Tennis Academy Program

Underdale High School Tennis Academy Program

Head Coach – Adelaide Tennis Academy Luke Sebastiani​

• Tennis Australia Club Professional Coach​​
• 17 years coaching experience​​
• 2 x South Australian State League Champion​​
• Current Men’s State League Player and Australian Money Tour competitor​​
• Professional hitting partner for top 100 ATP/WTA players​​
• Player/coach in German competitive club league​​
• Bachelor’s Degree in Primary/Middle School Education from the University of South Australia​

The Underdale High School Tennis Academy officially launched in 2026, building on the proud tradition of excellence established by our highly successful Football Academy (running since 2003).

Underdale High School is a vibrant, diverse community representing over 90 cultural backgrounds. Our recently redeveloped facilities provide an outstanding high-performance environment, including six brand-new tennis courts and a fully equipped gym for strength and conditioning — all located on campus. This allows students to train at an elite level with minimal disruption to their academic studies.

High-Performance Coaching

The program is delivered by Tennis Australia accredited coaches, including Head Coach from the Adelaide Tennis Academy. With over 17 years of coaching experience across Australia and internationally, our team has worked with athletes ranging from green ball development players through to national-level high-performance competitors.

Our coaches bring real-world experience to the program, having competed in the Men’s State League competition — including a two-time champion — as well as club tennis in Germany.

Importantly, one of our lead coaches is also a full-time teacher at Underdale High School, ensuring players receive ongoing support both on and off the court. This strong connection between sport and education is central to our philosophy.

Our Ethos & Philosophy

The ethos of the Underdale Tennis Academy is centred on continuous improvement — both individually and collectively. If you are part of the Underdale program, you are there to get better. Every session, every drill and every lesson is designed with growth in mind.

We value developing strong, athletic tennis players who understand the core movement principles required for high-level performance.

Our approach focuses on:

• Efficient and explosive on-court movement patterns
• Agility, balance and coordination specific to tennis
• Building strong foundational movement skills in the gym
• Strength and conditioning principles that directly transfer to match play

By combining technical training with athletic development, we aim to build complete athletes — resilient, powerful and adaptable — capable of performing at a high level.

Pathways & Opportunity

We believe in creating an environment that provides:

• Professional-level training within a school setting
• Expert guidance and mentorship
• A strong, positive and ambitious team culture
• Academic balance and support
• Clear pathways for future opportunities

  
  Whether a student aspires to become a touring professional, earn a US college scholarship, compete at state and national level, or simply maximise their potential and enjoyment of tennis — the Underdale Tennis Academy is designed to support that journey.

Program Structure

Head Coach: Luke Sebastiani (Head Coach, Adelaide Tennis Academy – Peake Gardens Tennis Club)
Program Facilitator: Tom McLennan (UHS Teacher & Tennis Coach)

Weekly Commitment:

• 3 hours On-Court Training
• 1 hour Strength & Conditioning
• 1 hour Tennis-Specific Theory
  

Theory components may include:

• Tennis-specific fitness development
• Goal setting and self-regulation for high performance
• Video analysis and technical review
• Introduction to coaching principles
• Racquet restringing
• Sports psychology
• Nutrition, hydration and recovery strategies

  
  The program runs across the full school year.

  Flexible learning plans are available for high performance athletes.
  

Facilities

Underdale High has a range of sporting facilities that are utilised across the campus which include:

• 6 x tennis courts
• Full size indoor gymnasium
• Huge oval space- 1 full size AFL oval, 2 full size football (soccer) pitches
• Brand new theatre which can be used for presentations/ guest speakers
• EFM gym- Our EFM Gym is a high-quality training facility that supports student-athletes in developing strength, power, and resilience.
  

The gym includes equipment such as:

• Squat racks
• Assault Bike
• Treadmills
• Exercise Bikes
• Dumbbell racks
• Rowing machines
• Ski erg machines
• Resistance cable machine
• Leg press/ Leg extension machines
• Cross trainers
• Yoga/ pilates equipment
• Recovery equipment

Selection Criteria

Entry into the academy is selective to maintain high standards.

Applicants must provide:

• Current Universal Tennis Rating (UTR)
• Attendance at an on-court trial session (If unavailable, players may submit video footage including forehands, backhands, volleys, serves, and match play)
• A character reference from a coach or teacher
• Most recent school report card

Investment

Please note there is an additional cost associated with participation in the program, including purchasing our tennis uniform.

For further information, please contact our Tennis Specialist Entry coach, Tom McLennan on:
Phone: (08) 8301 8000
Email: dl.0965.info@schools.sa.edu.au