NCTA Newsletter: April 2015

Message from the President, NCTA

The National Capital Tennis Association (NCTA) has stepped up its level of activity supporting tennis in our community over the past 12-18 months; so much that we now need a newsletter to keep people informed of all that's happening! We hope that this newsletter will allow tennis enthusiasts to learn about the vibrant tennis scene in the NCR (National Capital Region)- across the 31 tennis clubs / tennis organization as well as with our partners in the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Tennis Association.

There is more investment taking place in tennis in the NCR now than has ever been the case in the past. Over $100k per year in funding has been obtained through grants from Tennis Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation to provide programs for kids (Capital Kids and Little Aces); we have new programs across the city and are delivering tennis sessions in dozens of our local schools. We have more competitive activity taking place than ever before, both at the junior and adult level. Pretty much every weekend throughout the summer you will be able to find at least one OTA sanctioned tournament taking place at one of our clubs, which will give any aspiring Milos or Eugenie many opportunities to compete, hone their skills, and obtain ranking points. We're even exploring how we can bring the pro tennis circuit to Ottawa at some time in the near future.

I hope that you enjoy reading this newsletter and I also hope that many of you will be future contributors, sharing your thoughts and suggestions about how we can do even more to enrich the tennis experience for enthusiasts in our region. The snow is melting and there is starting to be some warmth in the sun. The new season is only a few weeks away- so get ready and have a ball.

Phil Johnson, President NCTA

Junior Players

Regional Player Accomplishments

U10 OAC Easter Tournament
Champion - Shawn Maxwell
Runner Up - Ardin Lim

Shawn Maxwell – U10 champion at OAC
Adrian Tudor – U14 finalist at OAC, qualified for U14 Provincials
Dan Pergel – Qualified for U14 Provincials
Ethan Leong – U12 finalist at Rideau
Owen Dunn – Qualified for U12 Provincials
Sasha Mironov – Qualified for U18 Nationals
Corina Spasojevic - 5th Place at U14 Provincials, qualified for U16 Nationals
Dermott Duggan - U12 champion at Rideau Winter OTA, top 12 finish at U12 Provincials
Jana Higazy - 10-0 record during European Tour with LTA in January, quarter-finals at U12 British nationals in April
Ibrahim Higazy - U10 champion at Beauce (Quebec), U10 finalist at Rideau

Junior News

There were over 90 entrees in both the 3*** Regional Competitive Tournament at the Rideau Tennis Club and the Easter Tournament at the OAC. Many players from Ottawa, Quebec and even a few from Toronto participated; as you can see, there is increasing collaboration from across the region. It's been a very good start to the season!

Congratulations to Colin McAlpine - Winner of the Men's 2015 Eastern Canadian Senior Indoor National Championship

Colin McAlpine

The NCTA would like to congratulate our very own Colin McAlpin who, in March, won the 2015 Men’s Eastern Canadian Senior Indoor National Championships - Men Over 55 Singles - in Toronto. He defeated Abbas Kiltash 6-3, 6-4 and managed not to lose a single set the entire tournament. He almost doubled his achievement, but fell just short in the Men's Doubles finals with Kevin Green, losing a tight match 6-1, 0-6, 10-7.

Colin is very well known locally and nationally; he has won the Ottawa City Championships a record 14 times (9 singles and 5 doubles), and National Championships nine times (5 singles and 4 doubles) and will compete regularly in local and national Open and Masters category tournaments this season.
He is a great student of the game and is currently working with Toronto-based coaching legend John McManus, who was the Canadian Davis Cup coach 1985-88 and has coached 8 players in the top 100 throughout his career.

The Little Aces Leagues at the Tennis Centre West Ottawa and Carleton Tennis Centre have been a great success in their first season. Over 150 kids participated across both leagues and enjoyed the team tennis competition format, learning new skills, and having fun with their friends. This low cost option for recreational and pre-competitive kids has proved a great program for kids wanting to keep up their tennis in the off-season and is gaining popularity in the city. For more information please see http://tennis.littleacesottawa.com/

Capital Kids

Capital Kids is back with seven locations this year! This OTA program, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, provides free tennis lessons from May to June all across Ottawa. Racquets, nets and balls are provided for all our participants and subsidies make purchasing racquets very affordable. We are happy to provide teaching opportunities to seven head coaches and as many instructors, along with many youth and parent volunteers who give their time to help the kids improve their skills and focus on the game! We are currently visiting schools across the city to promote our member clubs and Capital Kids, and if you would like more information about the program, please visit our website at www.capitalkidstennis.com. We would be grateful if you could help spread the word!

Smash Cage

The NCTA Smash Cage is the perfect addition to any social event. When inflated, it reaches 15 feet high and 20 feet deep, and it is equipped with a radar gun that can test the speed of your serve or any other shot you might like to try out! The Smash Cage is great for fun competitions like fastest serve, most accurate serve, or guess your speed! To book the Smash Cage, please email info@ncta.ca.

Volunteering at BNP Paribas. By Brian Briggs - A Craig Henry Tennis Club Member and NCTA board member

I spent a week in Indian Wells for the BNP Paribas Open, it was my first trip to the desert, I’ve been to the US. Open, Montreal and I’ve volunteered at the Rogers Cup in Toronto as a driver for the last 5 years. So I thought why not volunteer here, meet some people, get behind the scenes, save some money, and watch some tennis. We don’t get paid accommodations which I know everyone asks me, I mean, it’s not like I’m going to Africa to fight world hunger, I’m at a world class tennis tournament, driving around some of the best players in the world, including family, officials, sponsors and more.

In the winter of 2014, the Manotick Tennis Club (MTC) implemented an online system to automate membership and program registration, and to replace the chalkboard used to book their six courts. By the registration weekend in April 2014, the system was all ready to go. It was used throughout the 2014 season and got rave reviews by the membership. In fact, at the MTC Annual General Meeting in October 2014, members who attended made a point of saying how much they loved the system, and how it had really made their experience more enjoyable given the ease to book courts, sign up for ladders, sign up for tournaments, etc.

Elmridge Park Tennis Club

After suffering through a seemingly interminable winter we're eager to meet old friends and make some new ones across the net at Elmridge Park Tennis Club. We're particularly excited about our Kids' Tennis program for the coming season. With Capital Kids at nearby Beacon Hill, our Kids' Tennis Fair on May 30, summer camps and two Rogers Rookie Tour events there's a lot to be excited about.
Details are available at www.ElmridgeTennis.com/kids. Also be sure to check out our calendar page for details about our open house and season kick off BBQ on May 12, as well as other events throughout the season.

Elmdale Tennis Club

The History of the Elmdale TC

Come learn the history of the Elmdale Tennis Club on May 16th at our History of the Club Wine & Cheese Event. Past/current/new members and non-members are invited to come share their stories of the club.

The following members will be sharing some stories:

Kip Murchison: Court master from 1945-1952 and Club President 1955.
John Hartin: President/board member: 1960s-70s.
Bob Lister: Member, board member: 1959-1970, Club Champ multiple times.
Al Samson: Club President many times starting in 1962. Club Champ multiple times.

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