Week of November 3, 2023

Stakusic Wins ITF W60 Tevlin

Challenger Title!

Marina Stakusic (18, Toronto) won her third ITF singles title this year when she was victorious in the final of the ITF W60 Tevlin Challenger tournament last week at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto. The ITF Women’s World Tour Player of the Month continued her good form last week, winning 5 matches, including wins against 2 seeded players. In three of the matches, she came back to win after dropping the first set. Marina defeated the third-seed, Croatian Jana Fett 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the final. Congratulations Marina! Honorable mentions also go out to Vicky Mboko, (17, Burlington) who got to the singles semi-finals and Kayla Cross (18, London) who made it to the doubles’ final.

For complete tournament results, click here.
Photo courtesy of Tennis Canada/Neena Channan

Check Out the Latest ONTENNIS Podcast

with Pierre Lamarche!

The ONTENNIS Podcast presented by Merchant of Tennis caught up with Pierre Lamarche to talk all things tennis. Player, coach, mentor, Captain, Hall of Famer and Academy builder; there is no one who has contributed more to Canadian Tennis than Pierre. Listen in as Pierre talks about his early days as a player and later as a coach and Davis Cup/Fed Cup/Olympic captain while at Tennis Canada. Learn how he built the high-performance academy business in Canada through the founding of All Canadian Sports Management and ACE Academy. Find out where he sees tennis in Canada in the future and much more! A must-listen to for any fan of Canadian tennis! Check out the episode on Soundcloud here or search ONTENNIS on Apple and Spotify podcasts. Enjoy!

Bruce Childs Award Recipients @

Grimsby Tennis Club

The Grimsby Tennis Club honoured two of its volunteers, Carole Webster and Sue Henry, at the club’s recent AGM, presenting them with an OTA Bruce Childs Volunteer Award in recognition of their contributions to the club and the sport of tennis.

For many years Sue Henry organized and ran both sessions of the Ladies’ League with the assistance of Carole Webster. Sue was instrumental in forming competitive, friendly League Tennis, based on skill level. Running the league was not an easy task. Addressing all the various needs of the players and keeping everyone happy was a definite challenge. Sue handled this by having several brief meetings with the ladies prior to play, to discuss the philosophy of league play and give an opportunity for the ladies to give feedback and express any concerns. This demonstrates the efforts that Sue made to make the league a successful and enjoyable experience for all. Both Sue and Carole put in many extra hours above and beyond just organizing the league and would frequently arrive at 6pm to assist with the novice players and encourage them to improve their skills. During the period that Sue was League Captain, the leagues were vibrant and well attended, which is a testament to a job well done.

Both Sue and Carole have been willing and enthusiastic long-term volunteers at the club, helping with many of the social events and tournaments with both set up and clean up. We never had to ask for their help. They would always approach to ask what they can do to assist, whenever available.

Sue and Carole played a large role in helping with the Wheelchair Tennis Tournament. They both worked diligently courtside and attended every single day of the tournament. Carole volunteered all three years and Sue two years, as family visits prevented her from assisting this year. The second year they were put in charge of coordinating the schedule for all the volunteers and I know they spent many hours working together to organize this. Both Sue and Carole engaged on a personal level with the athletes. They even went to the effort of buying a bucket and spade for one of the young athlete’s daughters, so he could take her to the beach at the lake to play in the sand. It was small gestures like these that warmed the hearts of the athletes and made the Wheelchair Tournaments in Grimsby some of the most successful and memorable experiences for the players.

Neither Sue nor Carole have ever served on the Executive, but they have been a very visible, active, and integral part of the club. They are exemplary models of what a volunteer club is all about.

Pictured above, left to right, Carole Webster, club Social Director Amanda Fraser, who presented the awards, Club President Ron Mauro and Sue Henry.

Bruce Childs was a volunteer at a Toronto community tennis club years ago. As a tribute to his hard work at his tennis club in a volunteer role, one of the OTA’s former Board members felt it would be an appropriate and well-deserved tribute to name a club award in his honour. The award was established to recognize an executive member or dedicated club volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to his/her community tennis club for an extended period.

If you are an OTA-member club executive and want more information on the Bruce Childs Award, contact Andrew Chappell, achappell@tennisontario.com.

Game. Set. Equity. Women in Coaching Event

The Tennis Professional Association (TPA) recently hosted a Game. Set. Equity. Women in Coaching event at Sobeys Stadium during the ITF Women’s 60K Tevlin Challenger tournament. This complimentary coaches’ recertification event offered an excellent opportunity for sport leaders to connect with and inspire women in the coaching industry.

The event brought together prominent female coaches and leaders from various sports and levels of the system, sharing their experiences and providing valuable insights into the industry.

It also provided the participants with an excellent opportunity to network with other female coaches and trade their own experiences. A great example of the power of conferences like this includes 2 participants, Theresa Leung (North Toronto) and Kathy Carter (Niagara Falls), who hadn’t seen each other for 30 years. It was a happy reunion at the conference, as they recalled many “battles” at OTA tournaments during their teen years.

Tennis connections are strong and deep!

Congratulations to Tennis Canada, the TPA and their presenting partner, National Bank, for hosting such a successful event which has undoubtedly made a significant impact on women leaders in the coaching industry in Ontario. Special thanks to all who participated and made the event a success!

For more information on Game. Set. Equity, click here.

Nike Holiday Shoes Are In at

Merchant of Tennis

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Shop Gift Cards: www.merchantoftennis.com/collections/gift-cards/

Improve Your Game with a Silent Partner!

Showcasing a long-standing favorite – Silent Partner, the versatile portable ball machine! With over two decades of excellence, Silent Partner has been the go-to choice for tennis enthusiasts and professionals seeking the ultimate training partner. Known for its impressive ball speed, Silent Partner offers the perfect opportunity to refine your skills and up your game. Proudly Canadian! Visit www.sptennis.ca to learn more and place your order now!

2023 OTA Distinguished Service Awards

The OTA recently hosted its annual Distinguished Service Awards dinner at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. The event honoured 2023’s three deserving recipients (above, left to right), Diane Lang, Rick Bertozzi and Stuart Teather. Congratulations and thank-you to all recipients from the OTA team! See each honouree’s bio below.

Diane Lang

Diane is a dedicated club volunteer and enthusiastic tennis player whose contributions span 40+ years.

Diane’s first foray into tennis volunteering began with the Scarborough Tennis Federation (STF) in 1979, serving as secretary, then taking a short break to start a family and returning in 1983-1984 as STF Treasurer. Diane’s early contributions to tennis in Scarborough have contributed in a significant way to STF’s success as one of the most engaged regions of the Ontario Tennis Association (OTA), boasting 19 member clubs and over 3,600 adult and junior players.

Diane’s most steadfast commitment to tennis has been within her local community. She along with husband Dan joined the Guildwood Tennis Club (formerly Kiwaniwood) in 1977 and have supported tennis in the community ever since. She served in various small ways at the club level throughout the 80’s and 90’s. As a teacher at Sir Wilfred Laurier Collegiate, Diane supervised tennis teams and helped teens improve their skills. Even now, her former connections help to facilitate community service opportunities for teens who assist in summer camps for juniors.

In 2021 Diane became President of Guildwood Tennis Club, having served 20 years prior as their Treasurer. She is especially proud of her strong leadership team who together have built a healthy club membership, fantastic home-grown junior program and built a solid financial foundation needed for a future clubhouse facility.

Juggling multiple challenges is nothing new for Diane, as she has also acted as Tennis Liaison Director at Tam Heather for the past six years. Under her leadership, a Tennis Committee was formed with broad representation including juniors, recreational and competitive players. Its role is to recommend policies that promote accessibility and fun for all members.

Diane is described by her peers as kind and thoughtful and always willing to help where needed: a truly dedicated tennis volunteer and most worthy of this outstanding award.

Rick Bertozzi

Rick has been involved in tennis volunteerism for over 25 years. He is well known for his willingness to organize winter tennis groups while being a member of many Ontario Tennis Association (OTA) member clubs over the years including Kleinburg, Nobleton, Richmond Hill, Thornhill Park, Applewood, Whiteoaks Park and others. He served as Applewood Tennis Club’s Vice President and teams director in the late 90’s, and as Thornhill Park Tennis Club’s Vice President and program director from 2006 to 2011.

Rick later became President of Kleinburg Tennis Club in 2020 and was successful in obtaining a $16,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant for club improvements. He also chairs many of their committees, including premises improvement, adult and junior development, and constitution and by-laws.

Rick quickly broadened his volunteer contributions by serving as Vice President and President of the Inter-County Tennis Association (ICTA) from 2008 to 2020 and still volunteers as a Division Chair. His leadership skills and ability to work well with others helped to strengthen the organization and has allowed it to continue to grow as the largest organization for team tennis competition in Canada. He has also captained several successful teams in the ICTA in the Mixed and 55 Plus Leagues.

During this time, Rick also held a number of Director positions at the OTA from 2015-2023, including Director-at-Large, and the last six years as Vice-Chair Finance and Administration. Rick served admirably at a time of extreme financial challenges, going from a healthy $2M budget, to having the OTA’s funding streams seriously reduced while the world tried to recover from a global pandemic. Despite these setbacks, Rick worked well with OTA staff and board and the Association’s finances remain sound to this day.

Rick continues to be an avid tennis player and is a Tennis Canada Certified Club Pro 1 who has volunteered his time and expertise in running clinics and private lessons to assist with player development over the years. He is inspiration to others seeking to make a difference in their community, and most deserving of this award.

Stuart Teather

Over the last two decades, Stuart has demonstrated what a dedicated and conscientious volunteer looks like to the Toronto community and to tennis in Ontario.

Stuart joined the Davisville Tennis Club in 2001 and quickly became an integral part of the Davisville tennis community. He joined the board in 2002 as Treasurer, became President in 2004 and has served in that capacity ever since. Davisville is often seen as one of the busiest and most vibrant clubs in Toronto and Stuart’s leadership helps to keep it very successful. He is an exemplary leader and an exceptional event/tournament organizer and community builder. He is frequently called on for advice, and on matters as varied as structuring programming, court maintenance, and club governance.

For the past 15 years, Stuart has chaired or co-led the organizing committee for Davisville Cup, an annual event that has raised over $165,000 for the Philpott Foundation, fostering junior tennis in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in the GTA. His support of this event is a great example of his commitment to tennis and its development. It also reflects the priority he places on the culture of Davisville Tennis Club community as a place where all are welcome with tennis at its heart.

Not one to sit on his laurels, Stuart has also been involved with the InterCounty Tennis Association (ICTA) since 2007. He was Tournament Director for 12 year and has been Vice President since 2018. He is an invaluable member of the ICTA Board and devotes hundreds of hours on a yearly basis to make sure the Association’s work is proper and professional, from working on the Association’s by-laws, to assisting with marketing efforts, to networking with partners and sponsors.

His peers, colleagues and friends describe him as a hard-working, devoted, genuine, caring and selfless volunteer. Stuart is a true leader and professional, exemplifying the true spirit of this most deserving award.

Tennis Becomes Newest U Sport Addition!

Tennis Canada and U SPORTS recently announced exciting news for university tennis in Canada, as tennis becomes the first Pilot Sport (P3) in program history. This collaboration, which started this fall, will further improve the student-athlete experience, giving tennis players more opportunities to compete at a higher level within the Canadian education system. For the complete Tennis Canada announcement, click here.

Photo courtesy of Tennis Canada/Mathieu Bélanger

About U SPORTS

U SPORTS is the national brand for University Sports in Canada. Every year, over 20,000 student-athletes and 900 coaches from 56 universities vie for 21 national championships in 12 different sports. U SPORTS also provides higher performance international opportunities for Canadian student-athletes at Winter and Summer Universiades, as well as numerous world university championships. For further information, visit www.usports.ca or follow us on:

Twitter: @USPORTSca

Facebook: @USPORTSCanada

Instagram: @USPORTSca

YouTube: @USPORTSca

Yonex Senior Provincials Nov. 24 - Dec. 3

at Sobeys Stadium

The Yonex Senior Provincial Championships will take place this year at Sobeys Stadium. Age categories starting from Over 30 will compete in singles and doubles action over a 2-week period. Doubles competition will run from October 24 to 26 with the singles being played from November 30 to December 3. The entry fee includes one singles and one doubles or two doubles, a player gift and a social event on Friday, December 1 at the Sobeys Stadium Players Lounge. The entry deadline is November 16. If you would like to enter but are not an OTA-registered competitor, click here to join. To enter the tournament, click here.

OTA Club and Regional News

Premier Racquet Club Markham Open House 

Premier Racquet Clubs Markham (PRC Markham} Open House Community Festival with Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Tennis Legend Daniel Nestor.

Premier Racquet Clubs Markham was thrilled with the outcome of its House Community Festival Event, held on October 21. This fun event featured an unforgettable evening filled with tennis enthusiasts, community leaders, and special guests, including the esteemed Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and former world No. 1 tennis champion, Daniel Nestor.

As the newest addition to Markham's thriving sports and recreation scene, Premier Racquet Clubs Markham is committed to providing the highest level of tennis and pickleball experiences and amenities for enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. The Grand Opening Event represents a significant milestone in PRC Markham's journey, and they are eager to welcome the community to their state-of-the-art facility.

Event Highlights:

• Special Guests: Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti and former world No. 1 tennis doubles specialist, Daniel Nestor, headlined the Opening Night Event. Their presence added an extra layer of excitement to the evening, showcasing the strong community support for PRC Markham.
• Fun for All Ages: PRC Markham's Grand Opening was designed to be a family-friendly event. Kids and adults alike enjoyed a range of activities, including interactions with a lively mascot, music from a talented DJ, and the opportunity to meet and greet some adorable animals.
• Facility Tours: Attendees had the chance to explore PRC Markham's world-class tennis facilities, featuring 6 indoor courts, modern training facilities, and more.
• Networking and Socializing: The Grand Opening Event provided a fantastic opportunity for tennis enthusiasts to connect, network, and share their love for the sport with like-minded individuals in the community.

"We were thrilled to welcome the Markham community to Premier Racquet Clubs Markham for our Grand Opening Celebration," said Karl Hale, Owner, and Operator at PRC Markham. "Our state-of-the-art facilities and world-class tennis professionals are ready to serve Markham's growing tennis community, and we are honored to have had Mayor Frank Scarpitti and Daniel Nestor join us for this momentous occasion."

About Premier Racquet Clubs Markham:

Premier Racquet Clubs Markham is a state-of-the-art tennis facility dedicated to providing exceptional tennis experiences and training opportunities for players of all levels. Located in the heart of Markham, PRC Markham offers world-class coaching, modern amenities, and a vibrant tennis community.

Media Contact:

Nima Naderi
Communications Manager
nnaderi@premierracquetclubs.com
647-368-7178

Bruce Childs Award Recipient

Mike Robinson

The Welland Tennis Club is thrilled to announce that Mike Robinson, a devoted and longstanding member of the club, and the chairperson for the Oktoberfest tournament 2023, has been awarded the prestigious Bruce Childs Award for 2023. The award was presented during the Welland Tennis Club Annual Regional Oktoberfest tournament.

Over the decades, Mike has been instrumental in organizing and leading events at the club. He has chaired, co-chaired, and participated in local, regional, provincial, and national tournaments, including the Ontario Summer Games, Oktoberfest, and Rose City Tournaments. Additionally, Mike has played a key role in overseeing the Ontario Senior Games at the regional level, while also participating at the local, regional, provincial, and national levels.

Mike, who is a physical education teacher at a local high school, has been pivotal in promoting tennis by teaching racquet courses. Alongside his wife, Mary Jane, he has managed high school tennis tournaments at the local, regional SOSSA, and OFSAA events. Furthermore, Mike has shared his expertise in tennis to other clubs in the region.

Mike has also dedicated countless hours to the maintenance of the red clay courts at the Welland Tennis Club - rolling, watering, and raking the clay. His warm, friendly, and helpful nature, whether teaching, advising, or assisting around the club, is highly valued by all. Mike is a true Ambassador for tennis, inspiring those around him with his passion and fostering a positive culture for the growth of the sport.

The Welland Tennis Club congratulates Mike on his well-deserved recognition and extends its gratitude for his invaluable contributions to the club.

Bruce Childs was a volunteer at a Toronto community tennis club years ago. As a tribute to his hard work at his tennis club in a volunteer role, one of the OTA’s former Board members felt it would be an appropriate and well-deserved tribute to name a club award in his honour. The award was established to recognize an executive member or dedicated club volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to his/her community tennis club for an extended period.

If you are an OTA-member club executive and want more information on the Bruce Childs Award, contact Andrew Chappell, achappell@tennisontario.com.

We Want Your Club and Regional News!

Is your club hosting a significant tournament or event, does it have an anniversary coming up, is there a volunteer or player who deserves recognition for their contributions? If so, we want to hear about it. Just send a photo and a short write-up to us and we’ll feature it in SPIN in our OTA Club and Regional News section. To submit a story for consideration, just email pmalcomson@tennisontario.com.

Tell Us Why You're Great!

Tournaments - Community - Outreach -

Courses

Click the calendar above to see the live list of upcoming events

OTA Marketplace

Mastering Doubles with Daniel Nestor!

Daniel Nestor launches new online doubles training academy!

Canadian tennis legend Daniel Nestor recently launched an online doubles training academy designed to help players maximize their potential when competing in doubles competition. The course is designed specifically for doubles players of all levels, from club players to those heading to the pros!

Daniel Nestor is widely considered one of the greatest to ever play doubles tennis. In his storied 28-year professional career, he earned an impressive record of 91 men's doubles titles, including eight Grand Slam victories, as well as an Olympic Gold Medal in 2000. Since retiring in 2018, Daniel has dedicated much of his time to teaching others the lessons he's learned throughout his career. By sharing his invaluable insights, he helps players like you elevate their doubles game at all levels!

The 41-lesson course includes over 1.5 hours of video content, covering all facets of the doubles game including, serving, returning, partnership strategy, teamwork, the mental game, tips, drills and more!

To learn more about Daniels great new online doubles training academy and to order the online course, click here.

To receive a 15% OTA discount, use promo code: OTA

Let Daniel help you to become a force to be reckoned with on the doubles court!

A Marketplace for Everything Tennis!

Whether you’re pro advertising your coaching services, a company wanting to reach the tennis enthusiast, a club looking for new members or you just want to sell some old wooden tennis racquets – you can reach over 15,000 tennis players in Ontario each week via our weekly newsletter SPIN, with an ad in the OTA Marketplace section. Listings and pictures are only $125 per week and all we need is a horizontal image like the one above (500 pixels deep X 800 pixels wide) and a couple of paragraphs. We’ll do the rest! Need creative help? We offer creative services at a reasonable cost. For more info, email pmalcomson@tennisontario.com. Include “OTA Marketplace" in the Subject line.