Young tennis players in Sarnia will be able to test their skills against other athletes from nearby regions.
The Ontario Tennis Association (OTA) West Region Junior Tournament is scheduled to take place at the Sarnia Tennis Club on Saturday, August 21.
OTA tournaments were not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, instead of organizing the usual eight events, there are only two being held in Sarnia and Amherstburg.
West Region OTA Representative Nancy Loeffler-Caro said there will be timed matches so that athletes won't need to linger around the court and only need to be present for their match.
"I think with the COVID situation, parents are just grateful to be able to have something that their kids can actually plan and be involved in for the summer," she said.
In past years, Loeffler-Caro said this tournament would typically see 30 to 40 participants.
"We're hopeful it'll be a good turnout," said Shamel Hosni, president of the Sarnia Tennis Club and OTA West Region board member.
He said the local junior program has been very successful but it will be good for players to have exposure to other competitors.
"They play with people in their groups throughout the summer but to give them that opportunity to be exposed to an OTA Tournament is very exciting and I think it's being well received," said Hosni.
Loeffler-Caro said the OTA West Region Tournament launched in 2011 but has expanded over the years to include more age groups and events, considering there aren't many regional tournaments.
She said it's also exciting to see young athletes make progress as they begin competing in larger tournaments. At Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) tournaments, Loeffler-Caro said the majority of players used to be from the Toronto area but more competitors in this region have started going out onto the clay court.
"You could actually see from these tournaments that these players were improving," she said. "Their level of play actually improved quite a bit from what we started."
Loeffler-Caro and Hosni both said Matt Mueller is a prime example of how someone can start in the juniors and work their way up to playing on the international circuit.
"He's one of the people who grew up in the Sarnia Tennis Club. He started from junior and there are others like him who were exposed to tournaments outside of Sarnia," said Hosni. "That's how he developed his skills."
Mueller, who is also an instructor at the Sarnia club, will be running the event this year.
"I really enjoy helping out the kids that play in these tournaments because I get to see a bit of myself in them," said Mueller in an emailed statement. "During the tournament, I just want to see them enjoying themselves, but also working to get better."
The clubs included in the OTA West Region span from St. Thomas and London to west Windsor, which includes Sarnia-Lambton and Chatham-Kent. The registration deadline for the tournament is at 6 p.m. on August 18.
