Players are identified starting at 11 years old for Tennis Canada’s U15 prospect team. The structure is meant to help track, monitor, support and develop young prospects as they progress through the Whole Player Development Pathway (WPDP).
The team comes together twice annually for camps with the kids grouped together by age. This spring, four camps were held in Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto. Each camp carries multiple objectives as the players transition from stage 3 (development) of the WPDP and into stage 4 (consolidation). So, the focus is on developing their on-court awareness, helping to understand the importance of high-performance habits, on and off the court, and strengthening their competitive mindset. Even more importantly, an emphasis is put on ensuring that the players grow as people by instilling four core values: respect, discipline, effort, and coachability, a willingness to learn from constructive feedback.
Photo by: Darren Calabrese
“We want to bring the best players together to create a competitive environment that fuels the passion to play matches in both singles and doubles,” said Melissa Lacroix, Senior Director, High Performance at Tennis Canada. “We provide observations and feedback to the players’ coaches back home to keep their progression going.”
Another benefit to the camps is the opportunity to offer a holistic approach to player development. They are exposed to every aspect of support that Tennis Canada provides including nutrition, mental performance, and overall wellness. It prepares the players for the rigors of the Full-Time National Tennis Centre presented by Rogers in Montreal which many hope is part of their journey in the sport.
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Not to mention that assembling the top players in each of the U15 age groups together in one place drives everyone to be better. It’s propelled the current girls’ prospects in particular to new heights as the quality within their team continues to improve and the quantity keeps growing.
“It’s great because they’re pushing each other, they grew up together and have been playing alongside each other for a while,” Lacroix explained. “Getting more access to opportunities, to traveling to play more tournaments is important for them. Especially with the girls at the younger ages because they develop sooner than the boys.”
At the conclusion of the spring camps, the focus shifts to the summer tournament schedule which Is highlighted by the Outdoor Fischer Junior Nationals and some competition tours planned in Europe. From there, choices are made for next year’s U15 prospect team and the October camps.
Feature photo by: Sarah-Jäde Champagne
