Fed Cup History

What a privilege it was to be able to attend the exciting Fed Cup matches in beautiful Quebec City over Easter weekend. The purpose of attending was not only to witness history in the making, but to give the Council of Provinces (COP) a chance to meet new Tennis Canada President Kelly Murumets and spend some quality time discussing priorities and challenges.

First, the matches. Even though Slovakia's A Team failed to participate, it was far from a slam-dunk affair. First match up on the Saturday had Alex Wozniak pitted against fast-rising Jana Cepelova. Admittedly, Alex was likely not the favourite to win this match, but she somehow found a way to pull it off in three sets with some ugly turns and twists along the way. My wife and I were seated at court level at one end of the PEPS stadium on Laval University campus. I could almost reach out and touch the players we were that close. Throughout the match we were simultaneously cheering and bowing our heads in disbelief of a shot gone bad. But a win is a win, and kudos to Alex for digging deep when it mattered.



Fed Cup Team celebrate victory!

The second match with our feature player Genie Bouchard against Kristina Kucova, was an equally tough battle. Genie herself admitted her game was off and she was struggling at times. You could see it in her mannerisms, frustration in her face, tossing her towel wildly at times to the ball kids. She felt like the underdog, but that's when Genie seems to raise her game up a notch, and that she did to finish out the match and put Canada up 2 to 0 on Day 1.

Our Canadian team is now among the elite 8 world group in Fed Cup with a chance to go all the way in 2015. We had an almost sold-out stadium over the weekend (3k per day). We also had national TV coverage with SportsNet and TVA along with local and national newspaper coverage, all great at growing the game and building momentum and star power.

COP Meet Kelly



Council of Provinces meets during Fed Cup, shown here with TC President Kelly Murumets


Now it wasn't all fun and games for the COP. Friday evening and Saturday morning gave us all a chance to meet the lady behind an organization that continues to build its reputation and visibility on the world tennis stage. If you watch Kelly's latest interview with SportsNet, you will note she already has very clear ideas about where Tennis Canada needs to head going forward. In person, Kelly is very affable, warm and inviting and you can tell she is also a very astute business woman. I and the rest of the COP feel she very much embraces the partnership mentality with the provinces and will stay very engaged as we look to close gaps, promote transparency and understanding, improve the competitive structure and opportunities for young players, and build tennis participation across Canada.



Fed Cup Team Loves the OTA!



A Trillium Grant-Writing Primer

This is the time of year when community clubs begin planning for their outdoor season. It is also the time when the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) begins accepting applications for grant funding (the deadlines for applications are March 1, July 1 and November 1).

OTF funding provides a unique opportunity for incorporated community clubs with limited resources to improve infrastructure and programming in many ways. Many clubs over the past six years have successfully applied for and have been granted funding for initiatives such as court resurfacing, court rebuilds, fixing decks and practice walls, adding bleachers, shelters and sheds, installing lighting, purchasing computers, ball hoppers and ball machines. Funding amounts have ranged from $20,000 to over $100,000 depending on the project scope.

To help spark your interest, I've included some highlights from a recently held OTF workshop on this subject. OTF have excellent resources that are willing to spend time with your club executives to help them get started on the grant writing process. As well, OTF's presentation from the Fall 2013 Grant-writing workshop can be found on OTA's Raise the Net resource centre, available to all OTA-member clubs through the Club Connection newsletter. If you don't receive this newsletter, please contact Jay Neill at the OTA office.


Overview:

• Club must be incorporated as a not-for-profit organization
• Operating grants are for an organization’s ongoing program costs. Operating grants may be for a single year or multi-year but may not exceed a maximum of five years
• Project grants are for one-time activities or activities with a defined time frame. Project grants may be for a single year or multi-year but may not exceed a maximum of five years
• Capital grants (up to a max of $150K) are for renovations and equipment purchases. OTF encourages applications that promote multi-use community spaces or shared spaces and equipment, or improve accessibility or increase energy efficiency.
• The competition for capital $ is much greater than that for programs (Capital: $1 granted for every 7 to 9 requested, this is 15% of their fund, Programs: $1 granted for every 3 requested)
• OTF are more likely to support projects that include green initiatives and improved accessibility
• Trillium does not erect buildings, but renovations to existing facilities are acceptable. Caveat: they do not fund municipal properties, so if your clubhouse is owned by the city/municipality, you would not be successful in obtaining funding for that component. OTF would however assist with furnishings, security system, etc
• First time applicants should request pre-application counselling with a OTF program manager. Many times these are initiated by OTF in 15-minute time slots that clubs reps can register online for and are scheduled and held in a community centre in your municipality
• Clubs cannot ask for grant money after the project has started so be aware you must have your proposal submitted first before any work is started.

Greater and favorable consideration will be given to projects that:

• Engage partners
• Increase access to the community
• Improve the experience
• Are multi-purpose or have more than one kind of impact on the community
• Are combined in purpose with other areas supported by Trillium
• Provide continuous/long term improvements
• Can be sustained after Trillium funding is completed

Remember ...

·         the majority of successful grant applications over the past 6 years have been for community tennis clubs requesting money for court resurfacing or rebuilds, for facility improvements (replace roof,  decks, bleachers), and for resources and equipment needed for improving club programming (hiring pros, purchasing ball machines, nets, racquets, etc)

·         work with your municipality in partnership to potentially expand your sources of funding. Your town/city likely has worked with Trillium before and can help you with grant applications.

·         request a letter of endorsement from the OTA to help further support your application.

 

A full set of FAQs can be found on the OTF website.

 

Sneak Peek at 2014 Priorities

On behalf of the OTA board and staff I wish you a Happy New Year! With any new year comes the desire to reflect on our successes and challenges in the past year, while looking forward to new goals in the coming year.

If you recall last year's OT Magazine Yearbook review, I spoke about the completion of OTA's four-year Strategic Plan. I also wrote a three-part-series (March, April, May 2013) in my President's Blog providing more detail on how the OTA will translate that plan into more specific programs and steps necessary to meet those expectations.

For the upcoming Yearbook review I will cover a number of Strat Plan highlights from 2013 covering each of the four goals in that plan. Many of them, such as the new ranking system implementation and the piloting of the new "Raise the Net" program for community clubs, will carry over into 2014 and directly benefit competitive players and member clubs. Please watch out for that edition coming out in late February.

To kick off this year, let me review a few priorities our board and staff will be working on your behalf.


GOAL #1: Attract More People to Play and Support Tennis on a Sustained Basis

• Work has begun on the development of OTA's digital strategy with the goal of identifying some key priorities that can be implemented over the coming years and includes improved use of website with improved content, targeted use of social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, more video content (OTA TV) and the development of an OTA mobile app for access to apps like the OTA Club Card and the new Ranking & Tournament Management System.
• The Club Connection news releases which first began in June of 2012 are published six times a year and are packed with useful information for member clubs. Look for the first 2014 edition coming out shortly with a link to the new OTA Raise the Net online resource centre.
• By having our regional committees work with municipal park and rec staff, we expect progress to be made on updating and improving the Tennis Club Policies for both Toronto (including Scarborough and North York) and Markham. This will benefit all clubs operating in those cities.
• Further develop and expand our club member base in the Ottawa region by delivering more programming that directly benefits the clubs (eg: Raise the Net, Little Aces). As well, our STF region will have an official Little Aces launch this year. The OTA has also submitted an application through Trillium's regional stream for Capital Kids, an Ottawa-based project aiming to broaden access to tennis by providing cost-free tennis lessons for 8500 kids over 4 years.
• The OTA will partner with Wilmington Tennis to deliver The Sunshine Project, which will provide 900 elementary students in the northwest region of Toronto with subsidized tennis lessons. Thanks to the Ontario Trillium  Foundation for funding this project over 3 years

GOAL #2: Provide opportunities for players to improve at every level

• Go live with the new provincial ranking system and tournament management system in the April timeframe
• Increased member club participation for Year 2 of the U9 Champions program
• Continue to grow and maintain and active competitive structure. In 2013 there were over 2200 registered players
• Continue to grow and maintain high level coaching certification training. In 2013, 223 people took the instructor course alone

GOAL #3 & 4: Encourage and support volunteerism at the provincial, regional and local levels. Ensure accountability and relevancy of OTA programs and services

• We encourage all member clubs to send representatives to the OTA's 2013 AGM to be held on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at the Rexall Centre player's lounge. Along with the business portion of the meeting, we will be having our official launch of the Raise the Net program and provide details in the form of a group breakout session. Stay tuned for more information. Highlights of last year's AGM can be viewed on YouTube
• Our volunteer policy along with background check guidelines will be published this year and will be made available to member clubs
• Recognizing volunteers in our community continues to be a top priority. Clubs can call the office directly to get award certificates printed to present to club volunteers in recognition of their outstanding contributions. As well, Distinguished Service Award applications will be accepted until the end of April, so please take the time to submit your special candidate. If chosen, they, with close family and friends by their side, will be honoured at a banquet in October at the Toronto Cricket Club. Highlights of last year's event can be viewed on YouTube
• The Council of Provinces (COP), of which OTA is a member, will continue to work co-operatively with Tennis Canada to align our plans and programs for the betterment of tennis across Canada. With the recent announcement of TC's new CEO, Kelly Murumets, we at the OTA are especially excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead for both organizations.

Fall Update

In the Region

Each fall is a time when all the community tennis clubs wrap up their summer programming and hold their own AGMs to set the stage for organizing business come next spring. Likewise, the OTA regions also hold their AGMs and invite the regional club president's to attend this important meeting to confirm the regional committee volunteers for next year and also get updated on regional budgets, accomplishments and plans for the next year. As President of the OTA, I try to attend as many of these events as possible to thank all the volunteers and reflect on the year that was and the year that will be in 2014.

Annual NYTA Member Appreciation BBQ Oct 25

Two such activities occurred first on Oct 25th with NYTA's second annual president's appreciation social, held at the NYTA South bubble in Bond Park. The theme again was Halloween and even more attendees dressed up (and even played) in their favourite scary costume (see picture below and more on our facebook page). Their AGM will follow shortly.

My second regional AGM just attended happened on Nov 16 for the Scarborough Tennis Federation. STF President Dianne Weatherby and her board presented summaries of all activity over this past year. Of particular interest was the discussion around court resurfacing. There are a handful of resurfacers out there and not all are created equal. STF clubs have had some issues in the past with poor workmanship. Some municipalities share in the cost of this resurfacing with the clubs (as STF does), and others don't. Court resurfacing can cost anywhere from $7,000 for simple crack repairs and colour coating, to $40,000 for a full reconstruction. We provide some contacts on our website, but it's always best to call Jay Neill to get some advice first. We may also put together an education seminar at the OTA's AGM next April 11th that covers the key aspects of resurfacing and what questions to ask.



Dustin Sexton reviews Junior Development at the STF AGM on Nov 16

A new executive was voted in and I'm happy to say that Dianne will again be returning as STF President with some new faces to the mix.



Distinguished Service Awards

The Distinguished Service Award is the Ontario Tennis Association’s highest honour. On October 26th, this honour went out to three very special individuals. All three were being recognized for their contribution to tennis over many, many years: Sheila Hunt and Erica Gilbert from Leaside Tennis Club, and Rob Dawson from North Bay Tennis Club.



DSA Recipients Sheila Hunt, Rob Dawson & Erica Gilbert

It is important to point out that all our DSA recipients are volunteers. Their commitment to tennis and their community is an inspiration to volunteers in clubs throughout the province. Sheila and I met for the first time at the awards ceremony. She spoke so fondly of her time at Leaside and her emotional first meeting with her late husband John. Rob and I had never met in person before but I had spoken to him in the past about how to promote tennis at the club level, what programming is the most effective and what will grow the membership base over time. I've always appreciated his insight. Erica and I first met back in August at the Vancouver Lawn. I was officiating at the senior nationals and she came by to visit some friends and we had a nice chat. What a beautiful lady she is, both inside and out. And if you watch the video of her speech, she has quite a sense of humour to boot!

Gala Dinner Fundraiser



ED Jim Boyce with Team Ontario Gold Medalists KK, Ayan, Marie and Raheel

The OTA had another successful fundraiser on Nov 9th with our Gala Dinner in support of Junior Development. From the amazing balloon tennis players, Ed Morton's piano playing, to the fantastic buffet dining and the draw prizes, those who attended were not disappointed. Our specials guests were Team Ontario who won gold at this year's Canada Summer Games. Managers Tyler Prescott and Kirsten (KK) Magi along with players Maria Patrascu, Ayan Broomfield and Raheel Manji were highlighted for the evening with a short Q&A. Over $14,000 was raised through dinner ticket sales and individual donations. Many thanks to all the volunteers involved in organizing this event, and to the guests who attended the dinner. More pictures of the Gala can be found on our Facebook Page

Concurrent with this fundraiser was the U9 Champions tournament being held at Tennis Canada's Centre of Excellence. This inaugural tournament would not have been possible without the generous donation from Murray Rubin and his wife Roda. Forty boys and thirty-two girls participated in the final weekend showdown, and four young players were honoured at a final award presentation made on the Sunday afternoon. A feature article was published in the Hamilton Scores paper. Full results can be found on the OTA's website, with more pictures posted on our Facebook Page.





 

It's all Greek to Me

My wife and I were fortunate enough to have spent some time in September traveling the Mediterranean, including the town of Cofu, Greece. Besides the beautiful palaces and picturesque West Coast, Corfu as a four court tennis club smack in the centre of town (apparently part of a large network of courts here)! This particular one has a carpet-like surface similar to artificial turf, something I haven't seen before. They hold a number of junior ITF tournaments and have a large spectator area. Mornings are reserved for public rental and this particular afternoon, the courts were empty but inside their clubhouse an elderly gentlemen was watching the US Open final on TV. I met the Club Manager, who couldn't speak any English, but he was kind enough to show us around the property. What a beautiful setting in a beautiful town. Next time you're visiting Corfu, check out this historical gem!






Outside the entrance to Corfu T.C., established 1896

Scott with Corfu's Club Manager

OTA Gala Dinner Nov 9, 2013
There has already been a fair bit of communication on this Gala Dinner being held at the Cricket Club in Toronto, so I won't repeat all the information here. At $200 per plate, I know many look at this as simply a very expensive night they can't justify. I get it. Under normal circumstances I would not pay that kind of money for a dinner out. But remember, this is much more than a dinner. If you believe in growing tennis in Ontario and you believe the juniors of today deserve our support, then please reconsider attending. Will the honouring some of the many juniors who have worked hard and are making an impact on the tennis scene. And who knows, there may be the next Milos or Genie in the making in the near future! If you can't attend, then please consider donating directly to our junior program through OTA's Tennis Matters initiative. You get a tax receipt for $125 on every dinner ticket purchased, and a receipt on the full amount donated directly to tennis matters. Either way, you can't lose!

The pictures below illustrate a great example of a junior who started playing at the early age of seven. I met Victor Krustev when I was running several regional tournaments for North Central in the summer of 2006 at Markham Tennis Club. His coach at the time, Marina, brought him and his brother Christian to these and many other tournaments to give them practice and to get exposure to competitive play. This is one of the key foundations of the OTA system - the more play and competitive exposure they have at an early age, the more they will improve. No one can predict if a player will have that "magic" something necessary to make it to the big times, but if there are enough "Victors" in Ontario who play often and are given many playing opportunities with a variety of competitors, hopefully we'll see more going pro in the future. Simply put, dollars raised through OTA's fundraising efforts help Victor and other young kids like him achieve their dreams.

In the case of Victor, he has now been invited by Tennis Canada to attend the National Training Centre in Montreal full time! I saw that spark in Victor when he was seven, and now he has the opportunity to go to the next level in this great sport. What an accomplishment. Congratulations to Victor and all the aspiring young players.








Victor Krustev with Jet Lee-Bent at OTA's 2010 Fundraiser
Victor will be attending the Montreal NTC full time in fall 2013!



Victor playing an U12 event in 2006!

Rogers Cup and More Regional News

Where do I start. July and August have been crazy months for tennis in this province and I've tried to touch as many events as possible. I think I'll start with the latest events, that of both Rogers Cup (WTA) in Toronto, and Coupe Rogers (ATP) in Montreal, and then discuss Ontario Open/Roman Cup, COP activity and some regional news.

Aug 4-8, 2013 - Rogers Cup WTA


Genie Bouchard being Interviewed

On Sunday, Aug 4, I spent the day as line umpire finishing up the qualifying rounds for the women in Toronto. I then hit the courts again Aug 6-8 calling lines for the main draw matches. This year was especially exciting as I was assigned to cover both the grandstand and centre court for Wed and Thurs matches. What a thrill that was! Being that close to the likes of Li, Bartoli, Fichman, Jankovic, Ivanovic, Wozniacki, Kvitova, Stephens, Radwanska and Bouchard was pretty special. I felt pretty good as I was only over-ruled once during my time on court and I had one very close call that was confirmed correct by the hawk-eye. I know tickets sales tend to be lower when women are in town, but by all accounts, I thought the draw was pretty exceptional and our own Canadian women generated some pretty exciting momentum going into the tournament. Tennis Canada provided for the first time some special player access for Premium ticket holders. This included Q&A sessions and photo ops with players like Serena Williams and legends Billy Jean King and Monica Seles (who played an exhibition doubles match on the Monday night). TC even brought in Pete Sampras and Johnny Mac for some additional exhibition matches over the finals weekend.

Unfortunately our own  Genie Bouchard didn't make it far into the tournament, winning her first match against Alisa Kleybanova and then falling to sixth ranked Petra Kvitova. Also unfortunate was the fate of France's Marion Bartoli playing against Magdalena Rybarikova on the grandstand. I had just started my shift at the start of the second set, when Marion quickly retired during her service game with an abdominal injury. No sooner did she move on to the Cincinnati tournament when
she announced her retirement from tennis due to ongoing physical pain and injuries.



Monica Seles with OTA Past President Michel Lecavalier

OTA Presidents' Day (Aug 5)
This is the 8th year the OTA has been holding this event and we always get great attendance, especially since it is held on the holiday Monday. Club executives from about 90 member clubs attended this year (200+ participants) and it is our way of recognizing the hard work of all the volunteers in the province. A continental breakfast was served, followed by some short updates from myself and ED Jim Boyce. In particular, we are proud to say that due to the strong support by the NYTA and Ottawa regions, our club membership grew by about 10%, to 240 clubs (from 220). That represents over 36,000 adult players and 14,000 junior players. A full 70% of our member clubs are seasonal community clubs which are run by a strong volunteer base. Photos from the day can be found on our Facebook Page.


Aug 9-11 - Coupe Rogers ATP

I was off to Montreal over the weekend to not only attend meetings with Tennis Canada and the Council of Provinces (COP), but to witness history in the making. Who could have planned a better outcome than to have two Canadians play in the semis, and have a Canadian play in the finals! Check out the OTA's Youtube channel to view three videos taken showing all the Milos, Vasek and Rafa fans in Montreal.



Tennis Alberta President Glen Scott and I toast Milos for making Canadian's proud

Alas I think nerves got to both Vasek and Milos as they weren't playing up to their usual high standards during this event. Regardless, we are proud of all our Canadian players and know they will continue to improve with each new tournament.

On a lighter note, one incident sticks out in my mind - it was when Rafa exited the stadium after winning the final against Milos. As he started signing autographs, a star-struck young lady wanted to get a picture with him but kept fumbling with her iphone camera. Rafa began to laugh, ran out of patience and simply took the phone from her hands, set it into camera mode and took the picture for her! Priceless.


Council of Provinces (COP) Meets during Coupe Rogers

The COP meet about four times a year to discuss business of mutual interest between the provinces and Tennis Canada. Meeting in person during Coupe Rogers gives all of us a chance to interact and share issues and concerns. Two particular items I'd like to share because they came as a direct result of the province's good working relationship with Tennis Canada and our desire to encourage better communication and transparency.

 

The first is the publication of a new High Performance Handbook on Tennis Canada's website (look under Programs ... High Performance, Resources and Policies). The handbook has had extensive input from the COP and from various coaches and includes sections on key HP programs, policies and support available. The handbook is not a static document and will be updated as changes and enhancements to programs and policies are made. Thanks to Hatem McDadi, Debbie Kirkwood and the entire HP team for spearheading this.

 

The second is a new US College Recruiting Guide to supplement information on the TC website (under Programs ... US College Tennis). Tennis Canada’s College Program helps Canadian players obtain university scholarships that fit their academic, athletic, social and environmental goals and needs. The handbook brings together all the important information for parents and players to better plan their pathway for future athletic and educational opportunities.

 

Ontario Open & Roman Cup

Once again the Ontario Open and Roman Cup took place July 31 to August 5 in Ottawa at the Rideau Club and the Ottawa Athletic Club (OAC). This year the junior Roman Cup event grew to 190 unique entrants (well above 2012 numbers) because this is the first year it became a Rogers National Qualifier event. Thursday evening was a fundraiser Pro-Am event followed by dinner and silent auction. On Wednesday night, Jim Boyce (OTA's Executive Director) and I attended a meeting with a number of new OTA-member club presidents to gather feedback on services being provided. We also had the Ottawa Parks and Rec manager Ward Cosman there as well as NCTA president Sean Sweeney. A special visit by Peter Bedard from Tennis Canada provided the group an update on the Little Aces program which will be launched in 2014 in a number of Ottawa communities. Thanks to all the staff at Rideau and OAC as well as the OTA staff and officials for making this event another tremendous success!



Mike Cowpland, Dale Power, Marlen Cowpland, Jim Boyce & Anke Magnus at Roman Cup Pro-Am



Charlottetown Tennis Club Celebrates 40 Years

 

Charlottetown Tennis Club in Scarborough celebrated their 40th anniversary on Sunday, July 14th with some tennis, a potluck and visit from councillor Ron Moeser. The club was founded in 1973 and is a member of the STF and OTA. They have three outdoor, lit tennis courts. Shown below is STF president Dianne Weatherby (sitting) with Ron Moeser on the left.

 

 

 





Rainy Days of Summer

No summer is the same, and this year we are being teased with hot, humid weather interspersed with downright heavy rainfall and monsoon flooding. My lawn and garden still look great, especially for this time of year, but the interruptions on the court have been frustrating at times, yet did not put a damper on some of this summer's highlights so far:

Cleves
Let's start with my trip to one of my favourite summer vacation spots, Clevelands House. Every year at the end of June they hold a special "Super Camp Tennis Week" for anyone interested in polishing their game and getting a great workout. This year, new tennis director Gary Ingram, did not disappoint the 12-16 who attended the week. My wife and I love to go because we see many of the same faces year after year and it gives us a chance to catch up and enjoy the social time, the tennis time and the great food. From the Monday to the Sunday we had about 26 hours of instruction and doubles round-robin time on the court. Every aspect of our game was covered, from doubles strategy to volleys, overheads, forehands, backhands and serves. Many thanks go out to Gary and his guest pros Mark, Eric, Maddy and Milena for putting together such a great combination of exercises and drills and fun round robins over the week. Luckily the rain didn't cause too much of a problem.



Cleves Tennis Bootcamp Group


Junior Provincials at Kew
Another successful close to the annual Junior Outdoor Provincials held across various sites from Jun 24 to July 6. I was one of four officials roving the courts for the U12 and U16 age groups at Kew Gardens for the second week of matches, and I always enjoy seeing the new up-and-coming faces of tennis at the U12 level and of course all the familiar players in the U16 category. This tournament is one of the toughest to officiate because the days are typically long (8am start, 5-6pm finish) and the temperatures are very hot. Standing on court for 8 hours a day in 30C+ weather is no picnic, and if you're one of the players, a two-hour match can be brutal. We did get some reprieve on Thursday and Friday, as the rain set in and we headed for Veneto an Mayfair Parkway to complete many of the matches. Congratulations to all the players for participating and being so well behaved!

Cooper Challenge
If you've never been to the Waterloo Tennis Club, I highly recommend a visit in the near future. My wife and I ventured out that way on July 7 to see some of the final round action on centre court. The club is beautiful, with 6 Har-Tru clay courts and a permanent bubble housing another 6 hardcourts, with a quaint balcony overlooking centre court. It was our first time there, having been invited by our new friends Ken and Norah Rae, who are one of a number of Gold sponsors for the event. It has grown over the years to a $50K ITF Pro Circuit event, thanks to the support of all the sponsors. The rain threatened to delay the match that morning, so the final was started earlier at 11am, but once finished, the sun came out for the early afternoon and then heavy storms came in later that afternoon. Unfortunately, Sharon Fichman, who has won the last two years, lost in the semis to fellow Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski. Gabriela gave it her all in the finals but was no match for #2 seed Julia Glushko of Israel.

View from the Balcony