Supporting Junior Competitive Player Development at IGA Stadium

Request for Meeting – Supporting Junior Competitive Player Development at IGA Stadium Montreal, Quebec March 13, 2026  

Dear Management Team at IGA Stadium and Tennis Canada,  

We hope this message finds you well. We are writing as a group of parents of junior competitive athletes training within the TME program. We would first like to acknowledge the important role that IGA Stadium plays in supporting the growth and development of tennis in Montreal and across Canada. The stadium represents excellence, inspiration, and opportunity for our children, and we are grateful for the environment that has been created. At the same time, we would like to share some concerns regarding court access and booking policies that are affecting our children’s ability to train effectively as competitive athletes.

Our intention in writing is not to criticize, but rather to open a constructive dialogue and work collaboratively toward solutions that support junior development while respecting operational realities. In particular, we would like to bring the following points to your attention:

1. One‑hour daily reservation limit For competitive players, one hour per day often does not allow sufficient time for a full training session including technical work, tactical development, and point play. We respectfully ask whether it might be possible to allow TME junior competitive players to reserve more than one hour per day when training within the program framework. For example: - If four players are playing doubles on one court, they could reserve the court for an additional hour. - If a player has a private lesson with a coach, they could reserve a court the same day to continue practicing with another player. Greater flexibility in allowing players to share courts beyond the one‑hour limit would help maximize training efficiency and encourage collaborative practice.

2. Weekday availability (4 p.m.–8 p.m.) As students, our children are primarily available after school hours. Currently, securing courts between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. for private lessons or structured training can be very challenging. We would greatly appreciate consideration of increasing the availability of courts for junior athletes during these peak hours when possible. Junior athletes do not all have the same school schedules, holidays, or break periods. For this reason, we would like to suggest exploring ways to ensure that a meaningful portion of the courts remain available for junior reservations whenever possible.

3. General booking challenges Many families are finding it increasingly difficult to secure courts for coaching or competitive practice. Some parents have expressed concerns that automated reservation tools may be used by certain users, which could disadvantage others who are reserving courts through the regular booking system. Greater transparency around the reservation process could help ensure fair access for all players.

4. Coaching policy consistency We understand that policies regarding external coaches are important. However, we have occasionally observed situations where coaches who are not affiliated with Tennis Montréal appear to be conducting sessions, while TME athletes experience difficulty booking courts with their TME coaches. Greater clarity and consistent enforcement of these policies would help families better understand and navigate the system.

We would appreciate the opportunity to meet with management to discuss these points and explore possible solutions that could support the training needs of junior competitive players while respecting the operational needs of the facility.

Thank you very much for your time, leadership, and continued dedication to our children’s tennis development.

We look forward to working collaboratively. Warm regards, Concerned Parents of TME Junior Competitive Athletes

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Chère équipe de direction du Stade IGA et de Tennis Canada,  

Nous espérons que vous allez bien. Nous vous écrivons en tant que groupe de parents de jeunes athlètes compétitifs qui s’entraînent dans le programme TME. Nous souhaitons d’abord souligner le rôle important que joue le Stade IGA dans le développement du tennis à Montréal et partout au Canada. Le stade représente l’excellence, l’inspiration et une opportunité exceptionnelle pour nos enfants. En même temps, nous aimerions partager certaines préoccupations concernant l’accès aux terrains et les politiques de réservation qui affectent la capacité de nos enfants à s’entraîner efficacement.

Nous aimerions plus particulièrement porter à votre attention les points suivants :

1. Limite d’une heure de réservation par jour Pour des joueurs compétitifs, une heure par jour ne permet souvent pas de réaliser une séance complète incluant travail technique, tactique et situations de points. Nous aimerions savoir s’il serait possible de permettre aux joueurs juniors compétitifs du programme TME de réserver plus d’une heure par jour dans le cadre de leur entraînement.

2. Disponibilité en semaine (16 h – 20 h) Comme nos enfants sont à l’école durant la journée, ils sont principalement disponibles après les heures de classe. Il peut être très difficile de réserver des terrains entre 16 h et 20 h. Nous apprécierions toute amélioration possible de la disponibilité des terrains pour les juniors durant ces heures.

3. Difficultés générales de réservation Plusieurs familles constatent qu’il devient de plus en plus difficile de réserver des terrains pour l’entraînement ou les leçons. Certains parents ont exprimé des préoccupations concernant l’utilisation possible d’outils automatisés de réservation.

4. Application cohérente des politiques concernant les entraîneurs Nous comprenons l’importance des règles concernant les entraîneurs externes. Cependant certaines situations semblent manquer de cohérence dans l’application de ces politiques.

Nous apprécierions l’opportunité de rencontrer la direction afin de discuter de ces points et d’explorer ensemble des solutions possibles.

Cordialement, Parents des athlètes juniors compétitifs du programme TME

Les parents du programme Tennis Montréal Excellence    Contacter l'auteur de la pétition