Celebrating 81 years of community tennis at historic McMahon Park
Aurora Community Tennis Club is a non-profit community organization dedicated to providing affordable tennis programs to people of all ages and abilities. We utilize three cushioned courts at McMahon Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Greetings ACTC members,
The Board has created a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page on our website. Below is our first entry. You can read the FAQ entries online by clicking here.
To provide answers to questions that are posed from time to time, a FAQ section is being prepared. As time allows, the topics will grow.
Question: Why are the Hi-Performance Junior Players not playing on our Inter-County teams?
One member wrote the Board with some sarcastic comments about our Hi - Performance Junior Program and Andres Marco our Hi-Performance Coach. Andre's response covers the question related to the FAQ question about "why doesn't his Hi-Performance ACTC members contribute to the club by playing on our Inter-County team.
Andres provided a response to her comments.
Posted on our website on July 23, 2019
Dear (name removed),
I have carefully read your email to the Board and am sorry to tell you that you are slightly mistaken in your observations.
Effectively, you might be able to see some of the kids who have been mentioned in the newsletter training at MRTC in the Winter, but they train in MY personal High Performance Program (on Courts 1 and 2), which is absolutely Independent from the one which MRTC runs.
I work as an Independent Contractor in MRTC and only with selected HP players.
The term “High Performance” is heavily misused.
Having dealt with top world class Pro Players and International level Juniors all my life, I can tell you that the term High Performance ONLY applies to highly ranked (at Provincial and National level), players and ONLY within their respective age groups.
There is not a real SINGLE High Performance Player in the MRTC Junior Program.
I have taken some time to check the Summer Boys and Girls Under 12,14, 16 and 18 Provincials draws to verify details. Eight Draws in total.
You have to know that each draw of the Provincials counts 40 players (32 are so called Direct Acceptances and 8 come through a Qualifying event). Both the Ontario Tennis Association Ranking and the Tennis Canada rankings are considered when selecting these players. Hardly any player with a Provincial ranking lower than Nr 80 in his age group has got in any Qualifying event.
I can affirm that not A SINGLE player from the MRTC High Performance Program has taken part in any of the Provincials (neither in Qualifying, nor in Main Draw).
Furthermore, only ONE player from our area (a kid who trains at the Newmarket Indoor Facility with Brian Draxl, has been able to play Main Draw in the Under 18 Provincials : Dallas RAMSEY).
But you can find 8 of our Junior Club Members among the players who competed in the Boys and Girls Under 12, 14, 16 and 18 Provincials.
3 of them, who are way above the lot, not only competed in their own age group, but one above. And with success.
4 of them have qualified for the Canadian Nationals (which means that they are top 32 or better in the Nation).
2 of them have qualified for 2 Nationals, their own age group one, and the one above.
Not a SINGLE academy in Toronto has been able to place that many players in the Provincials or Nationals, and I am not talking about the few titles the kids got.
I do not look for ANY type of personal advertising and as a matter of fact, do not publish ANYTHING in social media looking for ANY type of recognition. I just want the kids to be a bit rewarded for their hard work and their achievements.
And regarding the idea of having the kids play in the ACTC Teams, I can tell you that it is not feasible. My 2 best 13 Years old (one ranked 3, the other 12 in Canada), play Men’s Majors in Line 1 and 2, and have not lost a single match so far.
Those matches are used as practice, and there is no point for them to play in Intercounty A or B.
The competitive schedules of those kids are incredibly busy and there is hardly any time for social tennis. And many are members in other clubs as well, to be able to practice even more.
If the ACTC Teams are willing to improve, I am open to provide them with some serious training. Just contact me.
Question: “Does ACTC have club pro?
Answer: Yes and No.
The Board’s position is that members can bring anyone they want to provide coaching on ACTC courts…subject to playspace availability. See court access calendar.
To start:
A certified instructor or club pro, named Daria Burobina has been listed on our web site for over a year. She has court access at McMahon and at Marilyn Redvers Tennis Club. We (the Board) are not aware of Daria being hired to provide instruction to any ACTC members over the past year.
The Town of Aurora offers a comprehensive and accessible playspace capability, at the Fleury Park than what is available at McMahon for Juniors. Also MRTC, Newmarket Summer Tennis Program and St Andrews and Seneca and Country Day School also offer summer junior programs. Our summer junior program, that struggled for several years, was poorly attended and the ACTC pro at that time, declined further involvement or development of a junior program.
Additional Factors: the economics of earning income as a club pro
ACTC over the years, had a “club pro”, none of them ever offered to return because demand for their services was so low. We asked an experienced instructor "what is the minimum time needed by a professional instructor to sign a contract with a community tennis club. He stated that at a minimum, a “club pro’ would need at least 15 hours per week at $50 per hour to be adequately compensated.
The only available play space hours are during the 1 pm to 5 pm periods, Monday to Friday. These are non peak low usage hours when some members and the public (i.e. school groups) access the courts. Morning and evening hours are booked with team and house league play. So the best way to receive instruction is to bring your own instructor. Bear in mind that one court is in use in the afternoon for our pickleball and the Hi-Performance Junior Program and the other courts may be in use by a member or a “drop-in’ from the public.
Andres Marco – Hi performance junior program
As the morning hours are taken with Adult programs, and the non-peak afternoon hours were not being utilized; the Board asked Andres Marco to offer High Performance instruction to his cadre of Juniors. His participants are required to take a junior membership and are entitled to the same benefits as all members, regardless of age or ability. So the club gains membership revenue from the High Performance program. And by supplying playspace helps to promote tennis at a level not available at the other venues in our area.
From time to time, Andres is asked by members for lessons. He accepts these requests providing he can fit them in his schedule.
To repeat: the club has playspace for “pros”. But no one is designated as the “ACTC Club Pro”.
Question: "Does the ACTC have a Constitution?
Yes, ACTC has 2 Constitutions. When ACTC incorporated in 2000, a Constitution was submitted to the Provincial Government.
About 6 years ago an ACTC Board created a new Constitution but it was never brought forward for approval by the membership. A review of the Constitutions is warranted.
It is the Board's wish that the 2019 Board of Directors update our Constitution and bring it forward to the membership for review and approval. Now with online voting, the Board is able to include the participation of ALL ACTC members in critical issues and questions.
Over the years, the Board governance practices followed procedures outlined in the Robert’s Rules of Order. Roberts Rules of Order is the standard governance practice that non profit organizations, Councils, Government bodies follow. This is a common approach oft organizations that depend on Board volunteers, without staff to manage the Club.
The Board also follows the guidelines as outlined in the Ontario Non Profit Incorporations Act.
Opening Day 2018
We had a beautiful spring day to usher in our 2018 season. About 45 members enjoyed a wonderful barbecue with all the trimmings. Our pickleball players had some great fun on shaded court # 3. John and Alla our Board Directors helped to keep players rotating for social tennis on courts # 1 & 2.
Many thanks to the volunteers (especially Pat and Adriana) who pitched in prior to the barbecue. There was lots of cleaning, scrubbing and food preparation needed to have a successful event.
Here is a quote from one of our members.
"Great BBQ and good job on the burgers. Can you pass this on to others who helped because i know it is a big effort to pull off ". Mary (Walker)
2017 Newsletter
ACTC 2018 Spring Newsletter
Welcome to our 2018 season. Our Opening Day celebration will be on Saturday, May 26th, 10:30 a.m. at the ACTC Clubhouse. Our tradition is to have a free “meet and greet” bar-b-cue coupled with social tennis and pickleball. The ACTC Board is hosting the event. Members, old and new will have an opportunity to connect with each other after another cold winter.
You can read the 2018 Spring Newsletter online by clicking on this link.
Pickleball Schedule
The ACTC Pickleball Program schedule
Monday 10:30 - 1 pm
Quick Links to Learn More About ACTC
| Online Registration is open. Join or renew today | Houseleague runs on Monday for competitive to advanced players and on Wednesday evening for beginner to intermediate players. |
| Inter-County Tennis The league starts in May. Learn more about joining a team. | Court Access Schedule - Please review before coming to the courts (under construction) |
| Pickleball: Much like tennis and badminton & perfect for aging knees and joints. | Share Your Comments - Help the ACTC Board by sharing your suggestions |