Tennis enjoying boom period in Moncton
Moncton Men's Challenger highlights summer at the Centennial Park club
These are the best of times for Tennis Moncton.
The Centennial Park club has eight championship courts, the only two youth courts in Atlantic Canada, a renovated clubhouse and lighting that beats international standards. The facility will be in the spotlight when it hosts New Brunswick's first-ever professional tennis tournament this summer.
The $35,000 Moncton Men's Challenger, which takes place from July 12-20, is one of four stops on Canada's professional tennis tour. Other events will take place in Granby, Que., Toronto and Vancouver.
"You will see a very high level," said John Pearson, head of programs for Tennis Moncton. "A lot of these players are in the top 200 rankings in the world. It's not just the top Canadians. We're talking about elite international players. For us as the host club, it's a real honour.
"Riverview and Dieppe are coming together to support us in the pro challenger. This is a three-year tournament. It's something that we hope to grow. This year's challenger is already 98 per cent funded."
Tennis Canada past chairman Jack Graham, of Halifax, referred to the Moncton club as "the best outdoor tennis facilities in Atlantic Canada" during the news conference to announce this tournament.
Moncton will host a handful of other high-profile tennis events this summer. There's the Moncton Men's Challenger pre qualifier from June 21-23, the junior provincials from June 26-29 and both the Moncton Open and Masters over 35 on Aug. 16-17. The club has also made a bid to host the 2009 senior nationals.
"We're really excited about hosting the pre qualifier which is going to give 24 Maritimers a chance to earn one wildcard spot in the Moncton Men's Challenger," said Pearson. "For us to guarantee that a Maritimer will be in the pro tournament, it's a huge benefit for us."
Tennis Moncton opened for the season on May 1, but early bird registration will continue until May 31. The public is invited to attend a barbecue and learn more about what the club has to offer during a complimentary Family Day Rally which runs on May 24 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The club is open from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. every day. For more information, call 853-7763 or visit www.tennismoncton.ca.
Tennis is a cheap sport to get involved in and that's likely one reason for its growing numbers. The Moncton club currently has about 240 members, it expects to surpass 400 this summer and everyone who joins gets two free lessons.
"We have a lot of family memberships which are pretty economical for $160," said Pearson. "We're also getting an amazing amount of young couples that are joining for the first time.
"Moncton and Dieppe have been identified by Tennis Canada as hot spots for tennis in the country. They're going to show Moncton kids in a nation-wide DVD promoting a program they call Building Tennis Communities. It's exciting.
"We at Tennis Moncton really do believe in tennis communities. We don't just do the club. We have a lot of school visits. We go to playgrounds. We're involved with Camp Centennial and Cardio Tennis through the YMCA. When we go to a playground, we supply the equipment and instructors."
Tennis Moncton has players as young as age four and others who are into their seventies. The club is for all ages, but it has a particularly strong kids philosophy.
Pearson points out the idea behind the programs and camps isn't to get people to spend money and become committed. It's to teach the basics of the sport and try to get people excited.
"We really do believe the kids are the future," he said. "We're trying to make it fun. Here's the ball, try to hit it through the hoola hoop. Get mom and dad involved so that tennis can be something the whole family enjoys.
"We're big on trying to get kids excited about the sport. We have a tournament most Fridays where kids can have something to eat usually at no charge. If someone comes in with a decent pair of sneakers, we'll provide them with a racket and balls. We want people to try tennis."
Pearson also points out that Tennis Moncton is targeting another segment of the population.
"There's a lot of people between ages 25-40 who say things like 'I used to play tennis,'" he said. "You ask them what happened and they say `Oh, I just got away from it.' We're trying to reach out to that generation we lost."
Pearson is part of the 12-member Mayor's Working Committee at Tennis Moncton. The committee has a strong liason with the City of Moncton's recreation department.
"The city has put big money into this facility," he said. "What we're trying to give back is a program that's well known and I think based on some of the tournaments we're now hosting it's a good win-win. We're trying to grow the sport and get a good return on the investment.
"We're also hoping that local citizens realize what they have for a tennis facility in their own backyard. We're proud of where we're going. We have a very good team of staff and volunteers. We appreciate the city's efforts and their vision.''
More Sports
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
