Tennis Canada's Municipal Tennis Facilities Strategy & Partnership
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Tennis Canada’s Municipal Tennis Facilities Strategy & Partnership Framework TENNIS IN CANADA 7,500 outdoor courts available for play during summer In 2018, over There are over TENNIS IS 6.5 MILLION 3,300 A SAFE SPORT Canadians hit the courts. certified tennis coaches Among the top 10 sports This makes tennis one in Canada. Tennis Canada in Canada, tennis has of the leading sport promotes safe sport and low levels of injury activities in Canada. mandates background and concussion. checks for coaches. Only 750 accessible covered courts available for year-round play Municipal Tennis Facilities Strategy and Partnership Framework FOREWORD Tennis is becoming a leading sport in Canada. Once Canadians pick up their tennis racquets they Grassroots participation in tennis is growing and our never have to put them down because tennis is a sport Canadian athletes are making their mark on the world for life and very safe to play. International research has stage. In the past year, 6.5 million Canadians hit the courts shown that playing tennis helps people live longer and is and we’ve seen a 36 percent increase in frequent play over one of the best forms of exercise to improve cardiovas- the past two years. Our home-grown athletes like Milos cular health. Considering this research it is no surprise Raonic, Bianca Andreescu, Denis Shapovalov, Eugenie that every age group contributes to the Canadian tennis Bouchard, Félix Auger-Aliassime, and Gabriela Dabrowski playing population. Tennis is also a gender-balanced sport are dominating on courts around the world and inspiring and a top three sport among new Canadians. Given the their nation to play more tennis. broad diversity across our player base, we truly believe that tennis can improve the life of every Canadian. WHO ARE CANADA’S TENNIS PLAYERS? Every age group contributes to the Canadian tennis playing population: 23% 44% 56% Tennis is one of the best forms of exercise to Playing tennis extends one’s life expectancy help improve cardiovascular health. A British by 9.7 years. The Copenhagen City Heart Study study found that respondents that played compared several sports and found tennis to be racquet sports had a 56% lower risk of dying of the leading sport in increasing life expectancy. heart disease or stroke. % % % Increase in life expectancy (years) TENNIS 56 SWIMMING 41 AEROBIC 36 Tennis goes far beyond one-on-one matches. encouraging and supporting your doubles partner to Tennis programming is designed for all abilities and ages making new friends at a cardio tennis class, tennis has from kids tennis to wheelchair tennis – it can be accessi- numerous social benefits that have allowed generations ble and inclusive for all. Furthermore, with the capability of Canadians to grow a passion for a game that can be for different ages and both genders to play together at played together for a lifetime. any level, tennis can bring a community together. From 4 | Tennis Canada Physical activity that delivers social and health ben- With 750 broadly accessible covered courts across efits is vital to improving the well-being of Canadians. Canada, we are only able to provide 1 accessible covered Ensuring continuous physical activity is within the reach court for every 50,000 Canadians – compared to other of all Canadians relies on affordable and accessible equip- developed nations Canada finishes last in this regard. ment and facilities. When it comes to tennis the cost of Needless to say, we have a shortage of covered courts. a racquet and a few balls is very little compared to other We have fallen behind in providing Canadians year-round sports and there are thousands of public outdoor courts access to a sport that is safe, affordable and proven to in communities across Canada. This has allowed millions provide numerous physical, health, and social benefits for of Canadians to enjoy tennis and the physical, health and Canadians ages 4 to 94. As we work towards making tennis social benefits the game provides. However, these ben- available to Canadians year-round, we believe that we are efits are often limited to the summer season. Due to not alone in wanting to improve the lives of Canadians Canada’s long winters, outdoor tennis courts are unusable through regular participation in physical activity. We for 50 to 75 percent of the year. Currently, only 2 percent encourage local governments to invest in tennis and by of municipally-owned tennis courts are covered. Covered doing so invest in improving the well-being of all residents. courts include courts under a permanent structure, an air-supported structure or other fabric frame struc- The Municipal Tennis Facilities Strategy and tures that enable Canadians to play tennis regardless of Partnership Framework have been created to engage the weather. local governments and inform them on how they can help deliver more covered courts to Canadians. The Framework portion of this document sets out a process through which municipalities can work with not-for-profit MUNICIPAL COVERED FACILITES groups or the private sector to bring affordable and acces- sible covered courts to their communities. Affordability Increasingly outdoor sports such as hockey and swimming ensures that programs and equipment are within the have moved indoors, but tennis has fallen behind. Only 2% of municipal tennis courts are covered and thus open reach of Canadians. Accessibility ensures that tennis is to year-round play. available to the entire community in an equitable and inclusive environment, regardless of a resident’s physical abilities, race, ethnicity, culture, or sexual orientation. The Partnership Framework is based on best prac- tices and case studies of municipalities working with external organizations to deliver recreational activities to their residents. It has been designed to be adaptable to virtually all operating and ownership models a munic- ipality may encounter while pursuing a covered court project. We have developed three planning tools to help municipalities understand the operational and financial aspects of a covered court facility. Additional resources and appendices are also available to support municipal planning, research and decision-making. Tennis Canada | 5 LET’S WORK TOGETHER! Through a wide spectrum of tennis programming including learn to play courses, drop-in classes, leagues, camps, Tennis Canada commissioned an independent research tournaments and more, covered court facilities can have study that asked 1,000 Canadians how they felt about a diverse operating model that will help maximize net Tennis Canada & municipalities working together to bring revenue and meet community needs. more covered courts to Canadians. Through various operating models and agree- ments, a covered court partnership can be developed to fit the diverse needs of any municipality. For example, covered court facilities can be designed as multi-sport or multi-functional. Badminton, basketball, pickleball and volleyball can easily be integrated into a tennis facility and turf sports are also possible with the investment in a portable synthetic turf. If a municipality wishes to minimize risk and ensure the facility will not use taxpayer dollars, the construction and operations of the facility can be done in partnership with a not-for-profit or commercial partner. Through this model, municipalities can transfer risk and generate a steady revenue stream through a land lease, while still providing their residents year-round access to afford- able recreational activities. We believe that one of the best options for municipalities is to work with an exter- nal partner to cover existing outdoor courts during the winter months with an air-supported structure and then return the courts to free public access during the summer. Through this model, municipalities can transfer risk to a third-party, convert an unused space during the winter, and increase affordable recreational services for residents. We understand that municipalities across Canada vary in their objectives, initiatives and approaches to recreation service delivery. We are here to help munic- ipalities discover how a covered court facility will best meet the needs of local residents. Whether it is during the design phase or when the facility is up and running, A covered court project presents an excellent we are available to provide advice, tennis expertise and opportunity for municipalities to support their active living local contacts. Our Facilities Development Department strategy while making a financial return on their invest- is willing to educate and assist with the development ment. According to our research every covered court of projects by providing support for feasibility studies facility in Canada is breaking even or earning a positive and other up-front planning work. We will also regularly net revenue. This is possible through the low investment update this document to include best practices that have required for an air-supported structure to cover courts been discovered as we work together to increase the and the minimal maintenance associated with hard acrylic number of covered courts in Canada. tennis courts. Affordable fees for residents are also made possible by optimizing the active participants per court. We envision a day where Canadians can play tennis When playing a game of doubles court fees can be as in any community, at any time of the year, and we truly low as $4.00 per person and children’s tennis program- believe that with the help of municipalities we can make ming allows for 8