In competitive play, the club entered seven teams in the district eliminations. The five men's teams swept divisions B, C, D and F, while the women's teams won the C and F grades.
On the national stage, Surf City Squash continued to shine. Club member Casey Miller won the C Grade women's Champion of Champions title, and the club won the C Grade women's title in Napier and the F Grade men's title in Morrinsville at the Superchamps this year.
The club also increased its participation in regional tournaments.
It entered the Hawke's Bay interclub tournament. Once a week the Surf City team would meet one of four Hawke's Bay teams in Wairoa (to decrease driving times) so the players would have more frequent competition from Napier and Hastings.
It was an “awesome commitment” from club members as they had to travel to Wairoa each week while the Hawke's Bay clubs had to travel only twice in 10 weeks, Newman said.
The club started a local weekly league, which grew from four male divisions and one female division to eight male and four female divisions.
Newman said winning the Club of the Year award was “extra special” because it meant Surf City was the first club from the Eastern District, covering Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, to have won the award in the 32 years it had been presented.
“It's great to know that our hard work throughout the year has been noticed and acknowledged on a national level,” he said.
“Often, we feel isolated here in Gizzy, based on our geographical location, and it's nice that every once in a while people around New Zealand can stand up and take notice of what we are achieving.”
Club members watched the live-stream of the award presentation in the club lounge and did not expect to win the award, Newman said.
“To win the award was really special to me as president of the club, but I really enjoyed witnessing how much it meant to the rest of the club.
“It was great to see how excited everyone was and how proud they were to be a part of the club and to contribute to winning the award.”
Newman said he was surprised at how successful the club programmes to encourage new members had been.
“We are still looking to expand that membership . . . the focus has been on juniors and beginner players.”
As part of the Sport Gisborne Tairawhiti Kiwi Sport programme, the club has just bought a portable “micro-court” to take to primary schools to encourage the next generation to take up the sport.
Club members would look to continue their Woman and Wine coaching programme in 2021 after its huge success this year.
The club has a goal to increase membership to 250 members by the end of next year.
Surf City Squash was nominated for the award by Squash Eastern district administrator Michelle Kelly, who said the club deserved every accolade received.
Typically clubs would nominate themselves for the regional club of the year award, she said. However, Squash Eastern had only two clubs nominated this year.
She said other clubs nominated Surf City for the award after seeing the work that Newman and Surf City Squash had put in.
Newman said the club hoped that the new Pay2Play booking system, installed in March, would continue to increase player numbers next year.
The system makes casual bookings easier to process. Bookings can now be made online through the Pay2Play website or through the Surf City Facebook page.
The club will look to build on this success into 2021.
In preparation for the hosting of the National E Grade Superchamps in September, the courts are to be repainted in January.
