BJK Cup at Rosedale TC

On July 20th, the Rosedale Tennis Club hosted the beautiful Billie Jean King Cup trophy. The trophy – emblematic of the world championship of women’s team tennis – was won by Team Canada in Seville Spain in November 2023. As a result, Tennis Canada was given possession of the cup for a year, and invited clubs across the country to propose special occasions at which it could be the star attraction.

The time period for Ontario was to be between July 4th and August 7th. The occasion was to include professional development opportunities for women leaders and inspiration for the next generation of female players. Two important initiatives were interwoven : one being the Game-Set-Equity strategy, designed to advance gender equity in tennis; the other being Girls-Set-Match, a team play-day specifically created for young girls.

The Rosedale TC board of directors enthusiastically offered their courts and clubhouse, and planning began in May with Kerry Dwyer-Mitchell heading the host committee. Nothing ever unfolds easily for something new, but Kerry and her team were relentlessly positive and a superb day was the result.

Boundless thanks are due to Kerry, to president Dave Scott, to club manager Vince Ormond and tennis director Mike Kool, to the Tennis Canada team led by Toni Ormond, and to the OTA team led by Ely Schwartz.

Here’s the story in pictures :

Pauline Makk and the security detail from Tennis Canada put the display in place, after which Rosedale TC president Dave Scott and Councillor Tammy Hwang were among the speakers. Club members and other well-wishers had gathered to share in the celebration.

The focus of the day was on women and girls, as leaders and as players. By 2:00, a total of 32 young girls had arrived from SWR and beyond, as well as 12 coaches from throughout the region. They were divided into four teams, each with 8 players and 3 coach/mentors.

Two hours of activity ensued, with the players enjoying the red clay courts outside, as well as the hartru courts inside the dome. For most, at least one of those elements was a first-ever.

We began with getting-to-know-you activities, including identification with the assigned team colors. This was followed by three cycles of games : teams competing with each other on a total- score basis. Games included short-court red-ball, triples with orange balls, and queen-of-the-court within each team.

The grand finale was a picnic supper in the courtyard, which had been decorated in red and white for the occasion. The tent, the picnic tables, the decorations, balloons and flowers had all been prepared by volunteers from the club. A splendid cake as well as ice cream treats capped everything off.

It was an honour for each of us to share in the celebration of Team Canada’s victory in the Billie Jean King Cup finals. We can assure them we’ve taken inspiration from their achievement and will work to build on it in the year to come. These girls and young women are exceptional in so many ways, and are eager for opportunities to demonstrate their capacity for leadership and learning.