Medicine Hat Tennis Club hosts first-ever Outdoor Junior Open

Junior tennis athletes from across the province descended on Medicine Hat from June 20-23 to participate in the Outdoor Alberta Junior Open. This was the first Outdoor Junior Open held in the province, and the second Junior Open ever – the first one took place February 15-18 at the Tennis Academy.

The Medicine Hat Tennis Club showed tremendous support for this new event. A number of club members came out to cheer on Alberta’s junior players. They helped ensured the tournament ran smoothly, drying courts and supplying homemade cinnamon buns to the athletes.

“Events like this are important because they allow the sport to grow in locations outside of Edmonton and Calgary. There were a few Medicine Hat players who

competed and are now looking to travel and play other tournaments, and become a part of the competitive structure,” comments Derek van den Berg, Technical Manager, Tournament and Provincial Programs “High Performance is pyramid shaped, and the more players we can have in the system, or the bigger the base, the higher summit we can have, so it’s important to try to get all of the communities involved.”

Hosting tournaments across the province also allows players to see new locations. Junior players had the opportunity to see the quality of Medicine Hat Tennis Club’s facilities. Once-a-year events such as this help create memories for Alberta’s young players fostering a life-long love of the sport.