Tennis coaching in Indonesia

Yohanes Pintu Sandika

Tennis in Indonesia is not evenly distributed in all regions. The tennis development in each region shows a distinctive performance and the difference in certain parts are quiet great. The western region with Jakarta as the central is the superior region, either in playing and coaching. The remaining cities within Java Island are less superior we can say, though there are many good players coming from those cities or training in those cities. Other islands such as Sumatra, Kalimantan are also playing quite significant role in Indonesian tennis, but in terms of coaching, it may be fewer coaches when compared to Jakarta / Java island cities whether in quantity and quality. A country of thousand islands, it makes it harder for players and coaches to travel around mainly due the financial capabilities; which results in one particular island-wide mobility; especially in Java.

There will only be players with good financial capabilities who can afford to pay coaches and fulfil their needs; tournaments, gear, travel and other things. In other cities, coaching would be more likely becoming a part time job rather than a real one. But as everything changes, professionalism in every field of sport requires totality and it also happens here in tennis, which this far it only happens in some big cities. When compared to Papua Island, where tennis is so much unreachable for many people and children, we still could not expect totality of a tennis coach. They have to fulfil their daily need and at the moment tennis seems so far to facilitate a decent living. 

At decades earlier, professional coaching is more dominantly played by certain individuals. As the industry grows, more and more people are going to the same field. However, in general, the quality of coaches remains to be a serious home work for Indonesian tennis. Up to present time, education and training in tennis needs to be thoroughly taught by world’s professionals to most coaches here.

While there are many barriers for Indonesian tennis to go international (for international players/ coaches), we still have hopes on our youth. There are still many talents that have not been polished or not having chances to play / grow due to the present conditions; financial is at the top of it. But when everything is well managed, I am pretty sure that good achievements are possible to be acquired.

As mentioned earlier, tennis is not going to be cheap but I suppose, it could be more affordable. It will depend on how we are going to manage all the factors inside. For touring players, accommodation and flights would take priority for we live in a country of archipelagos and up to now there are only few things that we can do to improve it. Public tennis facilities are quite reachable but I could not say the same thing in the eastern part of Indonesia. Poor management on those areas would make it worse, that will ends on the unwillingness of players to travel, to attend tournaments and even to play the game at the bottom of the page.

To make it better for all of parties involved in tennis; especially coaches for players, we need a better management in big picture. Everything is dependent here, when there are nobody playing, coaches will become superfluous. In terms of coaching, more and more courses and training, and access into it need to be broadened and evenly distributed from corner to corner. The new generation of coaches emerges and is trying to make a good opportunity for themselves and most importantly for players and also contributing a good role not only in sports, but most importantly they are taking part in life education. Hopefully Indonesian tennis will see a better future.