By JONATHAN BURROWS
Tribune Sports Reporter
jburrows@tribunemedia.net
PROFESSIONAL tennis player Sydney Clarke encouraged incoming Columbus Primary School prefects to lead by example, develop good habits and strive for excellence during a presentation ahead of the 2026/2027 academic year.
A teacher, who was also a childhood friend from primary school, invited Clarke to speak to the students, and she shared lessons from her experiences as a prefect and her journey as a professional tennis player.
“I spoke to them about leadership. I gave advice and my thoughts about what I think makes a great leader and how a leader should act,” Clarke said.
The presentation also covered setting goals, becoming independent and developing good habits, with discussions and short activities allowing the students to participate throughout the session.
Clarke said she was pleased with the students’ response and enjoyed the opportunity to engage with them. “The students were so enthusiastic and attentive. I enjoyed every moment speaking with them and I hope that I would be able to visit them again,” she said.
The students also asked Clarke about her tennis career and how she applies leadership in her profession. She used her experiences competing on tour and her time as a student athlete in college to show how the lessons learnt through sport can be applied beyond the court.
“One question that stood out to me was advice I’d give them as future prefects,” Clarke said. “I enjoyed answering this question because I was able to reminisce and give advice of my experiences of being a prefect in primary and junior high.”
Clarke said she considered the visit an opportunity to motivate the students by sharing experiences that have helped shape her own development.
“I felt it was very important to share my experiences to inspire and motivate them to continue to excel,” she said.
She also spoke about the good habits she has developed and practises daily, encouraging the students to consider how those lessons could help them as they take on their new responsibilities at school.
Clarke hopes the incoming prefects will carry the lessons from the presentation into their daily lives and use their positions to make a positive contribution to their school and wider community.
“I hope that the students implement some of the things we talked about in the daily lives and strive to be the best leaders possible,” she said. “Also, I wish for all of them to become upstanding citizens in our society that make a difference.”