20(a) Provide the name and full description of the community that the applicant is committing to serve

Prototypical answer:

This response provides the name and full description of the community that Tennis Australia commits to serve through the new .tennis gTLD.

THE .TENNIS COMMUNITY

Through the .tennis TLD, Tennis Australia commits to serve the Australian tennis community, which is comprised of the eight Australian state-and territory-based Member Associations: Tennis Victoria, Tennis New South Wales, Tennis Queensland, Tennis South Australia, Tennis Western Australia, Tennis Tasmania, Tennis Australian Capital Territory and Tennis Northern Territory. These Member Associations are represented by and shareholders of Tennis Australia. They are the representative body of all affiliated clubs, centres, associations, regions and their members in their respective State or Territory. As the central administrative body of tennis within a State or Territory, Member Associations are responsible for implementing Tennis Australia’s objectives and initiatives in order to manage, co-ordinate, promote, and unify the diverse facets of the sport of tennis within Australia.

WHEN THE COMMUNITY WAS ESTABLISHED

The Victorian, New South Wales, Queensland, West Australian, South Australian, and Tasmanian Tennis Associations were all founding members of Tennis Australia in 1904. At that time, local players Norman Brookes and Alf Dunlop considered entering the newly formed Davis Cup, but found that this was not possible unless Australia was represented by a national association. The Australasian Lawn Tennis Association was formed, at that time embracing New Zealand interests as well. Today, Member Associations are strictly limited to a single representative governing body in each of the Australian States and Territories.

STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION OF THE .TENNIS COMMUNITY

The eight Australian State and Territory Member Associations are each represented within Tennis Australia by a delegate. While previously Member Associations were also represented through the affiliation of a member of the Board of Directors, recent corporate governance reforms arising from undertakings given to the Australian Sports Commission have ended this practice. Seven of up to nine Directors are elected by the Member Associations at a general meeting, but Directors must be independent of simultaneous Member Association affiliation while they serve on the Board.

DELINEATION OF THIS COMMUNITY FROM INTERNET USERS GENERALLY

This community is delineated from Internet users generally by the specific role of Member Associations within Tennis Australia. Member Associations are directly responsible for the implementation of the objectives that are set at the national level by Tennis Australia. In the interests of growing tennis, attracting more participants and funding the development of the game in Australia, current core activities and initiatives include the following:

MLC Tennis Hot Shots – a grass roots junior participation program for children aged 4-10 years old. The aim is to increase participation and capture the interest of primary school-aged children.

Cardio Tennis – a fitness-based tennis program targeting young adults and young families.

Talent development – improving the quality and quantity of athletes under the age of twelve.

Places to Play – forming leading partnerships in planning, building and managing quality facilities for people to play tennis.

Each year Tennis Australia invests millions in tennis infrastructure, player development, participation programs, coach development, competitions and tournaments, and promotion of the game. This occurs at a local and national level, but also at the international level in particular through the Australian Open, one of four Grand Slams and the largest sporting event in the world each January.

Member Associations are also directly responsible for implementing such activities within the framework of policies set by Tennis Australia. These policies serve as standards of behaviour and safeguards for the community, providing guidance and leadership in such key aspects as safety, protecting the rights of minors, health, and non-discrimination. Examples include the following:

Member Protection Policy – serves to protect the health, safety and well-being of all those who participate in the activities of Tennis Australia.

Additional policies exist including:
- Tennis Australia Anti-Doping Policy 2010
- Code of behaviour
- Disciplinary Policy
- Project CONNECT
- 2011 Uniform Tennis Anti-Corruption Program


CURRENT ESTIMATED SIZE OF THE COMMUNITY

Through its eight Member Associations, Tennis Australia provides benefits to 2,176 affiliated tennis clubs and their over 180,000 tennis player members throughout Australia. Tennis Australia exists to grow the sport of tennis, a sport that has been part of the fabric of Australia for more than a century. It is a sport that has unique benefits: it can be played anywhere, at any time and on multiple surfaces; it can be enjoyed by both genders and is cross generational; it can be learned at any age, and in multiple formats, whether participants are looking for fitness, a social outlet or to become professionals. In Australia, the sport has a rich heritage and the tennis club has been a central point for communities, connecting a diverse range of participants, administrators and volunteers. Tennis Australia connects these clubs by bringing together their State and Territory governing bodies and providing a platform by which they can work collectively towards common goals, thus enriching the sport of tennis in a consistent manner throughout the country.

Tennis is a sport for teams and also individuals, providing basic ball skills to young players and building confidence. It is a sport which has many related opportunities for involvement – whether professional or voluntary - such as coaching, administration, umpiring or becoming a ballkid. Tennis Australia is committed to growing participation in tennis, to creating champions and role models, and to maximising the positive attributes within Australia of this globally popular activity.

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