Your child's first tennis tournament: a parent's guide (Ontario)

In Ontario, the entry-level tournament for starter juniors is a "Rookie" event on the Rogers First Set Tour, run by Tennis Ontario (the OTA). Rookie events are for beginners from 6 to 16. They are round robins, every player gets at least three matches, and there are no ranking points. To enter, you need an OTA membership, and you sign up online at ota.tournamentsoftware.com.

Everything below about formats and rules comes from Tennis Ontario and from Tennis Canada: its rulebook, the Rules of the Court, and its guide for tournaments. The advice on what to pack and what to say is mine.

Is your child ready?

Tennis Canada calls regular match play essential. It's where children practice focus, effort, emotional control and sportsmanship. I'd look for three things first:

1. They can serve to start a point, even if it's an underhand serve on a small court.
2. They can keep score and say it out loud.
3. They can call the lines on their own side, fairly, including against themselves.

Before I tell a family their child is ready, I also look for a reliable serve percentage, good footwork, the ability to rally more than six shots consistently, a first idea of strategy and shot combinations, and control of their emotions when things go wrong.

How the levels work in Ontario

Tennis Ontario's junior competition has steps. A first tournament is almost always the first one in this list.

Players ranked in the top 50 in U12, or top 100 in U14 and U16, in Ontario can't enter Rookie events. They're for newer players.

What a Rookie event looks like

Each Rookie event is a round robin with no playoff. Your child plays everyone in their group and is guaranteed at least three matches. The age group goes by birth year, and the format by age:

Draws may be combined if too few players enter. Every player gets a Rookie item at each event. If your child's ball stage doesn't match their age group yet, our article on tennis ball stages explains the balls and courts.

How to enter, step by step

1. Get an OTA membership (Rookie or Junior) through the link on Tennis Ontario's Rookie page. You'll set up a Tournament Software account.
2. Send proof of age to [email protected]: a birth certificate, passport or health card.
3. Find an event: search "Rookie" on ota.tournamentsoftware.com.
4. Enter online before the deadline. Tournament directors don't accept manual entries, and spots depend on how many courts the host club has.
5. Read the blue information box on the tournament page. Host clubs add their own details there.
6. Check the draw the night before and the morning of the event. Changes come by email from the tournament director. Payment is usually made on site.

On the day

• Check in at the desk at least 15 minutes before your child's match time, as Tennis Ontario asks. Being late costs games: under Tennis Canada's rules, which Tennis Ontario's events follow, up to 5 minutes late means losing the toss plus one game, and more than 15 minutes is a default.
• The warm-up is no more than 5 minutes.
• Players call the lines on their own side. A ball your child isn't sure about is good. If they doubt the other player's call, they can ask: "Are you sure of your call?" If the other player is sure, the call stands. If they aren't sure, your child wins the point.
• The server says the score before every point. Short and loud.
• After the match, both players go to the desk together, return the balls and report the score. That score is the official one.

What to pack

My list for a first event:

• Water, and a snack for between matches
• Racket, and a second one if you have it
• A spare shirt and socks
• Hat and sunscreen outdoors; a warm layer for waiting indoors
• A small towel
• Something quiet to do between matches

The things parents forget most often: the extra racket and the extra water.

How to behave as a parent

This is the part that matters most, and Tennis Canada is clear about it. In its guide for tournaments, it says players may not receive coaching during a match, and that communication of any kind between a player and a parent, by voice or by gestures, may be treated as coaching. A player can also be penalized, even defaulted, for a parent's behavior.

Tennis Canada's list for parents and coaches:

In practice that means: sit where your child can see you, clap good points by either player, and say nothing about line calls. If a match is going badly wrong, the tournament director or an official deals with it, not a parent. Our article on staying calm under pressure has a few exact sentences to use before and after.

The most common mistake I see at a first tournament: parents coaching their children during the match. Leave the coaching for practice.

After the match

Report the score with your child. Then a drink and a snack. Save the questions for later, and keep them to one: "What's one thing you'd do differently next time?" Write down the answer. After a few events, read the list together.

Losing is part of it. Tennis Canada suggests that, over time, children should win about three matches for every one they lose: winning builds confidence and losing keeps them motivated. If your child loses everything at their first event, that's normal. If they keep losing most matches for months, ask the coach about the level they play at.

Questions parents ask

Do we need a coach to enter a tournament?

No. You need an active OTA membership, proof of age sent to Tennis Ontario, and an online entry through Tournament Software before the deadline. A coach can help you pick the right event, but any eligible player with a membership can enter while spots last.

Can I give my child advice during the match?

No. Tennis Canada's tournament guide says players may not receive coaching during a match, and any communication between player and parent, spoken or by gestures, may count as coaching. Coaching is allowed only in matches with a chair umpire, from designated seats, when the referee allows it.

What if the other child keeps making bad line calls?

Your child can ask, calmly: "Are you sure of your call?" If the other player is sure, the call stands; if not, the point goes to your child. If it keeps happening, your child can ask the tournament director or an official to come to the court. Parents should never step in.

Are there ranking points at a Rookie event?

No. Rookie events have no ranking points. Rising Stars, for U9 and U10 players, has its own points race. The first ranking points come at the 2 Star level.

How many matches will my child play?

At least three. Rookie events are round robins with no playoff, so your child plays everyone in their group even after a loss.

What happens if we're late?

Under Tennis Canada's rules, a player who isn't ready loses the toss and one game for up to 5 minutes late, two games up to 10 minutes and three games up to 15 minutes. After 15 minutes it's a default. Tennis Ontario asks players to check in at least 15 minutes early.