After more than 50 years shaping the Valentine and Eleebana tennis communities, Margaret Wilks has quietly stepped back from the courts, leaving behind a legacy that spans generations.
Her journey began as a child hitting a brick wall at Newcastle Boys High School.
Back then, coaching wasn’t something most families could afford, so she learned to play… and fell in love with the sport.
“In those days, no one had coaches unless their parents played,” Wilks recalled.
“I would hit against a brick wall at the school as a kid with an old racquet.
“I just loved it… and I’ve loved it ever since.
“My friends and I got into some competitions when we got a bit older and kept going with it.”
By her late 20s, she had reached A grade in Newcastle competitions.
And, soon after, friends and locals started asking her to train their children.
That’s where her coaching journey truly began.
“In my 30s, people began approaching me to show their kids how to play,” the 83-year-old said.
“We [Margaret and her husband] lived in Valentine near the tennis courts and that’s where it all started.
“I still love it… and that’s why I kept going.
“I’ve watched young kids I used to teach grow up and, now, they’re bringing their own children or even grandchildren to see me.
“That’s been the most beautiful part of it.”
Alongside her late husband, Wilks took over Valentine Junior Tennis, growing a program that started with just 47 kids into a thriving hub.
More recently, she spent more than a decade at the Cagney Tennis Academy in Eleebana, passing on her love for the sport to players of all ages.
“I wasn’t there to just instruct them and send them off,” she told the Newcastle Weekly.
“I was present and personal. I’d ask them about school, their day, their lives.
“I’m a little bit different to the usual coach I think, as I am interested in what the kids do even outside of tennis.
“Sometimes they’d tell me more than they’d tell their parents.
“It’s been absolutely fabulous, that’s all I can say.
“I get emotional when I think back on it all.”
Wilks’ approach combined expertise, humour and an unwavering commitment to making tennis fun.
Her influence went beyond coaching as she became a friend, a mentor and fixture in the local community.
“I’ll go into the shops in town and have people come up and say hello,” she said.
“And, I’ll have to ask them to remind me who they are, because there’s been hundreds of people I’ve taught over the years.
“That’s the beauty of it.
“You leave a mark worth remembering.”
Although injuries have forced her to slow down, she still keeps in touch with the tennis world and remains a beloved presence.
“These days I plan to keep busy with gardening and hanging out by my pool,” Wilks explained.
“But, tennis people… you can’t get rid of them.
“And, it’ll be hard to get rid of me.”
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