2015 Rogers Rookie Tour Schedule

The indoor Rogers Roger Tour season wrapped up last
Friday at Taylor Tennis in Winnipeg.  

The 2015 Rogers Rookie Tour schedule for Manitoba is now available.

The Rogers Rookie Tour events create a player-friendly environment for children to be introduced to competition at a level suitable for their age and understanding. The matches are played with slower red, orange or green balls on smaller courts, using modified scoring. It is a fun way to start tennis and makes it easy for children to play the game, develop good technique and tactics and a love for the sport.

Get more details at www.tennismanitoba.com

Community centers spring into tennis programming

Tennis Manitoba has partnered with Winnipeg area community
centers to offer beginner, intermediate and exercise programs.

Looking to play more tennis at a community center near you? 

Several community centers in Winnipeg have partnered with Tennis Manitoba this spring to offer a variety of tennis programs for various ages and skill levels. Whether you have played before, are looking to improve your game, or just want some fun exercise, there is a program for you.

The spring evening sessions start the second week in May and run for eight weeks. The program fee is $60, where participants can choose from beginner or intermediate FUNdamentals programs, or take part in Cardio tennis to get a high energy aerobic workout. 

Participating locations include Corydon Community Centre, Linden Woods Community Centre, Notre Dame Community Centre, Riverview Community Centre, Valley Gardens Community Centre, and Windsor Community Centre. 

For additional information visit tennismanitoba.com/community/communitycenters.html 

See also: Norwood Kids Team Tennis, Norwood Wheelchair Tennis Program

Clinic introduces elementary students to tennis

Carman Elementary students enjoyed their introductory tennis lessons from Tennis Manitoba instructor Marlon Goldburn. Here, he talks to them about safety and the importance of not waving your racket around when you don't need to.

Courtesty of Emily Distefano, The Carman Valley Leader

Carman Elementary School students were treated to a 2-day tennis clinic last week.

CES’s physical education specialist Gordon Stobbe found out through Tennis Manitoba that they were offering school clinics as a way to introduce grassroots tennis to communities, and he thought it would be a great opportunity for Carman kids.

“I think that tennis can be a lifetime sport and it’s a great way for kids just to try a new skill,” he said. “We’ve got wonderful tennis courts that we don’t see an awful lot of kids on, so maybe this will be a seed-planting opportunity.”

Marlon Goldburn, a community development manager at Tennis Manitoba, came out on April 15 and 16 to teach students in grade one through six the fundamentals of the game.

“My goal in going around to communities like this is to plant that seed, to do my part for the Sport for Life model and add another notch of physical literacy to the kids’ knowledge base. And to help grow the general tennis population,” he said.

Progressive tennis model

He explained that Tennis Manitoba uses a progressive tennis model that includes modified equipment like smaller rackets, low-bounce balls, and mini nets.

“Fortunately for kids in this era, there is what we call progressive tennis equipment, like balls that bounce slower,” he said. “So they allow the kids to get to them and they’re not just hitting a green ball that a pro would use and spending half a day chasing it. It’s more constructive play.”

As players learn more skills, they can move up to more advanced equipment.

Stobbe would like to make the tennis clinic an annual event, and he is planning to add tennis to the physical education curriculum at CES next year.

“I want to add a tennis unit based on age and appropriateness and we want to have more tennis lessons introduced into our physical education curriculum,” he said.

He noted that Sport Manitoba provided some of the funding for the clinic, and the Manitoba Phys. Ed. Teachers Association gave the school a grant for some extra equipment.

Winter Club kicks off 2014 Rogers Rookie Tour

Join the fun at the Winnipeg Winter Club’s Rogers Rookie Tour, February 22-23

Goal: The goal of this tournament is to stress fundamentals and to introduce players in a positive way to tennis. A focus will on sportsmanship and fair play.

Participants: The participants should have the ability to rally 2 balls back over the net. If a player can do this he or she is ready for this tournament.

Format: The skills competition and tournament will be played on ½ court and ¾ court.

Dates / Times: Sat. Feb. 22 from 7-8:30 pm & Sun. Feb.23 from 8:30-11 am

Location: Winnipeg Winter Club, 200 River Avenue, Winnipeg, MB

Outline: Participants will training in friendly skill competitions Saturday night and at the start of the Sunday morning session. A Round Robin Tournament will follow. Matches will be based on time.

Cost: $40 (or $20 for just the Sunday portion)

Stuff: All participants will receive a t-shirt, a water bottle, gym bag and a certificate.

To register or to inquire about anything contact Robert Kennedy at 204-297-4020 or rfkennedy61@gmail.com

See also: Rogers Rookie Tour

Local’s love of tennis rejuvenates sport at Norwood

Tennis instructor Brian Pound with some of the many kids who
attended a recent tennis camp through the Norwood Tennis Program.

By Adriano Magnifico, The Lance / Canstar Community News

The Norwood Tennis Program is in the midst of a huge resurgence. By the end of August, over 180 kids will have participated in its Norwood Community Centre Tennis Camps.

The popular camps focus on tennis, but include all kinds of sports and games, followed by a daily afternoon swim at the Norwood Flood Bowl pool. Wheelchair tennis players also participate.

Not long ago, the Norwood shale courts were a drab, deteriorating, weedy mess due to years of poor maintenance and lack of interest from the neighbourhood.

The once successful and busy courts needed a new champion.

Then along came Norwood Flats resident Brian Pound, whose commitment and tennis savvy turned the rapidly declining courts into one of Winnipeg’s tennis hubs.

Brian, an avid tennis player from Australia, immigrated to Winnipeg in 1992 and settled in the Flats with his family in 1997. He was disappointed that his neighbourhood courts had been left to ruin. He was determined to do something about it.

In 2007, he approached the Norwood Community Centre Board with a plan to restore the courts and create a viable tennis program for the community. With enthusiastic support from the board of directors, Brian secured over $100,000 in grants from the city, province and the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres.

The Board requested a maintenance-free space, so asphalt was the way to go. Brian added colourful eye-catching Plexipave coatings that ensured durability and a better ball bounce.

Abandoning those shale courts was tough, even though they required much maintenance — weeding, dragging and watering the shale were daily labours. Folks from the early days talk fondly about that unique clay court tennis experience.

In our era of video games and smartphones, he believes that tennis is a great way to hook youth into being more active. "I want to expose kids to tennis in the hope that they become lifelong players. It’s fun, affordable and great exercise. "

Brian also offers progressive tennis programming for children of all ages. The tennis camps offer smaller courts along with different-sized balls and racquets for developing bodies and skill levels to ensure that players have success and enjoy the game immediately.

Mark Arndt, executive director of Tennis Manitoba, says while the sorry state of some city courts may be "driving people from the sport," Brian’s Norwood model offers a powerful exemplar for building tennis interest and participation in a local community.

He also knows that Brian is the driving force behind Norwood’s success. "Brian is an energetic, enthusiastic visionary for the sport. He is a champion in the tennis community," he said.

Check out http://www.norwoodcc.ca/sports/tennis for drop-in dates and times and more information about this emerging Norwood sport.

Kids tennis development camp coming to Winnipeg

Tennis Manitoba is hosting a two day advanced tennis development camp for children 10 years of age and under which will take place at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club, July 22-23. The camp is intended for children previously exposed to the sport, who can rally on a full size court. The sessions will be led by two of Canada's leading experts in junior tennis player development. There is no fee for participants.

For additional details, please contact Tennis Manitoba at (204) 925-5660.

> Contact Tennis Manitoba

Kids team tennis leagues to start January

Kids tennis leagues will be starting up again this January at several locations throughout Winnipeg. The leagues are for children ages 12 years and under who are new to tennis. Participants can play right away due to the modified tennis format which uses slower balls, smaller courts, and right sized racquets.

Kids team tennis league details

• Tennis experience is not required
• Modified tennis equipment is provided
• Kids will be placed on a team with a coach
• League sessions also include practices
• Kids earn points for their team
• All participants receive a T-shirt and modified ball.

The Tennis Manitoba kids tennis leagues offer children the opportunity to develop their individual and team tennis skills in a fun, yet competitive atmosphere. For more information or to register, visit tennismanitoba.com/aces

Rogers Rookie Tour visits WWC

The Winnipeg Winter Club hosted a Rogers Rookie Tour this past Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. 14 kids played in this fun event for new junior tennis players. The event was a great success.

The Rogers Rookie Tour is an entry level competitive program designed to provide the novice player with a fun competitive experience. It provides juniors 4+ an opportunity to play in competitions which guarantees multiple matches.

Tour Highlights

• Boys and girls aged 4+ eligible to participate.
• All events are non-elimination tournaments for new tennis youngsters with multiple opportunities to play regardless of result.
• Positive learning environment to develop and display tennis and sportsmanship skills while competing against a variety of opponents.
• Each participant receives a Gift Bag care of Rogers!

For more information about Rogers Rookie Tours and the next event, please visit tennismanitoba.com/aces

Community Fundamentals Instructors Course

Tennis Manitoba is offering a Community Fundamentals Instructors Level 1 course in October. The course details are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2012
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Place: Winnipeg Winter Club
Cost: $25

The course focuses on teaching and running tennis programs in school gyms and community centres. People who hold this certificate will be eligible to work in Tennis Manitoba After School Programs, Community Centre Programs, and other community based programs. It is not necessary to be a tennis player to take this course.

For more information or to register, please email Rob Langan at rob@tennismanitoba.com or 204.925.5660.

Back to school, back to indoor tennis fun!

Photo of Winnipeg interschool tennis league
courtesy of Derek Bramadat.

Tennis Manitoba (TM) has been working vigorously to prepare for the start of a new school year and season of indoor tennis.

This involves training additional community instructors for Progressive Tennis and team play, developing community contacts and networks, and applying for school gymnasium permits for extra programming. Most importantly, TM is building on previous years experience and creating a school/community/business partnership program to help facilitate community clusters (which includes local clubs) of year-long tennis, and a pathway of learning and fun. A flux and flow of school programming to community programming to club programming is the goal. It’s exciting to see recreational tennis activity as well as those who catch a true love of  the sport and begin training with high level coaches.

Championing a fun healthy active lifestyle, community connections, affordability and accessibility positions tennis as a wonderful option for families. Age and level appropriate development through the use of Progressive Tennis accelerates the ability to play the game. And team play ensures extra hitting, tactical development and fun with friends. We are keen to introduce families to tennis at a grassroots levels and see play flourish all year. If you would like to see a community cluster and partnerships grow in your area, please give us a shout! You may reach Rob Langan, Manager of Community Tennis Development, via  rob@tennismanitoba.com or 204.925.5660. You may also visit www.tennismantioba.com for a listing of TM member clubs to begin to discover the programming they offer.

This is an excerpt from the August 2012 issue of the Tennis Manitoba 1st Serve magazine.

Great start for rookies

Robert Kennedy with Rogers Rookie Tour players.

The Rogers Rookie Tour got off to a good start on May 27th at the Winnipeg Winter Club. Robert Kennedy guided the 16 participants in half-court, ¾ court and full court play to expand their court awareness, hand-eye co-ordination, familiarity with the ball, striking the ball, and introduction to competition.

Don’t miss out as the Rogers Rookie Tour continues on Saturday, June 16th at the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club. Please contact the club at (204) 475-6549 to register.

See also 2012 Rogers Rookie Tour Manitoba

2012 Manitoba Rogers Rookie Tour

The highly anticipated Manitoba Rogers Rookie Tour returns to action this Sunday, May 27th at the Winnipeg Winter Club. Tournament director, Robert Kennedy, will place a major focus on introducing players to a friendly, fun competition in an effort to place a positive experience in the minds of our future tennis stars.

The tournament will run a half and three quarter court session from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. The full court and full court transition aspect of the tournament will begin at 10:30 am and run until 12 noon. 

This is a great event to start a love and passion for tennis that can last for a lifetime. 

To register, contact Robert Kennedy at (204) 297-4020 or email at rfkennedy61@gmail.com. 

See you on the courts!

Milos Raonic is the new ambassador for Kids' Tennis

Tennis Canada launches public service campaign to promote tennis among youth

Tennis Canada announced Thursday the launch of a new campaign to promote the active, healthy living of children through the sport of tennis. Canada’s No. 1 singles player and world No. 26 Milos Raonic will be the ambassador for Kids’ Tennis, a scaled-down version of the sport that ensures earlier success for children by using modified racquets, balls and nets.

Also known as Progressive Tennis, Kids’ Tennis is used as a tool to attract young children to the game and allow them to improve their overall tennis skills faster so they can transition to the regular court with more success, fun and ease.

“Getting more kids playing the sport of tennis in Canada is extremely important to me,” said Raonic. “I hope that my recent success and results on the ATP World Tour will help to inspire more people to pick up a racquet. But they also need to know there are now easier ways for their children to learn the sport with this smaller equipment that is tailored to suit their abilities. That’s what I’m hoping these public service announcements will accomplish.”

The campaign will roll out in the form of two public service announcements with supporting print elements aimed at raising awareness and encouraging participation. Raonic made himself available for both the TV and print creative development which was shot over a full day at the Hollyburn Country Club in Vancouver early during the week of Davis Cup in February.

“A key priority for Tennis Canada is to increase participation, particularly in the under 12 demographic,” said Hatem McDadi, vice-president, tennis development, Tennis Canada. “Kids’ Tennis is our version of tee-ball or mini-soccer in that it is an introductory format that helps teach children the fundamentals of the sport, but on a smaller scale, so they have success which translates to fun. Milos is a great ambassador for Canadian tennis. Having him support Kids’ Tennis means so much as he is a role model for our future stars.”

Developed by Toronto ad agency Bensimon Byrne, the public service announcements take a humorous approach using role reversal where Raonic, the 6’5” ATP World Tour star, has difficultly playing Kids’ Tennis against a young girl. The spots will begin airing this coming weekend on Sportsnet ONE during the final of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami and will run continuously on several stations throughout the summer.





To learn more about Kids’ Tennis or to order equipment please visit www.lovemeansnothing.ca/progressivetennis.