Not content with playing an ICTA match every Wednesday, Kathy drives into Kew Gardens with two other long time West end players, Dale Kocicz and Pam Olley, to compete in the Premier Division of the Toronto Ladies Tennis League every Monday night. The competitive fire still burns in Kathy and she would enjoy testing herself against teams from other parts of Canada when the Miele League Challenge rolls out nationally. “We do tend to play the same players season after season, so it would be great to see what BC or Quebec would bring to the court.”
The next year, tennis came into her life BIG TIME. Every day, for the entire year, she would play tennis with a friend for at least two hours. Some days she would be fortunate enough to play tennis for four and sometimes five hours. Everybody at the club she belonged to helped out whenever they could by calling her to fill in for the ladies league matches, mixed league matches and even an occasional men’s league match.
That tennis regime allowed Barbara to get what was left of her right lung (one-third) to 65 per cent breathing capacity, and now, she can run around the courts with the best of them. Six years later, she plays B1 for Tam Heather in the Toronto Ladies Daytime League. She's a survivor and, of those really awful days, she “remembers just how far tennis has brought me with my health. It’s an awesome sport that I'm proud to be a part of and I look forward to doing it for many, many years to come”.
Giving back to the sport that helped her so much is now a priority in Barbara’s life. She volunteers on many different committees, one resulting in a $75,000 grant for the Glendale Tennis Club. “It’s an awesome sport that I'm proud to be a part of and I look forward to playing for many, many years to come'”
Recognized by the OTA for Outstanding Club Achievement, the Wanless Tennis Club is one of many Parks and Recreation facilities in the GTA that provide a full summer tennis program. Although the courts are built and maintained by the city, public clubs succeed through the efforts of volunteers from within the local community. An executive is voted in, pros are hired, kids’ camps are organized, tryouts for league teams are held and captains cajoled into duty. Public courts are an inexpensive way to play the sport we love and they provide the majority of people with their first tennis experience. At approximately $85 per person or $200 for the whole family, clubs like Wanless prove that tennis is an affordable and accessible sport. The addition of new or improved tennis facilities in Canada is critical to the growth of the sport and is also a key initiative for Tennis Canada and the provincial associations.
Of course, once you fall in love with tennis you quickly decide you want more. The Toronto Ladies Evening League provides six levels of play and caters to working women. It’s a great avenue for introducing new players to organized competition. Additionally, league play is a great social outlet. After all, Wanless’ Sarah Wolf is a league player by night and a baker by day. She bakes a special treat for every home match, which means Monday’s Toronto Ladies League Division 5 match between Wanless and Wychwood sported a fabulous cake in the shape of a tennis court.
A Survivor’s Story
Barbara Jasper, a mother of three young children, started playing tennis in 1999 at the age of 32 as a way to stay fit. In 2001, even though she was a non-smoker, Barbara was diagnosed with lung cancer. She had surgery to remove two-thirds of her right lung, with no chemotherapy or radiation treatments to follow. She thought, “that's it, all done, I am so thankful for my husband because he became Mother, Father, referee, maid, breadwinner and everything else in between. His sense of humour kept us all going on those really down days.”The next year, tennis came into her life BIG TIME. Every day, for the entire year, she would play tennis with a friend for at least two hours. Some days she would be fortunate enough to play tennis for four and sometimes five hours. Everybody at the club she belonged to helped out whenever they could by calling her to fill in for the ladies league matches, mixed league matches and even an occasional men’s league match.
That tennis regime allowed Barbara to get what was left of her right lung (one-third) to 65 per cent breathing capacity, and now, she can run around the courts with the best of them. Six years later, she plays B1 for Tam Heather in the Toronto Ladies Daytime League. She's a survivor and, of those really awful days, she “remembers just how far tennis has brought me with my health. It’s an awesome sport that I'm proud to be a part of and I look forward to doing it for many, many years to come”.
Giving back to the sport that helped her so much is now a priority in Barbara’s life. She volunteers on many different committees, one resulting in a $75,000 grant for the Glendale Tennis Club. “It’s an awesome sport that I'm proud to be a part of and I look forward to playing for many, many years to come'”
Let Them Eat Cake
It’s not always about how long you’ve played or how hard you hit the ball. Sometimes it’s about being brave enough to start something new late in life, how hard you try, and what there is to eat after the match.Recognized by the OTA for Outstanding Club Achievement, the Wanless Tennis Club is one of many Parks and Recreation facilities in the GTA that provide a full summer tennis program. Although the courts are built and maintained by the city, public clubs succeed through the efforts of volunteers from within the local community. An executive is voted in, pros are hired, kids’ camps are organized, tryouts for league teams are held and captains cajoled into duty. Public courts are an inexpensive way to play the sport we love and they provide the majority of people with their first tennis experience. At approximately $85 per person or $200 for the whole family, clubs like Wanless prove that tennis is an affordable and accessible sport. The addition of new or improved tennis facilities in Canada is critical to the growth of the sport and is also a key initiative for Tennis Canada and the provincial associations.
Of course, once you fall in love with tennis you quickly decide you want more. The Toronto Ladies Evening League provides six levels of play and caters to working women. It’s a great avenue for introducing new players to organized competition. Additionally, league play is a great social outlet. After all, Wanless’ Sarah Wolf is a league player by night and a baker by day. She bakes a special treat for every home match, which means Monday’s Toronto Ladies League Division 5 match between Wanless and Wychwood sported a fabulous cake in the shape of a tennis court.
News Archive | May 29 2008 | June 5 2008
June 19 2008 | June 26 2008 | July 3 2008
July 10 2008 | July 17 2008 | July 31 2008
August 14 2008 | September 4 2008
September 11 2008
Miele League Challenge Ambassadors Visit your League Match
Snapping a photo at a league match near you…it’s the Miele League Challenge Ambassador team. Tennis Canada, in association with the Ontario Tennis Association, has deployed a team of tennis enthusiasts to cover your Toronto Ladies League, Toronto Men’s League or Inter County Tennis Association league match this summer.Charged with promoting the new Miele League Challenge and the growth of organized league tennis in Canada, the Ambassadors will attend matches at more than 30 clubs that have agreed to fly the Miele League Challenge banner on their courts. The Ambassadors will be taking photos of you in action and capturing your tennis stories. We want to know: Why do you play league tennis? How would you like to play a match during the finals weekend at the Rogers Cup? Would you like to come out to support the teams who do qualify? Would it be exciting to you, to one day compete against teams from another league, city or province in an organized National League playoff? Cory, Lucy, Graham, Greg and Angela look forward to your answers to those questions and to making you famous for a week!
Stories from the matches are published every week in this newsletter, which is sent to all players in the three leagues. Plus, every story stays on the Miele League Challenge Website. It’s going to be a great summer for league tennis in the GTA. There are giveaways at matches and an exclusive online contest for league players. Sign up for your chance to win a trip to the 2009 Rogers Cup in style!
Bridging the Generation Gap
An excited Paul Downey, a Cricket Club member and league player, put down the post match pitchers and high-fived his partner “Five and oh. Man, we are undefeated!” Paul pulled off his hat and ruffled his graying hair, then handed his young partner a glass. It turns out that Paul’s partner, Logan Winston, turned 19 last week and can now join his team in a little post match celebratory beverage.Recreational tennis leagues provide a unique opportunity for people of all ages to compete together, as the majority of tennis leagues are organized around ability and not age. Of course there are Senior leagues, like the +55 Inter County Tennis Association, but most of those +55 players will still play for a regular team. Even if they used to play A division and now play C division, regular weekly matches keep them sharp. Plus there is no better feeling than beating someone 30 or 40 years one’s junior with some tricky slice, backspin or a perfectly placed lob!
Playing according to ability means that an experienced player like Paul, who competed as a junior and has been heavily involved in tennis for most of his life, can be paired with a young, fast, power hitter like Logan. A potent combination of youth and experience…”Five and oh man, Five and oh!”
Paul and Logan’s win helped move their team into first place in the Toronto Men’s League A2 division, giving them a decent shot of representing the Cricket Club on July 27 at the Rexall Centre during the Rogers Cup.
