Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

STAFF FEATURE

MEET OUR TENNIS DIRECTOR Our Tennis community is an active and tight-knit bunch and Tennis Director Tomas Biernacki has been helming this sporting group of players since he joined The Club in 2016. Under his leadership, the tennis program was revamped to focus on more high intensity group clinics, tennis socials and events. Members rave about Tomas on a regular basis, and participation for tennis events and classes soared in recent years. His dedication and hard work was not in vain, as he was recently awarded Peter Burwash International (PBI)’s “Professional of the Year” award – do congratulate Tomas on his well- deserved win when you see him around The Club!

What is PBI’s “Professional of the Year” award? PBI is an international association recognized for its world-class tennis teaching program. Held in June at the scenic Bio Hotel Stanglwirt Resort & Spa in Austria, PBI’s annual meeting saw tennis leaders all over the world congregate for an educational week to network, catch up with news in the industry, attend seminars and collaborate with each other on a gamut of coaching topics and skills. The “Professional of the Year” award recognizes individuals who have effected real change, initiated new programs and ideas and contributed to the growth and excellent reputation of PBI. The winner is personally selected by Peter Burwash (Founder) and René Zondag (CEO). What are some of the obstacles you had to overcome to achieve this award? The award is usually given to professionals that have been with PBI for a minimum of 3 years. In PBI's 43 years of history, only 4 professionals attained this award twice. I am the first professional in PBI’s history to receive this award with only less than 2 years with the organization. I had big shoes to fill when previous Tennis Director Manuel Miletic left The Club, but the new initiatives and programs proved to be a hit with Members. Since my arrival in Singapore, I have established a solid network with the local tennis community, and this has resulted in several new opportunities for PBI. What are some of the tennis offerings Members can look forward to next year? I will continue to improve tennis operations and services to Members – we recently started taking bookings via the JOGA app, which really streamlined the whole booking process. Members can easily check their class schedules, and updates are posted immediately if socials or events are cancelled due to inclement weather. Stay tuned for more information!

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