10 Years of Boys’ College SportsFest Tennis

April 07, 2023 | Campus, Boys’ College | Author: Basie Viljoen, Boys' College MIC for Tennis

The Boys’ College Tennis Tournament came about after Marius Masencamp and I attended numerous festivals across the country. We wanted to create a festival/tournament that would attempt to address all the issues at other tournaments that prevented players from enjoying a festival. Every participant and their efforts should feel valued.

Marius designed a format where every game a team wins counts towards a grand total, not just the overall score of a match. As the festival grew from six to eight participating teams, two pools had to be created with cross over matches, resulting in play offs for positions one to eight - further elevating the status of this tournament.

During the last ten years we have seen major improvements to the Tennis space because of the festival. Under the Chairmanship of Keith Taylor, our first Festival chair, a solid viewing and entertainment deck was built. To this day it adds tremendous value to Interschools events, league matches and festivals.

Many other giants followed in his footsteps and we are hugely grateful to all of our generous parents for all that they have done over the years. The Fieldgates donated a cold drink fridge and TV and revamped the kitchen space as well as added cupboards to the clubhouse. The Walters and Goetsch families built us an amazing pavilion and added durable bench spaces and umbrellas to the Festival. For many years, the Goetsch family provided goodie bags and sponsored water to the festival, as well as donating the white Wimbledon chairs.

Ria Santz and Dieter Briechle added lights to six of the eight courts, Andrew Davies and family contributed large amounts to the festival, organising a physio, sponsoring clothing items and added a water cooling system to the clubhouse.

Under Mr Liebenberg’s chairmanship we added the covers for the deck. Mr Crouse added a table tennis table. Mrs Serika Nakano ensured that for the last couple of years, the players get the most amazing gifts as prizes at the end of each tournament. We believe all players are winners. She also sponsored amazing bean bags and coffee mugs and side plates.

Most recently, Mr and Mrs Doig donated a dishwasher for the kitchen, and her family ensured that we could host the festival of all festivals this year, by sponsoring a temporary extra decking space and organised a festival experience of note which included a physio and hosted visiting coaches at their private residence – truly going above and beyond. Something really special is the Doig’s donation of the honours board in the clubhouse honouring the past ten years festival chairs.

We are hugely grateful for the 10 Years of the Festival and to our 10 Years of Festival Chairs for all that they contributed over the past decade.

The Tennis players are blessed with this Festival as not only has it assisted to improve their facilities at school, but also allows them to foster friendships across the country with players who are as passionate as they are, about Tennis.

I am sad to bid this wonderful space farewell but know that my successor will take this space to even greater heights.