I am organizing the Roman Cup Pro-Am event at the Rideau Tennis Club on July 30th, and would like to take that opportunity to get the word out to the 600-700 members of the NCTA. Roman Kowalski was a talented, high-performance junior and a popular instructor at the Rideau Tennis Club at the time when he passed away suddenly and tragically. Having grown up as a junior at the Rideau, he went on to play tennis at Bollettieri's IMG Academies and eventually on the college circuit in the United States. Michael and Marlene Cowpland have been founders and generous contributors to the Roman Cup Fund each year, as well as supporters of the Pro-Am and the tournament. It's an annual Pro-Am with all the top teaching pros in the Ottawa area, two hours of doubles, a silent auction, a BBQ, and live entertainment. All of it is about remembering Roman, and raising money for the junior development. All the funds raised that evening go the Roman Cup Fund and are disbursed between top finishers in the Roman Cup, as well as our best juniors in the Ottawa area.
The Roman Cup has grown from a smaller OTA event to a four star National Selection, sanctioned by Tennis Canada and run by the OTA. We had well between 200-300 combined entries last year. There was a great competition and showcase of talent across the provinces, as well as all the top local juniors. What makes the Roman Cup unique is the connection to the love of the game that Roman had, the history of tennis at the Rideau, and also having the OTA Ontario Sporting Life Men and Women's tournament run at the same time. In one venue combined, we have, the best of both: up and coming juniors, top college players, and seasoned veterans. The great calibre of players is matched by all the excitement and energy of the Roman Cup junior U12-U18 events. That kind of cross-pollination is a great learning experience for the kids, and it's a lot of fun to be part of something very special!
This year's Pro-Am is Thursday night, July 30th, from 6-8 pm. Anyone, regardless of their club affiliation, can sign up and participate (a $65 fee covers an hour of doubles with the pro, the BBQ and a donation to the Roman Cup fund). We are looking at using 11 clay courts and possibly more (that is 22 pros and 44 amateurs). This year's celebrity guest is a well known musician: Jonas with "Massive Attraction". We had a few NHL players participate in the past, including Daniel Alfredsson and Anton Voltchenkov.
Any player from the Ottawa area can: a) participate and play in the Pro-Am, b) make a donation, receipts provided, and c) come to the BBQ ($20), bring friends and family, and enjoy the evening of tennis, friends, and fun for a good cause. It's a great fun!
Zhenya Kondratovsky