She Can Play Program

Encouraging Girls Through the Power of Tennis

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

She Can Play Girls Tennis and Leadership Program is designed to improve female participation in sports while building confidence through participation in various sporting activities, peer mentorship, leadership presentations and nutrition. The She Can Play program was introduced in the summer of 2021 after discovering that 1 in 3 girls drop out of sport by late teens; 1 in 10 is due to cultural and religious reasons while 1 in 5 is due to bullying and safety concerns. To encourage girls and women in sports, our program is led by our entirely female coaching staff and female youth mentor coaches from our High Performance Program.

Dates & Times

The OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre will run two one-day camps:

CAMP#1: March 10, 2024 (9am – 2pm)
CAMP#2: Nov 10, 2024 (9am – 2pm)

What's Included

TENNIS COMPONENT: Program will be delivered by ATC female coaches, volunteer coaches and youth mentor coaches. Instruction will prioritize fun and focus on non-competitive team play and games.

OFF-COURT SESSION: Off-court sessions will include fitness, developing leadership skills and reinforcing our program values. Each camp will include round-table discussions with sport leaders and business leaders.

EACH PARTICIPANT WILL RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING:

T-shirt
Lunch
Prizes

Camp Enrollment Fee

Each camp will cost $100.00 + GST
The OSTEN & VICTOR Alberta Tennis Centre works with many amazing Calgary based organizations who help equity-seeking families find access to enriching experiences in the local community, and for that reason ATC helps subsidize the cost of the program through our Friends of Ron Ghitter Fund, which allows many girls from local underserved communities to participate at no cost.

How to Register

To register please send an email to the Head of Junior Development, Suzana Cavalcante at scavalcante@albertatenniscentre.ca

Upon receiving your email, coach Suzana will contact you to get detailed information to complete your registration.

Who Can Attend?

Girls aged 8-14 years of age; All levels of play welcome

Camp Guide

Program Goals

Increase female participation in tennis in Alberta and across Canada
Create a positive social environment that fosters a sense of belonging for female players & coaches
Support and develop female coaches through ATC
Female Coach Mentorship Program
Establish a larger and healthier pipeline of participants, coaches, skilled leaders, and volunteers
Provide a fun learning environment where female participants can enjoy the game of tennis
Retain female players beyond adolescence
Develop more female players through the ATC
Player Development Pathway

Program Values

Inclusivity – Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to contribute and participate in achieving our mission and vision.
Respect – We honour and value each other. We treat each other with respect, dignity and without prejudice.
Fun – Everyone will learn and have fun!
Community – We believe in the community we live and work in. We create meaning and positive change. We build partnerships for impact and deliver on our mission.
Friendships – Everyone will build friendships and social connections for life.
Equity – Everyone is treated fairly and everyone’s voice is heard and respected.
Integrity – Honesty guides our actions.
Teamwork – We work as a team and support one another, always.
Work Ethic – Everyone will learn the importance of work ethic and perseverance.

Why Participation is important

92% less likely to get involved with drugs
3 times more likely to graduate than non-athletes
80% less likely to get pregnant
95% of Fortune 500 executives participated in high school athletics.
Sport helps youths to become better contributors to society
Participation in sports is connected to high grades
66% of sport participants indicated a health rating of very good to excellent compared to 49% of non-participants

GIRLS IN SPORTS STATISTICS

1 in 3 girls drop out of sport by late teens; 1 in 10 due to cultural and religious reasons; 1 in 5 due to bullying and safety concerns.
1 in 3 girls report low confidence, negative body image, perceived lack of skill, poor perceptions of not belonging, and feeling unwelcome.
62% of girls do not play sports at all.
43% of adolescent girls said the quality of the sport experience was a barrier.
3x more girls are likely to drop out of sports in adolescence compared to boys.
Female Wheelchair Tennis Participation is only 21% of all players.