Summertime Catchup

Sorry to those who have been following my blog as I've been slow in providing more regular updates. This summer has been very busy with OTA activities and other non-tennis distractions (yes, my honey-do list does need some attention as well). Let me begin ...

Ontario Open / Roman Cup

The last few years I've been attending the kickoff to the Ontario Open and Roman Cup in Ottawa, which runs July 30 to Aug 4. This year we had record entries in all junior age categories; literally hundreds of kids descend on the Rideau Tennis Club to participate in this tournament. On the Wednesday night Jim Boyce and I attended a President's seminar arranged specifically for the OTA member clubs in Ottawa. Also there to give a presentation on our new Raise-the-Net program was manager Sahaj Jayanth and local Ottawa OTA regional manager John Wins-Purdy. What has happened here over the last couple of years has been truly amazing. From only a handful of clubs with little interest in what the OTA offered, to 14 clubs with a large commitment to build strong programming. The Ottawa region is now the envy of regional clubs in Ontario, with programs like Raise-the-Net, Little Aces, and Capital Kids which provides free tennis lessons to kids in under-served and less fortunate neighborhoods around Ottawa. In total the funding amounts to over $300K for the next 3 years, with on the ground support by John and his team. Club Presidents who attended were very pleased with all the support and recognize the value these programs bring to their community.

OTA Executive Director Jim Boyce with my wife Kim

Raise-the-Net and the Thunder Bay Tennis Club

Speaking of Raise-the-Net, the engagement so far has been very positive. Sahaj has been making a number of visits around the GTA and beyond, promoting the Long Term Athletic Development (LTAD) model  and how it best fits with community club programming, providing advice on all aspects of club operations and much more. Mark Piovesana, President of Thunder Bay T.C. had a very successful fundraising event in support of junior tennis, running for 24 hours  straight from July 18-19 and used OTA's Raise-the-Net services to help attract more involvement from the community. They raise a few thousand dollars to purchase kids tennis equipment and instruction. They are also working hard toward raising funds for an indoor facility down the road so lots going on there.

Little Aces Ramps up in Ottawa and Scarborough

Both Ottawa and Scarborough had successful Little Aces launches recently. John handled the one in Ottawa on April 23 with about 200 kids attending at the Tennis Centre West Ottawa, (watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nx5OegQMxM). A big thanks also goes out to STF regional chair Dianne Weatherby and her team for the successful launch of their Family Fun Festival, on June 28 in the parking lot of L'Amoreaux Tennis Centre, over 250 kids in attendance (Check out pictures at http://www.tenniscores.com/newindex.php?newid=0dgPSWd9Ky4%3D). The launch represents the start for introducing League play for young children using the progressive tennis system: smaller racquets, larger/softer balls, smaller court size. This program was developed by Tennis Canada and has been successful in other communities across Canada. In fact, a Minor and Teen league program guide should be available for all our community clubs shortly that will guide them in setting up their own League play for kids up to age 17. When ready it will be posted on the Raise-the-Net resource centre which can be accessed via the Raise-the-Net website.

OTA Presidents' Day 2014



Q&A with guest ATP player Brayden Schnur

It has been nine years of tradition to hold a special Presidents' Day event on the opening Monday of Rogers Cup, and this year was no different, with over 200 people attending, representing 100+ member clubs. This year we were delighted to have Tennis Canada's President and CEO Kelly Murumets address the group (CLICK HERE for the video), followed by a special Q&A with up-and-coming ATP player, Canadian Brayden Schnur (CLICK HERE for the video). Brayden played many OTA tournaments as a youth and now attends the University of North Carolina. There is a great 2-part interview with Brayden posted in ONCOURT, well worth reading: Part 1, and Part 2. At the end of the interview I predicted he would become a top 10 ATP player...no pressure Brayden, we wish you great success!



Rogers Cup ATP 2014



Catching up with Roger at the Lindt chocolate tent

Rogers Cup is always a busy time for me because I usually spend half the week as a line umpire on court, following by the last half of the week involved with Tennis Canada and the Council of Provinces (COP). The COP always meet as a group wherever the men are playing, so this year they all traveled from their home provinces to Toronto for three days of meetings and enjoyed some top tennis. I must say I do have the best seat in the house when I'm on court with these great players. This year I was lucky enough to be in the presence of: Bernard Tomic, Brayden Schnur, Marcel Granollers, Donald Young, Frank Dancevic, Gilles Simon, Dominic Thiem, Andy Murray (on centre court!), Nick Kyrgios, Jeremy Chardy,  Marin Cilic, Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

On the work side, I met with a great cast of coaches and tennis academy owners for an OTA Player Development Committee meeting (chaired by our own VP of PD, Tom Kern). Also attending from Tennis Canada were Debbie Kirkwood, director of High Performance as well as TC CEO Kelly Murumets and VP of Tennis Development Hatem McDadi. Bar none one of the best meetings I've attended. Not only did I learn a lot more about the competitive structure, I found there was a very good respect for opinions and ideas. The goal has always been to find ways to improve the competitive structure in Ontario and I think the group is well on their way of accomplishing that.

On the COP side, we discussed many issues of common interest with Tennis Canada, and I believe cooperation and communication is steadily improving, even more so under the direction of Kelly. All in all a fantastic week of great tennis and productive dialogue with those who are passionate about the game of tennis and wish to prove that what we have going in Canada right now is no fluke.



 



L-R: OTA President Scott Fraser, Tennis Canada President & CEO Kelly Murumets, OTA ED Jim Boyce
 and OTA Past President Michel Lecavalier

Sunshine Project Shines on Final Weekend

It's not often the OTA experience such high calibre energy and professionalism while working a joint project. When Carolynna Gabriel came to us over a year ago with a request to support her Trillium application, we saw something in her that tweaked our interest. Her passion and energy is unbounded and she continues to pursue this idea that tennis can be opened up to all youth, not just those who can afford it. The Sunshine Project was born and officially launched on March 22 at West Humber Collegiate Institute and has never looked back. What a fitting tribute to an outstanding first year that the closing ceremonies be held at the very place it started.



L-R: Youth coach Camisha, Pomme, Carolynna and Scott enjoy closing ceremonies
at West Humber C.I.

Using OTA's expertise and long-standing excellent reputation in communities across Ontario, Carolynna and her team at Wilmington Tennis Group were able to secure a Trillium grant to run a three-year program that will run each spring for about 6 weeks, providing subsidized tennis lessons for kids age 6-12 in a number of lower-income neighborhoods. After completing her inaugural year, the project has managed to attract almost 300 new kids to the sport, and with the help of KidSport Ontario, many of those kids will be able to continue their enjoyment of tennis through free membership at a number of community clubs in the surrounding area.

This project has one of the strongest collection of partners I have seen in a long time, thanks to Carolynna's perseverance. This includes the City of Toronto, the Ontario Tennis Association, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart foundation, Tennis Canada and Pine Point Tennis Club. After the ceremonies I had a chance to speak with Canadian Tire Jumpstart employee engagement manager Freida Rubletz. She has worked with a lot of sports organizations over the years and was extremely impressed with the way this project came together from the very beginning.

Thanks to all the sponsors L-R: School Trustee John Hastings, Richard Crowell, Trillium volunteer Derek Nighbor.
Front Row L-R: Councillor Vincent Crisanti, Carolynna, JJ, Jumpstart manager Freida Rubletz , Rimzy and Scott

One last story I really need to share is that of father and son duo Richard and Noah. It is a story I hear all too often, but at the same time it is so inspiring. Richard tells me "I raised (Noah) alone in Toronto, Canada without any other family since he was 16 months old.  He started to be involved in tennis since he was 3 or 4.  He has passion for tennis but need more training and practice". He goes on to praise Carolynna and her team, "He makes friends on the court.  That is one of reasons I have been so grateful to Carolynna and her team for creating an opportunity for kids like my son."

Richard explained to me that because of his son's excitement with the whole program, he himself has started to play tennis as part of a family sport. Richard used to play in China and had long forgotten about the sport. When Li Na came on the circuit, he said it changed everything. They got inspired again and are now looking forward to continuing their love of the game. He goes on to say, "I feel motivated to re-pick up rackets and perspire on the tennis court too.  It is good for physical and mental health."

Richard, I couldn't have said it better myself!

Thanks to dad Richard and son Noah for sharing their
tennis story with me!

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!