Rogers First Set program introduces kids to tennis in Montreal
Posted June 28, 2025 6:12 pm.
Last Updated June 28, 2025 6:41 pm.
Families and young tennis lovers gathered for a free tennis introduction on Saturday at Montreal’s IGA Stadium. Through the Rogers First Set program, kids had the chance to discover the sport in a fun and welcoming environment.
“June is Tennis Month, so Tennis Canada and all the provinces are organizing a lot of activities across the country. Right now, there are 150 events happening across Canada, and 100 of those are Rogers First Set events,” said Martin Gariepy, Director of Participation at Tennis Quebec. “We’re just trying to get people on the courts. With summer starting, we’re encouraging people to play tennis or try it for the first time.”
“We were bouncing the ball and then hitting it with a racket. Then we let it bounce again and hit it with the racket, and passed it to the other player — and they did the same thing,” said one young attendee.
The event also offered a chance for young players’ personalities to shine through.
The national bank open presented by Rogers, parent company of CityNews, is coming up from July 26 to August 7, featuring top players from the women’s tennis association.
“I just encourage people to try tennis if they’ve never played. It’s a really accessible sport in the summer. Sometimes people think tennis has a lot of costs, but at the beginner level, it’s pretty easy,” added Gariepy. “You can play outside, in a schoolyard, or even against a wall. I encourage people to check out their local courts, and if they have questions, they can contact Tennis Canada or Tennis Quebec — we offer a lot of programs for both youth and adults.”
Rogers Communications is the parent company of CityNews.
