Public Participation and Recruiting

The League is striving to be a welcoming, diverse and inclusive place. To that end, we have specific initiatives with that goal in mind, including those below.

Public Participation

We want to include, to the extent feasible, senior tennis players who are members of tennis clubs without a team in the league or who are members of the public at large. Accordingly, we have created a team we have named Stanley Park for that express purpose. The Stanley Park team is made up of both members of the public who play tennis principally on available city courts and senior tennis players who belong to a formal tennis club which does not have a team participating in the league.

For 2024 all of the Stanley Park team’s league matches will be played at the home courts of whatever team it is scheduled to play in any given week. Accordingly, Stanley Park will always be the visiting team as such.
Our league is entirely free to all teams. Players are periodically asked to bring a can of new tennis balls to certain matches.

The league is grateful to each of the participating tennis clubs for welcoming the Stanley Park team and all of the visiting teams throughout the season.

Recruiting

If you are reading this we ask for your help with our recruitment efforts. Successful recruiting is essential to the continued viability and vitality of our league. We are a free-to-all participants league, have essentially no budget for recruiting and will rely primarily on ‘word of mouth’ and ‘friend of a friend’ methods.

Historically, senior leagues have their greatest recruiting challenge in identifying enough senior women interested in quasi-competitive play. Our league is no different and, if we are to survive and thrive, we need all of the league’s participants and supporters to actively assist in the recruitment process.

For a variety of reasons we expect to be short of players, particularly women, for the Stanley Park team in our 2024 season. We need to recruit for that team in particular (and also for the others) to ensure continued participation next year.

In 2024, and potentially beyond, the league is prepared to consider adding, on an exception basis to ensure team viability, individuals who do not yet meet the normal minimum age standards but are turning 55 or older in the calendar year.

Please contact us at info@calgaryseniortennis.com
with your recruiting and participation inquiries.

Senior Drop In Doubles

In addition to offering our Interclub League we also offer senior drop in doubles, open to all Calgary Seniors. Every Thursday from June 13 to August 29, 2024 the league will have informal senior drop in doubles sessions. Play will start at 10am and will be at the Stanley Park tennis courts.

Every player in the league is invited, on an entirely optional and drop-in basis, to come to play with other league participants and interested parties.

This includes all regulars and spares from all teams. This is a great opportunity for regular play, for social interaction and to get to better know other tennis players from across the city (not to mention quietly sizing up the opposition for future matches!)

Importantly, these weekly senior drop in doubles sessions are a key recruiting tool for our league. Anyone who is considering joining the league in the current year or next season is encouraged to attend and learn more. Contact us or just show up! Meet some of the players, play some tennis and reassure yourself that you would enjoy playing tennis with the group. Then sign up for a team!