VAETS International

Victor A Edwards Tennis School (VAETS) from the late 50’s … during the 60’s and right through the 70’s was the largest and finest tennis school in the southern hemisphere with over 4,500 students instructed every week. Headquarters being located in the leafy suburb of Roseville, Sydney, Australia.

Prior to this period and having already inherited the business from his father, Vic Edwards changed the name, and  relocating from Perth, Western Australia, where his father had moved the family from England in 1920 where he was the tennis professional at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club (Wimbledon) at Worple Road prior to its current location, Vic set about establishing something very special in Australia’s biggest city.

VAETS  produced some of Australia’s great players during these golden years, Jan Lehane, Fred Stolle, John Newcombe, Martin Mulligan, Bob Hewitt, Kim Warwick, Mark Edmondson, but none better than Evonne Goolagong with many others achieving on the world stage including Brad Drewett, Jamie Fletcher, Peggy Michael.

Vic Edwards had an enormous influence on Australia’s tennis development guiding Fed Cup team victories during the 70’s, looking after the junior Davis and Fed Cup teams, conducting clinics throughout regional areas and setting up professional coaching in Western Australia and Tasmania. He was the founder and patron of the NSW Tennis Professional Association (the forerunner of today’s Tennis Coaches Australia). Singularly responsible for professionalism and integrity in the coaching fraternity that is such an enormous business in the world today.

VAETS International established itself in 1972 with offices opening in Pittsburgh, USA (Team Tennis Champions in 1974/5) ; New Zealand as the Davis Cup and Fed Cup coaches 1974 – 79; England and Holland. Operations continued until 1982 and then concentrated on the Australian headquarters until Vic’s passing in 1985. So many coaches and players world-wide experiencing this huge legacy.