Rogers First Set Tour – RISING STARS
The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars offers young Canadian tennis players (ages 7 to 10) the opportunity to play competitive tennis in a fun and engaging environment. Last year, approximately 1,000 boys and girls across the country competed in almost 400 events. Rising Stars tournaments are the perfect opportunity for young tennis players to improve their skills and make new friends. The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars is designed to provide a tournament format for kids whereby they take part in multiple meaningful matches in a short block of time, making it convenient for families.
- U9 events (orange ball competition) are for players who will turn nine years old this year or younger
- U10 events (green ball competition) are for players who will turn 10 years old this year or younger
- Competitors who are looking to enhance their competitive experience and meet the Whole Player Development Pathway (WPDP) competitive criteria
- We require players to have some competitive tennis playing experience (minimum of 3 tournaments) such as Rogers First Set Tour – Rookie events or club tournaments
- U9: open for players born in 2017, 2018, and 2019
- U10: open for players born in 2016, 2017, and 2018
- The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars circuit is for more advanced competitors who have played in at least 3 Rookie Tours. This will be reviewed based on the match results showing in a player’s online profile.
- Players will be placed on the exclusion list for Rising Stars until the entry criteria are met.
- Team Rookies do not count towards the 3 rookie requirement
- Players may trial Rising Stars and return to Rookie if needed. But once a player has competed in 3 Rising Stars events, they can no longer enter Rookie Tour events. This aims to help keep Rookie recreational and Rising Stars more competitive.
How to join & find a tournament
To compete in Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars tournaments, players must be a registered member of their Provincial and Territorial Tennis Association (PTTA) Tennis BC. Once players purchase a Tennis BC membership, they must register for a specific tournament on the Tournament Software website. For a complete list of province-wide Rising Stars tournaments, click here.
Step 1: How to register for a Tennis BC membership*
To register please click here.
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- Click on the Log In/Sign Up button
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- Select your Province (insert province name)
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- Agree to Rules and Regulations
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- Create a profile
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- Pay for membership and finalize account
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- To Register for a tournament, click here
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- Click on an event in your province & age category (U9 or U10) to register
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- Click button on top-right corner to enter online
Acceptance Timeline:
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- Registration opens one month before the tournament.
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- Registration closes one week before the tournament (Friday).
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- Acceptance list will be posted on Saturday, one week before the tournament.
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- To confirm your spot (in the main-draw and for the top 5 reserves), payment must be made by Monday midnight (week of the tournament). Payment instructions are linked here.
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- Withdrawal deadline is Monday midnight (withdraw from the waitlist if you do not wish to be called in to replace a player)
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- The final draw and schedule posted by Tuesday noon (the week of the tournament)
Tournament Format
The aim of Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars tournaments is to provide year-round quality matchplay opportunities for advanced U9/U10 junior tennis players. Rising Stars tournaments are recommended for players looking to take their first step along the competitive pathway. Take a look at the competition formats below to see how each age groups’ matches are structured:
U9 – orange ball competition
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- 3/4 court will be used
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- Racquet: 23” (depending on child’s size)
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- Boys and girls combined draw
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- Regular full court will be used
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- Racquet: 23-25” (depending on child’s size)
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- Boys and girls on separate draw
| U9 Events (30-45 min matches) | U10 Events (35-45 min matches) |
| 1 set, first to 6 games with no-ad scoring, or 35-minute timed match, whichever comes first7-point tiebreak at 6 games all (if no time left, play deciding point at 6-6 in the tiebreak; otherwise, first to 7 points winning by 2) OR | 1 set, first to 6 games with no-ad scoring, or 35-minute timed match, whichever comes first7-point tiebreak at 6-6 (if no time left, play deciding point at 6-6 in the tiebreak; otherwise, first to 7 points winning by 2) OR |
| 8-game Pro Set (first to win 8 games with a margin of 2 games), or 45-minute timed match, whichever comes first7-point tiebreak at 7 games all (if no time left, play deciding point at 6-6 in the tiebreak; otherwise, first to 7 points winning by 2) | 8-game Pro Set (first to win 8 games with a margin of 2 games), or 45-minute timed match, whichever comes first7-point tiebreak at 7 games all (if no time left, play deciding point at 6-6 in the tiebreak, otherwise, first to 7 points winning by 2) |
| No ad scoring, players do not call lets | No ad scoring, players do not call lets |
At Tennis BC, our goal is to ensure that tennis parents and coaches are educated on how to support their child and others during tournament play. Please find some helpful pointers listed below:
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- No coaching is allowed. Do not communicate, visually or verbally while your child is playing a match. Your child could receive penalties because of this.
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- No outside officiating is allowed. This includes line calls and scoring. Any score disputes on court should be referred to the on-site staff. Parents are asked not to make any judgement of line call from where you sit. The window or the curtain, as well as the angle may give you a different vision of where the ball lands. The line judges, who are sitting right at the line, make errors sometimes and so do the young players.
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- While spectators are allowed on court in some clubs, all movement should be minimized in order not to disrupt the match. Should movement be necessary, we ask parents to do it after a point is finished and do it quickly – never between first and second serve.
Prizing
Competitors will receive a Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars prize when they play in their first event and fifth event throughout the calendar year.
Leaderboard
To create a healthy and positive competitive environment, Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars leaderboards are designed to reward participation as well as performance. Points will be awarded as follows:
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- Participation Points: Points are awarded for each tournament a player competes in (40 points per tournament played)
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- Bonus Participation Points: One-time bonus points are awarded to players at the end of the year if they have played in 10 or more Rising Stars tournaments in the same age category (U9 or U10) (200 bonus participation points for playing 10 tournaments)
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- Tournament Points: Points are awarded for wins and ties (10 points per match win)
Fair play
Providing a competitive environment in which all matches are contested fairly is essential to ensuring a positive experience for all players. Everyone must work together to make this happen including Tennis Canada, Provincial Associations, players, parents, and officials.
Players are expected to follow these key Fair Play elements:
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- Following the rules of the game
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- Treating opponents, officials, organizers, coaches, parents, and spectators with respect
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- Embracing both victory and defeat with dignity
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- Displaying appreciation for a good performance
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- Exercising self-control
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- Playing a part in creating a safe and inclusive tennis environment by not engaging in any form of maltreatment or verbal, physical or online abuse towards opponents, officials, organizers, coaches, parents, and spectators
Parents are asked to be familiar with the information of the Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars and tournament regulations before signing up your child to a tournament.
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- Tennis Matchplay 101 – click here
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- Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars: Player & Parent Checklist – click here
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- Tips for Parents – click here
Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars events are designed to prepare players for entering the U12 junior provincial competitive structure.
To view the Whole Player Development Pathway (WPDP) click here.
For a complete overview of province-wide tournaments, consult our calendar
To learn more about your province’s junior competitive structure, click here.
If you have any further questions about the Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars, please email jzastera@tennisbc.org
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- Tournament Director Checklist – click here