TENNIS BC

Junior News

Have you signed up for Junior E-News? This monthly newsletter will keep you up to date on headlines, deadlines, and any new events that are added throughout the year.

Annual Plan
How do you increase participation at all levels of play and in all age categories? How can we continue to grow the number of provincial and national level competitors around our province? How can we continue to make tennis a sport of choice for all ages? How can we keep fun in the game?

The answer is simple. Tennis BC, and our Member Clubs, must be creative with ways to meet the current and growing needs for junior competition, while at the same time working together to increase the availability of tennis courts for all ages.

For 2009, Tennis BC will offer three indoor and three outdoor provincial qualifying events, which will form the basis for Provincial Team selections (the criteria for these selections is detailed below), Junior Team Tennis, and other tournaments such as the Everyday Champions Stanley Park Open, the BC Junior Hardcourts, and the Fall Harvest Champs Classic.

We encourage our Member Clubs to continue to offer their own in-house and open tournaments and events, to establish club leagues and ladders, and to ensure that juniors have access to court time outside of coaching programs.

January to March - Tennis BC’s Junior Indoor Series

The Junior Indoor Ranking Ladder was introduced in January 2008 with the goal of ensuring developmental opportunities while at the same time providing adequate competition for those players seeking selection to represent BC at Canada’s Indoor National Championships. Side benefits to the round robin/box play format were: 1) Equal match opportunities for all entrants, 2) Scheduling that accommodated players travelling from outside the Lower Mainland, and 3) Closer competition for most players compared to that offered in traditional tournaments.

This year’s Junior Indoor Series will comprise two ‘player shuffling’ weekends of round robin play in each age category, followed by a “Selection Cup” for those who finish in the top eight (8) spots and a “Ranking Cup” for those finishing ninth (9^th) and lower. A more complete description of this format can be found in the Junior News section of our website at www.tennisbc.org.

With the exception of the Junior Provincials, Outdoor National Qualifiers may be limited to 24 players in each age category. Singles events may include a feed in consolation draw from the quarterfinals onwards (last 8 players), as well as third and fourth place playoffs. The entry fee will include doubles, which will utilize no-ad scoring and a deciding match tie-break in lieu of a third set.

Given our usual unpredictable spring weather, and the short timeframe between the end of school and the selections for Nationals, some events will be held indoors and are divided between venues to ensure that all players can be accommodated.

Stanley Park starts one day earlier than last summer, and the ITF U18 Junior Event will again be hosted by Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club. This allows the juniors to play both ITF and the Champs events at Stanley Park.

September – December – Junior Team Tennis

Over the past three years, Junior Team Tennis has found its own niche and fits nicely into busy family life in the fall months. For its fourth year, we will continue to encourage participation from players of all ages and levels around the province.

Considering that the league is only ten weeks long, is a non-ranking event, and that it uses an alternate format, we believe it serves a valuable training vehicle that inspires fun, camaraderie, preparation for college tennis and the long January to August tournament schedule.

Check out the Junior Tournament Schedule, and the Non-Ranking Schedule – both in this handbook and on our website – for a list of other tournaments and events throughout the year. Tennis BC continues to encourage and support tournaments throughout the province, and we encourage our Lower Mainland players to travel and experience tennis on Vancouver Island and in the Interior – both areas offer a number of events that would welcome new faces and games.

New events may be added so make sure you sign up for E-News (from the Main Page of our website) in order to receive monthly updates and reminders of what is happening on and off the courts throughout the year!

Tennis Canada’s Junior National Events
The number of Junior National spots allocated to BC is determined by Tennis Canada. U12 categories allow 4 spots for boys and girls, U14, U16, and U18 allow 5 spots for each.

Any player selected to represent BC at the Junior Nationals must be a member in good standing with Tennis BC, a resident of British Columbia, and a Canadian Citizen, or hold Landed Immigrant Status.

Junior Nationals – Provincial Team Selection Criteria for British Columbia

Players qualify for the Indoor Junior Nationals by participating in the 2009 Junior Indoor Ranking Ladder.

Selections for the Outdoor Junior Nationals will be made on performance in the following National Qualifying Events:

1) Hollyburn Junior Classic (Level 1.5) – All Ages
2) Tennis BC’s Junior Spring Championships – All Ages (Level 1.5) to be hosted by Sportstown BC, Town and Country Tennis Club, Peoples’ Courts Tennis Academy and Cedar Hill Recreation Centre

3) BC Junior Provincial Championships Closed (Level 2) All Ages

All players looking to qualify for Junior Outdoor Nationals must participate in the BC Junior Provincial Championships, plus one other National Qualifying designated tournament. Players wishing to play outside of their age category must apply to the High Performance Director prior to each qualifying period.

In the event of a tie in points for the final spot(s), head to head results, averages, followed by sets won and lost in that category from the three tournaments above, will determine the spot(s). Should the players still be tied, a playoff match will be held.

Merit Spots

Any player seeking a merit spot for Junior Nationals must apply in writing to the High Performance Director PRIOR TO THE FIRST QUALIFYING EVENT FOR EITHER INDOOR OR OUTDOOR NATIONALS.

Criteria for selection will be:
   *Meeting Tennis Canada's Performance Standards
   *A “top 4” national year-end ranking (2008)
  * Results from events outside the province
  *  Meeting all team requirements
  *Provision of an acceptable competitive plan substituting for participation in the qualifying events

PLAYERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT FULFILLING THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS IS NOT A GUARANTEE OF A MERIT SPOT, and that the final selection will be made by the High Performance Committee. The Committee reserves the right to award a merit spot in extraordinary circumstances to a player who has not met the selection criteria.

Progressive Tennis
In an effort to support the progressive tennis initiative, Tennis Canada has created a website which includes video clips, articles, sample documents and order forms for the equipment. You may also find more information on Progressive Tennis Events in BC on our Tournament Information Page.

Click here for the progressive tennis website at Tennis Canada

All parents with children involved in competitive tennis are advised to educate themselves on "Being a Better Tennis Parent". Please take the time to carefully read the link below:
Click here for Being a Better Tennis Parent

INFORMATION ON UNIVERSITY TENNIS SCHOLARSHIPS

Links to BC players competing at US universities and our recent NCAA competitors (2001-current) ..click here

All BC Players can contact Tennis BC for information, guidance, and getting in contact with university coaches ..click here