Tennis Saskatchewan Programs & Services

Tennis Sask. Office Address & Hours

Tennis Saskatchewan Awards Program
Each year Awards are given to players and volunteers for their contribution to tennis. Volunteer Recognition Awards are presented annually to committed volunteers. Leadership Awards, Honour Awards, and the Club of the Year are presented periodically to deserving individuals and clubs. Junior Awards (Most Outstanding Male and Female, Most Improved Male and Female, and Most Sportsmanlike Male and Female) are presented annually to deserving athletes.
Coaching Development (NCCP)
The intent of Tennis Canada's Coaching Certification System is to develop qualified coaches who can help:

Ensure that tennis is an enjoyable recreational activity which can be played by people of all ages and abilities.
Ensure that high performance athletes improve their success at the regional, provincial, national and/or international level.

Tennis Canada's Coaching Certification System is part of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). There are six levels in Tennis Canada's Certification System. The Tennis Instructor Level is not part of the NCCP's initial structure but has been added by Tennis Canada as part of the NCCP certification requirements. The last five levels are a part of the NCCP: Coach 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Each level has certain requirements; namely, courses, or a study program and an assessment of coaching effectiveness.
Certification System - Levels
Tennis Instructor

Provides the Instructor with the knowledge, communication and implementation skills to set-up and run drills for group lessons from the 1.0 to 2.5 levels. The Instructor can deliver the Introductory Instructional Programs including the:
- Introductory Adult and Junior Lessons
- Skill Development Manual
- 'Play Tennis' Kids Awards
- Self-Rating Guide

Provides the Instructor with information relating to tennis as a profession, including: The Sport System, Club & Program Marketing, Programming, The Tennis Professional (Tennis as Occupation), Volunteer Recruitment and Retention, and the Management Principles of Operating Clubs/Programs.
Coach 1 ('Assistant Coach')
Prepares coaches to work with recreational level players and will ensure that the Coach has the necessary skills to implement the most frequent activities required at a tennis facility. These activities will include both on and off court skills imperative to properly service the clientele at a club, camp or any other tennis program.
1. Off-Court Responsibilities
This Course will insure that the coach has a customer service orientation and hence, has the ability to communicate effectively in their daily interaction with the members, both on and off court. This also entails specific skills such as telephone skills, dealing with conflict and with parents of junior players. The Course will also insure that coaches have the ability to organize and run the most common types of programming which occur in clubs including: tournaments, round-robins, ladders and leagues.
2. On-Court Responsibilities
This Course will insure the Coach has the ability to implement the most common on court activities for the 2.5 to 4.0 level player. These activities include:

giving a Private Lesson
giving a Group Lesson
designing and planning Lesson Content

The Coach 1 will be able to plan, present, set-up and run lesson content for these situations.
Coach 2, Coach 3, Coach 4, and Coach 5 follow Coach 1 Certification.
For further information on the Tennis Canada / National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP), please contact the Tennis Saskatchewan Office.

Developmental/High Performance Training Camps and Competitions
Tennis Saskatchewan organizes training camps for its developmental and high performance junior athletes. Training camps are also organized prior to major Games (Western Canada and Canada Games). Out of province competitive opportunities are provided to our Sask First junior athletes.
Grassroots/Introductory Clinics ('Instant Tennis')
'Instant Tennis' / Grassroots Community clinics, lessons are delivered to approximately 15 communities each year. 'Instant Tennis' - six lessons designed to enable an adult (including teenagers) to play full court tennis by the end of the sixth lesson. The content can easily be adapted to teach children how to play 'mini tennis'.
Handbook and Tournament Guide, 'Court Talk'
An annual Handbook and Tournament Guide is produced each year to provide Clubs and potential Clubs with information related to Tennis Saskatchewan. Contact names, directors, programs and services, award winners, tournament schedule, are just some of the material found in the Handbook.
The Newsletter 'Court Talk' is produced two (2) times a year and provides up to date information on tournaments and current tennis news.
With the aid of its Member Clubs, Tennis Saskatchewan produces and distributes an annual sanctioned tournament schedule and tournament registration forms.
Insurance
Accident insurance - the coverage extends to players, managers, coaches, trainers, executives, general managers, and/or officials if injured while participating in a practice session, game training camp, tournaments approved by and under the supervision of proper authority of the association or traveling as a group directly to or from such practice sessions. It also extends to assist in paying for accidental death, tuition fees, emergency transportation, fractures and dislocation indemnity. The coverage is 'no fault' insurance. No liability or negligence is required to claim, only an injury during an insured activity.
Membership Assistance Program (MAP)
Purpose: To provide funds directly to Saskatchewan Tennis Clubs for the development of athletes by access to coaching, training and competition.
The MAP Grant may be used for several projects. Some suggestions are:
Providing instruction for local players of all ages and skill levels by:

Kid's tennis program
Youth tennis program (under 11, under 14, and under 18 Club Training Program)
Adult 'learn to play' programs
Assisting local players to attend coaching courses
Assisting local players to attend officials courses
Holding community or regional clinics featuring experienced and qualified coaches
Holding tournaments or recreational events or assisting local players to travel to such events
Purchasing necessary equipment (i.e. ball machines, hoppers, racquets, balls to conduct tennis programs)
Purchase of kids tennis kits for School Programs
Junior tennis camps

Eligibility: To be eligible for the Grant, the Club must be affiliated with Tennis Saskatchewan.
National Championships for Juniors, Seniors
Saskatchewan junior athletes qualify for, and participate in, Indoor and Outdoor Junior Nationals (Under 14, Under 16, and Under 18). Our junior athletes also participate in other national junior competitions.
Officials Development

The Tennis Canada Officiating System offers a progressive and integrated approach to the development of trained officials within Canada. Tennis Saskatchewan will offer officiating clinics to those people / Clubs who want to develop officials, using the above approach.

The officiating certification system recognizes the categories of officials - Line Umpire, Chair Umpire, Roving Umpire, Referee, Chief of Officials, Trainer / Evaluator.
'Play Tennis' Kids Awards Program
Purpose of the 'Play Tennis' Kids Awards Program:

Designed for children ages 6 to 11.
Meant to welcome young people to tennis, the 'sport of a lifetime' and keep them involved in a variety of tennis-related activities.
Organized for implementation by instructors, coaches, and teachers at any location offering tennis, including clubs, community centres, schools and parks.
Divided into a combination of progressive on-court technical awards and off-court knowledge awards related to tennis development.

Please contact the Tennis Saskatchewan Office for further information.
'Play Tennis' Self-Rating Guide
The 'Play Tennis' Self-Rating Guide is a versatile programming tool that can increase the number of players, and the enjoyment of those players, at your Club. The Self-Rating Guide is a classification system which identifies and describes levels of tennis ability. The rating categories are generalizations about skill levels. Players may rate themselves and/or have a qualified instructor or coach rate them.
Ratings can be used informally as a general guide between players to identify playing standards, or they can be used more formally by your Club as a method of establishing consistent playing levels for lesson groups, leagues, tournaments and special events.
For further information, or if you want a 'Play Tennis' Self-Rating Guide Brochure, please contact your Club or Tennis Saskatchewan.
'Play Tennis' Tennis Coordinator Program
Objective is to provide volunteers and coaches with a concise overview of how tennis is organized, and to provide suggestions on how to introduce and enhance tennis activities in local tennis communities. The 3.5 hour clinics will be scheduled throughout the year. For further information, please contact the Tennis Saskatchewan Office .
Provincials Championships/Tournaments for Children, Youth, Adults and Seniors
Tennis Saskatchewan sanctions over 25 tournaments per year. Provincial Championships are held for the following age groups and abilities:

Indoor - Open, 'B', Junior, Junior 'B', Senior
Outdoor - Open, 'B', Junior, Junior 'B', Senior

Rankings
Official yearly provincial rankings are produced for most sanctioned categories. Ranking policies can be found on pages 36 - 37 of the Handbook.
School Tennis
Thousands of children are introduced to the sport of tennis annually through the School Tennis Program. The School Tennis Program is specifically designed for children in Grades 1 to 3. A provincial elementary school curriculum has been designed by Tennis Canada with three important concepts playing a prominent role. They are:

Body Awareness - focuses on the movement of individual parts of the body and the whole body in relation to the use of the parts.
Space - relates to activities that focus on personal space and general space (near & far, close & distant, beside, above, below) re: relationship with one's personal environment.
Relationship - important to movement. How a child relates to other individuals and equipment used are an important part of growth and development.

Tennis Development Centres
Tennis Development Centres, formerly known as Youth Tennis Centres, will serve both high performance and participation development needs. TDC's will serve as the hub for community tennis development plans, since they are designed to interact with schools, parks and community clubs as well as performing a role in high performance player development. At the present time, Saskatchewan has three (3) Tennis Development Centres, Advantage Tennis Centre Inc., People's Courts - Lakewood Indoor Tennis Centre (both TDC's are in Saskatoon) as well as the SASK FIRST Tennis Program in Regina.
For further information, please contact the Tennis Saskatchewan Office .
Tennis Saskatchewan Website
Tennis Saskatchewan has modified its website on the Internet (www.tennissask.com). The website features key information about Saskatchewan tennis, including key programs and services.
Tournament Travel Assistance Program
Financial assistance is available to affiliated members for travel to major out of province Open and Senior events. Application forms are available at the Tennis Saskatchewan Office.
Wheelchair Tennis
Tennis Saskatchewan encourages the development of wheelchair tennis and may include wheelchair tennis in some sanctioned tournaments each year.
For more information on Tennis Saskatchewan programs and services, contact the Tennis Saskatchewan Office .