Mental health programs don't usually come with a tennis racquet and ball, but grand slam commentator Louise Pleming is changing that.
The positive impact of a casual hit across the nets with a homeless man in Sydney sparked an idea for Ms Pleming that led to forming the not-for-profit Rally4Ever group, which is now expanding into western NSW.
She might have 12 International Tennis Federation doubles titles under her belt and coached elite players like Jelena Dokic, but Ms Pleming said her tennis these days isn't about trophies, but building relationships.
"Social connection is really important for mental wellbeing. It's the number one thing," she said.
"Sometimes we can be sitting next to someone and we don't know how to start a conversation.
"But when you're on a tennis court, it's so easy to have a laugh and it's really easy to encourage someone."
Rally4Ever already operates in more than 20 eastern NSW locations, providing free weekly tennis programs for more than 12,000 participants.
Ms Pleming hopes to grow those numbers by pushing into the state's west.
A program with meaning
At least 40 children attended Rally4Ever's launch in Nyngan, one of 11 country towns Ms Pleming stopped at with her team of professional coaches last month.
Mission Australia support worker Tara Brookman works with homeless children between the ages of 12 and 15, some of whom attended the session.
"A lot of kids struggle to get access to support systems; it's very disadvantaged out this way," she said.
"It's so good to have a program that actually has a meaning behind it.
"We get so many programs that are just for fun, but we do need more based around mental health."
Hopes for an Indigenous tennis hub
The program has the backing of Ian Goolagong, the only Aboriginal man to ever play at Wimbledon and brother of former world number one Evonne Goolagong-Cawley.
"It's a great idea," Mr Goolagong said after coaching a group of teens in Nyngan.
"The whole idea with it is to help mental health.
There's not really a lot of people going out and doing this in different places."
The 63-year-old has worked as a coach with Tennis Australia and the Evonne Goolagong Foundation and said there were plans to create a hub for Indigenous tennis players in Condobolin.
The town was Rally4Ever's first stop on its western NSW tour and more than 120 kids showed up to play.
Other towns on the two-week tour included Girilambone, Lake Cargelligo, Dubbo, Brewarrina, and Walgett.
Local coaches in each town are supported by Rally4Ever head office to continue regular tennis sessions.
Mr Goolagong said those coaching sessions were often about much more than tennis.
"Since I started coaching, I've been a counsellor because all the kids are talking to me about their problems," he said.
Casting a wide net
Ms Pleming said getting adults involved is just as important as kids participating.
"We've got to get those adults loving the game again, then it will be longer-lasting," she said.
Denise O'Malley travelled 45 kilometres to Nyngan from nearby Hermidale with her two children Joseph, 5, and Niamh, 3, expecting to simply watch her kids play.
Instead she ended up on the court in her thongs serving the ball to other parents.
"I thought it would be just like some pointers on how to hold the racquet and stuff like that," Ms O'Malley said.
"I was coming in for the kids to have a look, and I've had the best fun ever. It's a great thing in every respect for mental health to socially connecting to community and fun and coordination."
Ms Pleming said the enthusiasm shows how a simple rally can have an impact.
"[Mental health] is not an easy kind of topic, but if everyone plays their little part, we create a bigger web and it's more of a support web, and that's all we can do."