Ashton McLeod will play his first Australia Clay Court Nationals tournament in Canberra on April 6.
The rising star from Yarramundi, who attends St Thomas Aquinas Primary, is coached by his dad Andrew McLeod at Springwood World of Tennis at Springwood Tennis Club. He also receives coaching from Lleyton Hewitt's sister Jaslyn Hewitt at Homebush, and has been training once a week on clay for the past seven weeks.
Due to the unpredictable nature of the bounce on clay, Ashton's been practicing being lightning fast on his feet.
"You are moving into the ball because the bounce is weird on clay," Ashton said.
The 11-year-old trains five days a week and says he loves "playing, competing and having fun".
"I want to go pro, that's my dream," Ashton, who's been playing tennis since age four, said.
He looks up to Roger Federer - "I like his volleys" - and fellow left-hander Rafael Nadal for the way he hits the ball.
Tennis has taken him around Australia to various state-based and national tournaments.
In January he captained NSW to victory over South Australia at a national tournament. In February, Ashton was one of the top 15 boys in Australia in his age group (under 12s) selected to attend the Davis Cup and a national training camp. "I learnt a lot from watching the pros play," he said.
His top four ranking in Australia in his age group has landed him a year's sponsorship from Tecnifibre, who supply him with racquets.
Blue Mountains Gazette
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04 Jul 2025
From Facebook
Congratulations to our award recipients for this fortnight. We are so proud of your achievements. A special congratulations to our STA Art Exhibition finalists. Our community has been inspired by your creativity. We thank all those students who shared their gifts with us.![459854762807679_24013842988249939-1]()
04 Jul 2025
From Facebook
π§£βοΈ Itβs been a big term for our Faith in Action students! From lunchtime knitting & crafts π§Ά to Pyjama & Boot Days π’ποΈ and our Winter SleepOut. π€ Our students have been learning how to serve others with compassion and dignity. β€οΈ A huge THANK YOU to our amazing parents and teachers who helped make it all happen! π Cold and bare? Show your care β Boots to wear! π’π π₯ Watch this video to see what we got up to and how much we raised! π
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04 Jul 2025
From Facebook
Congratulations to our award recipients for this fortnight. We are so proud of your achievements. A special congratulations to our STA Art Exhibition finalists. Our community has been inspired by your creativity. We thank all those students who shared their gifts with us.
04 Jul 2025
From Facebook
π§£βοΈ Itβs been a big term for our Faith in Action students! From lunchtime knitting & crafts π§Ά to Pyjama & Boot Days π’ποΈ and our Winter SleepOut. π€ Our students have been learning how to serve others with compassion and dignity. β€οΈ A huge THANK YOU to our amazing parents and teachers who helped make it all happen! π Cold and bare? Show your care β Boots to wear! π’π π₯ Watch this video to see what we got up to and how much we raised! π
03 Jul 2025
From Facebook
π§ Year 1 have been exploring sound waves in science! ππ Theyβve been busy experimenting with different materials to discover which one is the most soundproof for making headphones! πΆπ‘
30 Jun 2025
From Facebook
π§€βοΈ Cold and Bare, Show You Care β Boots to Wear! βοΈπ§¦ This powerful slogan, created by our students, has guided our winter fundraising efforts with Vinnies and what an impact weβve made together! Through Pyjama Day, the Winter Sleepout, and todayβs Boot Day, our school community has come together to live out our faith. These events helped raise awareness of the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness β especially in winter, when, as shared by local Vinnies volunteers, "our feet feel the cold first." Thanks to your incredible generosity, weβve raised $1,137 toward our goal of $1,236. Almost enough to provide three full sets of winter clothing to those in need. π Donations can still be made via the QKR! App as we take the final steps towards our goal. We're only $99 away! Thank you for showing your care and walking with us in solidarity.
30 Jun 2025
From Facebook
You are invited to come and explore our STA Art Exhibition. Open Monday - Wednesday 3:30-4:30 in the Inquiry Hub. We are so proud of all of our students who shared their talents with our community.
27 Jun 2025
From Facebook
In line with our Vinnies Winter Appeal slogan, we are holding a boot day to raise some much needed funds. These funds will be used by vinnies to provide warm clothing to people who are less fortunate in our local community. Cold and Bare? Show your care, "Boots to wear!" Wear your boots on Monday!
25 Jun 2025
From Facebook
The Stage 2 Soccer Gala Day β½οΈ π₯ was a whirlwind of excitement at Jamison Oval yesterday as our students showcased not only their growing soccer skills but also their resilience and teamwork. From the first whistle to the final goal, our four St Thomas Aquinas teams demonstrated remarkable improvement in their gameplay, adapting swiftly to each challenge presented. Their behaviour throughout the day was exemplary and they remained focused and positive, turning each shift in the weather into an opportunity to support one another and enhance their collective performance. Our Year 4 boys finished 3rd as did our girls and our Year 3 boys finished 8th and our girls finished 5th. Well done everyone on all of your bountiful effort. π π π ππππ
23 Jun 2025
From Facebook
Some more fun from our UBUNTU Africa performance today. It was great to see everyone actively involved in the music and dancing.
23 Jun 2025
From Facebook
What an amazing performance today from UBUNTU Africa β an extraordinary ensemble of young performers from Uganda and Kenya. Such a privilege to learn more about their culture.
22 Jun 2025
From Facebook
Congratulations to our award recipients this fortnight. We are very proud of all your hard work and efforts. A special congratulations to Bridget who won the Blue Mountains writing award in the years 10-12 division with the theme 'Only I can Say'.
20 Jun 2025
From Facebook
π Pyjama Day for Vinnies! π€ Today we wore our comfiest pyjamas to school. Not just for fun, but to raise awareness and support for those in our community who are doing it tough this winter. βοΈβ€οΈ Pyjama Day reminds us that while we get to go home to warm beds, many in our community arenβt as lucky. All donations go directly to Vinnies Winter Appeal, helping provide food, blankets and support to those experiencing homelessness and hardship. π You can donate easily through the QKR! App β every dollar makes a difference. Letβs cosy up and show our compassion.
20 Jun 2025
From Facebook
Our FIAT students have been working hard and are all set for their Winter Appeal Liturgy. It will begin at 12:45 prior to assembly. See you there!
19 Jun 2025
From Facebook
Year 1 have been exploring the concept of Sound Energy and Pitch. We love Being Scientists on Thursdays.
18 Jun 2025
From Facebook
Today, we dressed in blue to show our support for our NSW Blues team. A fun day with our classmates.
18 Jun 2025
From Facebook
ποΈ Our S.T.A Boys Stage 3 soccer teams kicked off our first gala day today showcasing their talent and teamwork in a series of exciting matches against some highly skilled school sides. With fast-paced action, clever plays, and plenty of goals, the teams gave it their all on the field. Win or lose, their positive attitude never waveredβthey played with heart, had a blast, and demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship throughout. A great effort by both our year 6 and year 5 teams, finishing up 4th place in their pools. Great work boys! β½οΈπ₯ β½οΈπ ππ€β½οΈπ€πͺ β½οΈ π₯ β½οΈ