Rogers First Set Tour – RISING STARS
The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars provides young Canadian tennis players (ages 7 to 10) with an opportunity to play competitive tennis in a fun 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.
Rogers First Set Tour – RISING STARS is for:
- 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 5 tournaments) such as Rogers First Set Tour – Rookie events or club tournaments
2024 age groups as of January 1st, 2024:
• U9: open for players born in 2015, 2016, and 2017
• U10: open for players born in 2014, 2015, and 2016
IMPORTANT (update to entry criteria – April 2024)
• The Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars circuit is for more advanced competitors who have played in a minimum of 5 Rookie Tours and are demonstrating that they can win the majority of their matches at the Rookie Level. Players who exhibit strong performances may be exempt from the 5-tournament requirement at the discretion of Tennis BC event staff. This will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and based on the match results showing in a player’s online profile. Players will be put at the bottom of the waitlist until the entry criteria has been met. To learn more about which tournament to play and how to enter, please visit our parent resources and competitive structure pathway. Please contact rookietour@tennisbc.org if you require any further information.
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.
- Click on the Log In/Sign Up button
- Select your Province (insert province name)
- Agree to Rules and Regulations
- Create a profile
- Pay for membership and finalize account
*If players have participated in Rookie tournaments previously, they simply need to upgrade their membership type within the membership section
Step 2: How to register for a tournament
- To Register for a tournament, click here
- Click on an event in your province & age category (U9 or U10) to register
- Click button on top-right corner to enter online
IMPORTANT – Entry is NOT acceptance into the main draw. Once you have entered, your entry will be considered for the main draw. Read below for more information.
Acceptance Timeline:
- Registration opens one month before the tournament.
- Registration closes one week before the tournament (Friday).
- Acceptance list will be posted on Saturday, one week before the tournament.
- 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.
- Withdrawal deadline is Monday midnight (withdraw from the waitlist if you do not wish to be called in to replace a player)
- The final draw and schedule posted by Tuesday noon (the week of the tournament)
*Reminder: It is a violation of the code of conduct to enter two tournaments in the same time period without prior permission of both Tournament Referees.
Acceptance:
Random Lottery entry. All entries will be considered for the main draw up until the entry deadline.
Priority entry for those entries who were on the waitlist for the tournament previous (ONLY for tournaments at the same location – e.g. waitlist for Richmond Hub tournament 1 will get priority entry to tournament 2. No priority entry from tournament 1 if you register for tournament 3)
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
- 3/4 court will be used
- Racquet: 23” (depending on child’s size)
- Boys and girls combined draw
U10 – green ball competition
- Regular full court will be used
- Racquet: 23-25” (depending on child’s size)
- Boys and girls on separate draw
Draw Format
Compass or Round Robin draw format will be used to provide a minimum of three match opportunities to each player.
Match Format
| 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 first 7-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 first 7-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 first 7-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 first 7-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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Click HERE for Parents/Players checklist.
Orange-Green Ball (U9/U10) Circuit Sportsmanship Awards: An Award will be given to one player of each division of Orange-Green Ball (U9/U10) Circuit.
Click HERE for details of nomination and Sportsmanship Award criteria
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:
- Participation Points: Points are awarded for each tournament a player competes in (40 points per tournament played)
- 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)
- Tournament Points: Points are awarded for wins and ties (10 points per match win)
Each province maintains 4 leaderboards: Boys U9, Girls U9, Boys U10, and Girls U10. At the end of the year, the top 5 players on each leaderboard are awarded prizes.
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:
- Following the rules of the game
- Treating opponents, officials, organizers, coaches, parents, and spectators with respect
- Embracing both victory and defeat with dignity
- Displaying appreciation for a good performance
- Exercising self-control
- 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
Tennis Canada Rulebook: Rules of the Court 2022 – click here
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.
- Tennis Matchplay 101 – click here
- Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars: Player & Parent Checklist – click here
- Tips for Parents – click here
If you would like to provide feedback on the Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars, please take the time out to complete our survey. This short survey will take approximately five minutes to complete.
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
- Tournament Director Checklist – click here
For more information on hosting a Rogers First Set Tour – Rising Stars tournament at your club, please email jzastera@tennisbc.org
