of UC Tennis this year, and I’d love the opportunity to take on a bigger role and give back to a club that I’ve genuinely enjoyed being involved in. I’m someone who likes being organised, keeping on top of things and making sure jobs actually get done, which is why I think I’d be a really good fit for the Secretary role.
I understand that the Secretary is responsible for things like keeping accurate meeting minutes, monitoring the club email, communicating information to the committee and maintaining the membership roster. I’d take these responsibilities seriously and would make sure everything is kept organised, up to date and followed through on. I’m reliable and consistent with my commitments, and I’m comfortable communicating with different people and making sure information is clear and doesn’t get missed.
My experience as a tutor has taught me a lot about communication, patience and working with different people, while being a prefect at high school gave me experience working within a team, communicating with teachers and students, and helping organise things effectively. Alongside these commitments, I’ve had to develop strong time management and organisation skills, and I’m confident I could bring these into the role of Secretary.
More than anything, I’d enjoy being involved in the committee and contributing to the club. I’m not just interested in having the position I want to be someone the rest of the committee can rely on, and help make sure the club continues to run smoothly for everyone.
If not elected for Secretary, I also think I could bring a lot to the Social Media side of the club. I’d enjoy helping keep Instagram and Facebook active, promoting club nights and making sure people know about upcoming events. I’m quite creative and would love to contribute ideas for posts and ways to make the club feel active and welcoming, especially for new students who might be thinking about joining.
Many thanks,
Ana.
Also, I'd like to put my vote through for Vaishnoraj Shivan as President and Ryo Kimura as the Treasurer.
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