Tennis Opportunities for Juniors in Manitoba

Rogers FIRST SET TOUR – rookie

The Rogers First Set Tour – Rookie is a national program designed to bridge the gap between entry-level tennis and the provincial competitive junior circuit. Originally launched in 2009, the tour has reached thousands of juniors each year at tennis clubs and community venues throughout the country. Last year over 6,000 boys and girls across the country competed in over 450 events.

The Rogers First Set Tour – Rookie encourages players to continue through the tennis pathway to transition to sanctioned competition or enjoy tennis for life.

Boys and girls up to the age of 18 are eligible to play in Rogers First Set Tour – Rookie events. All Rookie events are non-elimination tournaments. These events offer beginner competitors a fun and exciting experience with multiple opportunities to play. Each player is guaranteed a minimum of three matches.

Rogers FIRST SET TOUR – RISING STARS

The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars provides young Canadian tennis players (ages 7 to 10) with an opportunity to play competitive tennis in a fun environment. Last year approximately 1,000 boys and girls across the country competed in almost 400 events. Rising Stars tournaments are the perfect opportunity for young tennis players to improve their skills and make new friends. The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars is designed to provide a tournament format for kids whereby they take part in multiple meaningful matches in a short block of time, making it convenient for families.

Junior Tournaments

To register or for more information on our junior tournaments, click here.

2024 Junior Tournaments Schedule

Date Tournament  Location
April 19-21April 25-28 Tennis Manitoba Hub Junior Series (U16-U18)Tennis Manitoba Hub Junior Series (U10-U14) Taylor Tennis Centre
May 9-12 Kildonan Junior Open Kildonan Tennis Club
May 30-June 2 Tuxedo Junior Open Tuxedo Tennis Club
June 4-9

June 20-23July 25-28

Aug. 1-4
  • Tennis Manitoba Hub Junior Open #1
  • Tennis Manitoba Hub Junior Open #2
  • Tennis Manitoba Hub Junior Open #3
  • Tennis Manitoba Hub Junior Open #4
 TMB Hubs
Aug. 8-11 WLTC Junior Open Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club

2024 fISCHER OUTDOOR JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFICATION:

2024 Fischer Outdoor Junior National Dates & Venues:

Aug. 6-11    Under 18 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, Ontario Racquet Club, Mississauga, ON

Aug. 15-21 Under 16 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, Granite Club, Toronto, ON

Aug. 16-23 Under 12 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, Carrefour Multisports, Laval, QC

Aug. 24-31 Under 14 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, Carrefour Multisports, Laval, QC

TEAM PRAIRIES JUNIOR NATIONALS QUALIFICATION – 

2024 FISCHER OUTDOOR NATIONALS CRITERIA & DETAILS

A) Qualification Cut-off Dates & Team Size

Players will be selected for the Fischer Outdoor National Championships based on Tennis Canada National Bank Rankings using the following cut-off dates:

U12, U14 and U16 age categories – July 21, 2024

U18 age category – July 9, 2024

For all age categories (U12, U14, U16 & U18), the top three (3) players by gender in the age category between the two (2) provinces will qualify unless a player exemption(s) has been granted by Team Prairies Selection Committee. (example: U12 – 3 boys and 3 girls, same for U14, U16 and U18).

Tennis Canada National Bank Rankings are based on a rolling 52 week point accumulation.  Points are accumulated from a player’s top 5 results over the past 52 weeks. Results from each new week will be added and the results from the corresponding week of the previous year will be dropped. Players receive a ranking by playing at least one of the specified ranking event

If a player ranked in the Top 3 declines invitation to compete in the Fischer Junior Nationals, the next eligible player on the National Bank Rankings List will be invited UP TO THE #6 RANKING IN THAT CATEGORY within the PRAIRIES REGION.

If an ITF Junior Tournament conflicts directly with the dates of a Prairies Qualification Tournament, the player may choose to compete in the ITF event and receive credit for competing in the conflicting Prairie Qualification Tournament.  The player must submit a COMPETITIVE SCHEDULE to the appropriate Provincial Coach for approval that the LEVEL of the ITF event is appropriate for the player.

B) Exemptions

A player who does not or cannot meet the Qualification Criteria (including being ranked outside the National Bank Ranking top 6 in that category) and is seeking consideration must apply for an exemption to the Team Prairies Selection Committee by 6:00 pm CST June 19, 2024. This deadline applies to all age categories.

Application for an Exemption must be made in writing to the Provincial Tennis Association Office where the athlete resides, citing all reasons for not meeting the minimum qualification requirements and include all necessary doctor’s notes etc. (possible reasons for exemption may include injury, illness, national team requirements**, and/or other valid reasons).

** Players who are part of a Tennis Canada NTC (National Training Centre) or Tennis Canada National Team member with a Top 3 National Bank Ranking (within the Prairie Region) in any given category will be considered for exemption even if they do not meet the FULL Team Prairies Selection Criteria

Both Tennis Manitoba and Tennis Saskatchewan would have to accept a player’s exemption request and that it would be a rare case that a player would be accepted as the qualification requirements are minimal.

C) Qualifying Tournaments

To be eligible to qualify for the 2024 Fischer Outdoor Nationals, a player must play a minimum of 5 Qualifying Tournaments (in either Manitoba or Saskatchewan) out of a total of 11 Qualifying Tournaments (SK will host 4 tournaments, MB will host 7 within a calendar year for a total of 11) in the past  52 weeks with at least one of the tournaments being in the other Prairie province and at least one of the tournaments being an indoor tournament prior to the respective 2024 cut-off dates.

2024 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals Prairies Qualifying Tournaments are as follows:

1. Jan 3-7        Taylor Indoor Junior Open, Taylor Tennis Club, Winnipeg, MB

2. Feb 2-4 Prairie Regional Indoor Closed, Regina Sportplex, Regina, SK

3. Feb 16-18 Wpg Winter Club Junior Closed, Wpg Winter Club, Winnipeg, MB

4. Mar 1-3   Provincial Indoor Junior Open, Lakewood, Saskatoon, SK

5. Apr 19-28 TMB Hub Junior Series #1, Taylor Tennis Center, Winnipeg, MB

6. May 9-12    Kildonan Junior Open, Kildonan Tennis Club Winnipeg, MB

7. May 24-26 Riverside Jr Open, Riverside Bdmntn and Tennis, Saskatoon, SK

8. May 30-June 2 Tuxedo Junior Open, Tuxedo Tennis Club, Winnipeg, MB

9. June 7-9          Provincial Junior Open, Lakeshore Tennis Club Regina, SK

10. June 21-23 TMB Hub Jr Series #2, National Bank TMB Hub, Winnipeg, MB

11. July 4-7         Prairie Regional Jr Champs, TMB Hub@Deer Lodge, Wpg, MB

ITF Junior Tournaments Policy

ITF Junior tournaments played are also accepted as a qualifying tournament. Therefore, any ITF Junior tournaments played count towards the 5 tournament minimum total. However, a player still must play 1 tournament in the other prairie province and 1 indoor tournament.

Please note the following regarding cancelled tournaments/events: players will be given credit for a tournament if they entered a tournament, and it was cancelled due to a lack of entries or poor weather conditions.

D) Additional Criteria

Players will also need to meet the following criteria:

1.      All athletes must maintain a permanent residence in their respective province as evidenced by a valid Health Services Card. Students attending school out of province are eligible to participate, however they must still meet the above mentioned residence criteria.

2.      All athletes must be in good standing with their provincial association.

***Respect in Sport Requirement***

At least one parent of a participating player must complete the on-line Respect in Sport module. If not completed, the player will not be eligible to compete. Further information will be provided once the player has qualified for the nationals. For those who have completed the module, the certification is valid for 3 years from the date of completion and you do not need to complete it for this year. The on-line program to be completed 7 days prior to start of applicable National championship.

E) Junior National Travel Policies / Procedures

Please note the following regarding Junior Nationals Participation:

•        All players must agree to the terms and conditions of and sign a Provincial Code of Conduct and Release Form prior to departure. Participant and Parent signature required. Form to be forwarded to applicable Provincial Association prior to departure.

•        All players must agree to the terms and conditions of and sign a Tennis Canada Release Form prior to departure. Participant and Parent signature required. Form to be forwarded to Provincial Association prior to departure.

•        Strong recommendation for players to arrive in the host city 2 days prior to the first day of competition. This is to allow players to practice at the venue and to have extra time in case of travel delays.

MANITOBA & SASKATCHEWAN PLAYERS:

It is the responsibility of the players to book their flights, accommodations, and transportation.

•        Team Prairies coaches will book practice courts for all Team Prairies players

•        Players and coaches will attempt to stay at the Tennis Canada designated Host Hotel during Nationals.  Where acceptable by team coach and all athletes, Air BnB (or similar accommodation) may be considered.

•        A designated Team Prairies Coach will be present during Junior Nationals from first ball to last. The designated coach may be a Tennis Saskatchewan or a Tennis Manitoba coach. Provincial Association to approve all designated coaches after all regional qualifying has been completed.

•        The designated coach may or may not accompany all players to and from Nationals (i.e. coach may depart from a different City or Province) … when a player is not traveling with the designated team coach, the player will be provided with contact information of the team coach and the provincial association (phone numbers and cellular numbers) … if travel problems take place, players should contact the appropriate above noted individual as soon as possible … If none of the above noted individuals are available, please contact your parents.

•        The designated coach reserves the right to restrict movie rentals and personal computer / cell phone usage throughout competitions (example: after curfew).  Players must pay for all movie fees and accommodation charged telephone calls upon departure from the designated accommodation.

•        Players and coaches must participate in the Tennis Canada team picture.

Financial Responsibilities

For the 2024 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, players will be responsible for the following fees:

For the 2024 Fischer Outdoor Junior Nationals, Tennis Manitoba/Tennis Saskatchewan will pay for the following:

Questions
If questions or concerns arise, regarding the attached information, please contact us at your earliest convenience.

Tennis Manitoba – 204-925-5660 or mark@tennismanitoba.com 

Tennis Saskatchewan – 306-529-5077 or nehasil.marek@gmail.com

Tennis in Schools

See information on Tennis Manitoba school programs.

Tennis in Community Centres

Tennis Manitoba offers year round programming for kids and adults. No previous skills required! For more information contact Nash: nash@tennismanitoba.com. For additional information, visit our community centres page.

 College Tennis / Scholarships:

The Role of Parents in Junior Tennis

The role of parents in junior tennis is an important component of player development, and coaches frequently find themselves searching for the best way to interact with parents and educate them about their role in the development of elite level tennis players. As part of a USTA Sport Science Research Grant, a three stage study was conducted to better understand this role.

Online Parent Portal

Tennis Canada and Tennis Manitoba are pleased to announce the newly launched Online Parent Portal.

The parent portal is now live on the Tennis Canada web site, and conveniently located in the Tournament drop down menu below Calendar and Rankings here: https://www.tenniscanada.com/parent-portal/.

The portal is designed to be a user-friendly way for parents of competitive players of all levels to easily access pertinent information. It’s divided into 8 sections including the following:

  1. Safe Sport
  2. Fair Play
  3. Being a Sport Parent
  4. Getting Started: Kids Tennis
  5. Understanding the Competitive Environment
  6. Navigating the Player Pathway
  7. US College & Canadian University Tennis
  8. Careers: Coaching Certification & Officiating

Each section includes links to relevant articles, resources, and videos. The dynamic portal will have new information and resources added periodically, and we encourage you to refer to it often throughout your child’s competitive career.

Tennis Canada Safe Sport Screening

As of June 30th, 2020, it will become mandatory for everyone that is coaching, instructing, or assisting and that is in a position of authority in all indoor and outdoor clubs in Canada to complete safe sport screening and education.

Click here to see how safe sport screening can be achieved.

Hiring Active TPA Certified Coaches

The Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) is Tennis Canada’s coaching development art and strives to be a world leader in the coaching profession through world class training and support.

What does it mean to be Active TPA Certified? Click here to find out.

Kids Programs

Tennis Manitoba is offering programs for kids where they will learn and play tennis in a fun and interactive way. Our kids programs follow Progressive Tennis guidelines, which is a scaled-down version of tennis that ensures earlier success for children by using modified racquets, balls and nets.

Join the Rogers First Set Tour – Rookie, a national program that bridges the gap between entry-level tennis and the provincial competitive junior circuit

Taking Tennis Lessons

“Tennis challenges you to improve, to hit your strokes and develop your strategy to become a more efficient, effective player. When you improve your game, you don’t just become a better player. You also get the satisfaction that comes from mastering a skill.”

“That’s where pros — teaching professionals, not pro players — and tennis lessons come into the picture. When you get serious about your tennis, even if you’re just playing for fun, you need to consider taking tennis lessons.” (From Tennis For Dummies)

Summer Camps

Tennis Manitoba is adding to the list of places offering summer tennis camps. If you are a teaching professional and wish to have your camp details listed, please contact Tennis Manitoba.

Additional tennis lesson offerings may be available at your local tennis club. A listing of Tennis Manitoba Member Clubs are available in the Members section of this website. If you are a tennis instructor and wish to post your program details here, please contact Tennis Manitoba for Lesson Directory requirements.