BCC coach says goodbye to club after 26 years
A farewell for Smith was hosted by BCC, leaving him overwhelmed and humbled.
Farrarmere resident Peter Smith (64) is emigrating to the USA on October 3, leaving the Benoni Country Club (BCC) heart sore.
Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, relocating to Boksburg in 1981, Smith has always been an avid tennis player, as well as a hard-working coach.
“In 1989 I started coaching part-time in Springs while working full-time in Boksburg,” he said.
“We then built a house in Springs and stayed there for 14 years until my daughter finished high school. We then moved to Benoni in 1998.”
Smith joined BCC in 1996 while still living in Springs, where he also became a tennis coach but was mainly a player at this time.
“I was retrenched in 2002, so I began coaching full-time,” he explained.
“My tennis career began as a junior. I took it up because my dad enjoyed the sport. I am self-taught mostly, either watching my dad or other players.
“When we moved to South Africa, I joined Atlas Aircraft in Boksburg before moving to Springs.”
While playing for a club in Springs, Smith was approached by some parents who asked if he didn’t want to coach the children.
“At this point, I knew nothing about coaching,” he chuckled.
“I contacted a friend of mine who was a coach in Springs and he told me how I can become a coach.”
Smith has been coaching at BCC for the past 26 years.
“I have taught age groups beginning at three or four years old, all the way up to my oldest player being 84,” he said.
“It’s more than just coaching to me, some of them even call me the tennis dad. They get the life lessons and I learn from them too. I have coached autistic children and children with cerebral palsy. All my coaching has been so rewarding and the results, the interaction and progression you experience is just fantastic.”
A farewell for Smith was hosted by BCC, leaving him overwhelmed and humbled.
“It was heart-wrenching having to say goodbye to all these amazing people, and I was blown away by the attendance,” he said.
“It was fantastic. People I haven’t coached in 10 years also came through.”
He even managed to play for one last time in his band on the day of the farewell.
“I play drums in our band called the Amigos,” he explained.
“The band is just a bunch of old farts who enjoy playing music. We have still been playing together, right up until this last gig at my farewell. We have since been auditioning drummers for the band.
“We have played at places such as the country club, Benoni Northerns, Old Bens, the Brooklyn Brothers in Pretoria, who have closed down, loads of schools, the Dros in Sunward Park.”
Smith thanked every student he had ever coached.
“It has been a privilege having worked with you and I am so glad to have influenced you. Thank you to BCC and the awesome folks who have been a part of my life. All the support has been overwhelming.”
One last bit of advice from the coach to all the youngsters thinking about taking up tennis or haven’t even thought about it before: “Tennis is a sport for life. You can start at three or four and play until you can’t move a leg anymore. You continue playing as long as you can, socially or competitively.
“What I love most about the sport is the fun aspect of the game, but at the same time, it can be so competitive. Always have fun and enjoy the blessing. I enjoyed being able to play interprovincial, vets’ tournaments and to see a lot of South Africa, so give it a go.”
Also Read: Gauteng East Tennis 2021 Interprovincial teams
