The club executive is currently hard at work preparing for the 2023 outdoor tennis season. Memberships for 2023 are now available. We expect to open registration for lessons in April.
Hello fellow Tennis enthusiasts. As some of you may know the courts are open again for tennis play. We have established communication this morning with the County of Brant, but we are not able to run our regular programming or lessons at this time. As things open up we are all hopeful that we can begin to provide lessons and return to our regular organized play. Over this past year if we have learned anything it is patience!
We are a community with many wanting to get onto the courts. The courts are open for all hours public play. If you are new to the club and are still looking to pick up a key please email info@theparisclub.ca to arrange pick up. We are encouraging everyone to follow us on Facebook and post if you are looking for a hitting partner or someone to have a match with. We are going to give this a whirl and see if we can stay connected to play in this way. If you are not able to get a response through our FB page from other members send us an email info@theparisclub.ca and we will try and connect you. There are several of us who are eager to pull out our racket and play.
Close up view of tennis racket and balls on the clay tennis court
Direct communication from the Brant County Website. In order to use these amenities safely, you must maintain at least two (2) meters distance from any other person outside of your household. Team sports are not permitted at this time or other games that will result in individuals coming within two (2) meters of each other. As of May 22, 2021, an organized public event or social gathering with 5 people or less may be held outdoors. Please wear a mask when physical distancing may be difficult.
Received on April 29, 2021 -> To PTC Membership for latest info. Hello OTA Member Club Executives;
As a follow-up to my letter of April 20th concerning the sudden closure of all tennis courts by the Government of Ontario, I thought it would be prudent to provide an update of what the OTA has been doing in an attempt to persuade the Province to reconsider their position on outdoor amenities, and what we plan to do moving forward.
Our first order of business last week, was to contact Premier Doug Ford and the Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Lisa MacLeod and ask them to reverse their decision as it pertained to closing tennis facilities. We also had a Zoom meeting with MPP Roman Baber in which we requested that he use his influence to lobby the Province in favor of re-opening tennis courts.
Additionally, we sent out 2 media releases to over 180 members of the press,stating our position in opposition of the Government recreational amenities closings.
At this point, I would like to recognize our member clubs for their meaningful contributions to the messaging from the tennis community. As many of you know one of our member-club Presidents, David Harris from Club de tennis Orléans Tennis Club, started an on-line petition, also requesting that the Province reverses its decision with respect to closing tennis facilities. The OTA endorsed the petition and asked all of you to also endorse it (and two other petitions) and forward it to your membership. The response was phenomenal! As of now over 40,000 people have signed David’s petition and another 53,500 have signed the other two!
Additionally, Kirsty Giles, the president of the Craig Henry Tennis Club in Nepean was contacted by CTV news for comments and spoke of the frustrations caused by this difficult ruling.
Finally, this past weekend, our new Board Chair Dianne Weatherby was featured in the Toronto Star, where, among other things, she was able to discuss how our clubs have paid strict attention to protocols and provided a safe environment for their players.
Thanks to all of you for your tremendous efforts!
While Premier Ford has yet to reverse his decision, we remain hopeful that in the light of mounting evidence being put forth by the medical community (and some politicians) stating that outdoor physical activity is safe when the proper protocols are adhered to, the Province will choose to re-open outdoor recreational amenities, including tennis, across Ontario ASAP. It is certainly obvious that he is aware of the backlash caused by his actions and we are hopeful that continuing the pressure on his Government will pay off.
Of course, I think we can all agree that sooner or later (hopefully sooner) our clubs and academies will re-open. When that happens, we still have some issues to deal with as a tennis community. Once the Stay-at-Home Order is lifted, we believe that municipalities will again be placed into one of the Covid-19 Zones and again will be obligated to interpret the vague provincial protocols. As you well know, trying to navigate these rules and the municipalities’ interpretations were confusing and frustrating for club managers and players. Not to mention the financial hardship felt by closed clubs, academies, and their employees.
While continuing to lobby the Provincial government to reconsider the club closing situation, the OTA has also begun to ask for meaningful changes to the protocol that unfairly penalizes our member clubs, players, and their staff. We have recently created a Safe Return to Tennis blueprint that we feel will help with the re-opening of tennis facilities in most Covid Zones. It is our hope that the Province and municipalities will consider it when reviewing their Covid Zone protocols moving forward. We have sent letters with the Safe Return document attached to the Premier, Minister MacLeod, 120 MPP’s, several cities and regions Mayors and Councilors (more to follow shortly) and members of the press. It is our hope that they will be compelled to review their protocol and adjust it accordingly.
At this juncture, would like to ask you for your help once again. We feel that in many cases our clubs have the strongest relationships with their respective local municipalities and politicians, particularly Parks and Rec departments in the case of community clubs. We are hopeful that you can take the time to examine the document, and if you agree with its content, forward it to the appropriate contacts and departments within your municipality for their consideration… and where possible, use your influence to encourage them to make appropriate policy changes.
Our hope is to persuade the Government of Ontario to adjust their recreation facility protocol equitably, and for all municipalities in Ontario to apply the rules concerning tennis facilities consistently. A top-down – bottom-up approach.
The OTA continues to feel that the most effective way to encourage the Province and municipalities to adjust their stance on tennis, is to show a united voice from our tennis community and to continue to voice our concerns.
Thank you in advance for your support with this matter.
Sincerely, James Boyce President and CEO Ontario Tennis Association 1 Shoreham Dr., Suite 200Toronto, ON M3N 3A7
Prior to this most recent announcement, we were all looking forward to kicking off our season this weekend and have our Spring Jr. Sessions begin at the beginning of May. Tennis play across our province has been affected with Fords announcement last week. With great regret, this means that we have to delay our Club Opening! The nets are up and the windscreens are a work in progress. We are hopeful that the courts will be reopened soon and have been given a date of May 20th and that our provincial government will support outdoor sports that can accommodate social distancing when the province begins to reopen.
As soon as we her any news in either direction, we will let you know with an updated message here.
In the meantime stay healthy, dust off your racket and find a wall to hit some balls. As Coach Dora said last year in our first lockdown “The wall is your most honest and relentless opponent!”
Club Opening is just around the corner! ALL Memberships and Lessons are to be purchased online at theparisclub.ca. We are getting a lot of great inquiries about our 2021 Tennis Season. Thank you to everyone who has purchased their membership and pre-registration lessons to secure spots for our “8-week Spring Session”, beginning early May.
Club Opening Day, is still a go for April 24th in this lockdown with some Covid Safety changes. We are planning for those who have purchased memberships to offer Curb Side Key Pick Up from 10am-2pm. If you are not able to pick up your key on this day please feel free to email info@theparisclub.ca and we can arrange an alternative day and time.
Jr. Lesson Tryouts are to be held on May 1st from 10-1pm. There is a limited number of spots with the lockdown so please ensure that you email our Head Coach Jourdyn jourdyn@theparisclub.ca to reserve a spot for your athlete to meet & hit some balls with other athletes and help our coaches ensure that all athletes with similar skills are grouped together. Lessons will begin early May, weather dependant. If you have purchased the pre- registration lesson package please ensure that you have also looked after getting the Jr. Membership as well.
2020 Tryouts
Let’s introduce our Coaches.
Head Coach Jourdyn Jourdyn is a University student at McMaster and started out volunteering with the PTC when she was in high school at PDHS. Jourdyn has been coaching with us for the past 3 years. She has a passion for tennis and supporting young athletes develop skills and increase their confidence on and off the courts. We are happy to have Jourdyn leading our young athletes with our Group Lessons, Semi private and private lessons.
Coach Dora Dora has been playing tennis since the age of 5. Dora runs The Stefanovic Tennis Academy to help tennis players reach their potential. Teodora has always emphasized a strong coach-athlete relationship, and prioritizes the mental and physical growth of all academy members. She works with several high profile junior players, including Team Canada members in U12 & U14 divisions. We are thrilled that Dora will be coaching our Intermediate Adult programming and Intermediate/Advanced Jr. Lessons on Wednesdays alongside Jourdyn.
Coach Maureen Maureen has been with the PTC since the beginning. She recently retired from PDHS as a Physical education teacher and head coach for the high school Tennis team. She coached Jourdyn and has been a mentor for so many young athletes in Paris on the courts. We look forward to having Maureen continue to support the growth of our young Jr. Athletes as well our Adult Beginner program.
Coach Tom Tom has had a passion for Tennis since he was a young boy. Joining the Club in its grass roots he quickly became an advocate for more tennis in our community. Tom brings such a positive inclusive energy to the courts that will not go unnoticed. He loves this sport as it is a sport that you can play for life. We are happy that Tom will be working with Jourdyn to support our Jr. programming as well our Adult Beginner programming.
Coach Julie Julie has been volunteering with the club early in its growth. She is a Fitness Coach that supports the other coaches on and off the courts. She is a Yoga instructor and has a passion for moving your body in a way that uplifts you and supports your mental and physical health. We look forward to having Julie support our Adult Fitness and Beginner programming together with Tom.
*Please note that during this pandemic we are following the guidlines set out by the OTA and County of Brant. During our Spring season Please note that the courts are on school property and members are not able to access the courts during school hours.
I trust that everyone had a safe and happy winter filled with as much outdoor activities as you desired. Now the birds begin to sing and the tennis courts begin to shine! Spring is officially here and the obvious questions then present….. When are the nets going up? How can I get a membership? When can I get a Key to the courts?
I’m happy to let you know that the nets will be going up at the beginning of April. You can get your PTC Membership online NOW! Yes that’s right, NOW! simply log onto our site theparisclub.ca and register for your membership. Our Club Opening Day is set for April 24th 10am-2pm (weather dependant). At which point you can pick up your key and meet some of of our board members, coaches and other players from your community.
If you are new to the club, welcome! We are looking forward to meeting you and sharing our passion for tennis. We have an annual tradition, we welcome our members to come out on Opening Day with some leaf bags, garbage bag, a rack (if you have one), a pair of gloves and help us tidy around the courts picking up all the leaves & winter debris. This is just one of our opportunities to show the school and the county how much we appreciate these 4 beautiful courts that are well maintained in our community.
We are looking at kicking off our Jr. Programming at the beginning of May weather dependant. Registration for our Programs will be online as well. We will be holding tryouts for everyone interested in Jr. Programming on Saturday May 1st from 10am-1. Please email your registration for this day to Coach Jourdyn. Please indicate your child(rens) Name, Age and Time slot.
Then there is the big pink elephant in the room that everyone is exhausted hearing about and talking about but is essential. Yup, that’s right, COVID! The PTC follows the guidelines that are put into place by the OTA (Ontario Tennis Association) and work with the County of Brant to ensure that safe play is top priority. The County looks after sanitation stations around the courts along with porta potty. It is important that we respect the rules that are put in place as Tennis is a sport that we all love and want to have available to us. The rules are constantly changing so please keep yourself informed and know that we are in this together.
Yours in Good Health, PTC Board
P.S. Stay up to date with all PTC news by signing up for our news letter or follow us on FB.
The PTC is a member of the OTA (Ontario Tennis Association). As we are preparing our 2021 season we want you to know our board members are all volunteers that work hard to create a safe playing environment for our members during our programming to allow development of a beautiful sport and a fun atmosphere to play. Please note that the courts are shared with other members of the community and organized programming and may follow different guidelines. We are not here to police others on and around the court. We are here to ensure that we can create a Fun and Safe environment for our members and do this by following the OTA COVID Response Framework for Outdoor Tennis. SEE YOU ON THE COURTS!
Hey Tennis Team! Thanks to all our players for making the first half of our 2020 season a great success and so much fun! With so many new players and so many players continuing to improve their skills and athletic capabilities, all our coaches can see the hard work paying off that you are putting in! Next Week is Lesson Week #8 (Final Week), and so we will have concluded PTC Session # 1 by August 8th.
As a reward for our players, we will be running a FUN DAY Challenge Session for Red and Orange Level Beginners on Monday, August 10th at 4pm. Players from classes on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, some Wednesday players (at their discretion) and private lesson students will be invited to this session where players will be challenged by coaches to achieve a certain goal on target practice or rally skills in order to earn points, climb the leaderboard and win prizes. This is intended as a fun competition for players who are not ready for full match play. Register Here for your spot via email in the FUN DAY Play Session . [warning: candy prizes may be included]
For all players in intermediate and advanced lesson groupings, we will be running a multi-day junior tournament at PTC! Here’s how the show will run:
Draws will be set for entry into Qualifying and Round 1. Matches to be scheduled beginning at 4pm on Wednesday, August 12th. Based on entries received and court time available, BYE’S may be granted to some players, and play divisions may be set by coaches rankings. Play will conclude with Day 2 – QF, Semi-Finals, and Finals (as required) beginning at 4pm on Thursday, August 13th. Play will be scheduled to conclude no later than 7pm on Thursday.
Awards ceremony will follow during the next week of lessons to honour the tournament champions.
All participants will receive a small prize for their participation, as well as light fruit and snacks provided by the PTC during the play sessions.
Both the 2020 Junior Invitational Tournament and the 2020 FUN DAY Challenge Play are free for all current PTC junior members to participate.
New Lesson Series
I’m happy to announce our next round of lessons will be scheduled for 6 weeks and is scheduled to begin on the week of August 17th. This puts the class on schedule concluded by week of September 21st, with no weather delays. When school begins in the fall, we have been informed that we will not be given access to any courts during school hours, so all lesson groupings will be run in the evening and weekend slots we have been provided. The coaches will determine player interest from registrations and tryouts and will allocate students for best fit of lesson grouping. In order to accommodate this variability, a lesson product for pre-registration has been made available on the site for purchase if you want to secure your spot on court. Please Note that while the purchase of this product will hold your lesson spot, if the coaches determine we have sufficient players of advanced level capability to run a longer (more than 1 hour) or more involved program, there may be an additional cost required for the additional coaching time.https://theparisclub.ca/product/2020-lesson-series-2-pre-registration-product/
All time slots to be allocated by coaches. These hours are court priority for PTC and we have access to allocate 6 students / 1 coach. At 7 students for a single session, a second coach will be allocated an so on, as interest and availability persist. Our goals are to get as many students learning and hitting with their peers as a enhancement to private lesson and casual social play activities. Coaches have indicated seem availability for private lessons continuing through the summer season.
We are going through some hard times these days and I know we all want to get out and play tennis. Sadly our courts in behind the Paris district high school have been and are still closed due to COVID-19. We have been advised by the County of Brant that they will not consider the reopening of the courts until April 6th, at the earliest. As soon as we have more information to report on the reopening dates of the courts, we will send out a message to you via this mailing list.
Memberships are currently available for sale online for the 2020 season. If we are unable to open and run a full season of programming those who have already purchased memberships for the 2020 season will either have the option to extend their membership one extra year without charge or get a full refund.
At this time our opening day get-together may need to be postponed, but at this time we are still hoping to be all to run all of our regular seasonal events, including 2020 club championship and summer fun tournament.
Lesson programming is currently available for registration on the website, however at this time we recommend holding off on signing up due to the uncertainty of our start dates. We hope to be able to offer a full season of lesson programming but we are most concerned at this time about being good citizens of the community.
Thank you for your patience,
Sincerely,
Hudson Tranmer Jr. Member & Volunteer Paris Tennis Club
