Photo credit: Racquetball Canada/Andre Forget
Junior Athletes Return to Competition
Racquetball Canada’s Junior National Championships are set to get underway in Burlington, Ontario from October 16 to 17, 2021. The event is being hosted by Racquetball Ontario at Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and Sports Club.
In many ways, the event is a celebration to a return to sport for junior athletes. With the cancellation of the junior championships in 2020 and the postponement in 2021, this is the first major competitive event for junior age athletes in close to two years.
“Racquetball Canada is thrilled to be welcoming our Juniors back to competition,” said Jen Saunders, Racquetball Canada’s Director of High Performance. “We are proud of our partnership with Racquetball Ontario to host the 2021 Junior Nationals in Burlington. Our ultimate goal is to provide the Juniors with a safe, fun and competitive atmosphere so they can return to the sport we all love. I look forward to watching their return to the courts and working with all our Junior athletes on their development in racquetball this season.”
In addition to helping junior athletes in their return to sport, results from the weekend will be used to select a team that could potentially represent Canada at the Junior World Championships being held in Guatemala in early December. The tournament will include competition for boys and girls in 14 & U, 16 & U and 18 & U age divisions in both singles and doubles events. Normally the tournament includes a development opportunity for younger athletes but with COVID restrictions and safe protocols in place, this will not take place. However, Racquetball Canada is integrating skill and competition development activities into the tournament for those attending.
Racquetball Canada is planning to provide an un-commentated live feed of the matches on both days. This will be streamed on Facebook at www.facebook.com/racquetballcanada. The feed quality will be dependent on the wifi capacity at the venue.
Due to COVID health protocols, the tournament is closed to the general public. Media wishing to gain access must register with Racquetball Canada in advance and be able to provide proof of vaccination.
What:
- Racquetball Canada’s Junior National Championships
Who:
- Canadian junior racquetball athletes (attending from Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec)
Where:
- Cedar Springs Health, Racquet and Sports Club in Burlington
When:
- Saturday, October 17 from 09:00 to 18:00 (approximate finish time)
- Sunday, October 18 from 09:00 to 13:00 (approximate finish time)
Why:
- to name Boy’s and Girl’s 14 & U, 16 & U and 18 & U Junior National Champions in singles and doubles
- to select a team for the Junior World Championships
- to provide a return to sport and high performance development opportunity for junior athletes
Click here for the link to the tournament draw and results.
