Hello Don Mills members:
We are ready! We opened smoothly to weak sunshine!
A heartfelt thanks to the many volunteers who got us up and ready for 2026. The club looks beautiful!
We had a Grounds crew for 2-3 back breaking days led by our venerable George Blasby: thank you to helpers JohnnyC, MichaelL, RayT, LimaiZ, SamF, ShanaP, AsharA, ClarenceT, LizaS, BillB, SandyK, NigelM, AngelaK, HananN, MartyL, AnnabelW and anyone else I’ve missed – who helped put up all the wind screens, heavy divider curtains, moved the heavy benches, raked the premises of tons of debris and heavy wet leaves and twigs, blew the courts and pathways, put up and measured the tennis nets, the list goes on…
Inside, the next day, special credit goes to ladies KathleenG, GwenB, AngelaK –who washed and disinfected every dish and piece of cutlery in the kitchen, washed out the fridge, wiped down all the surfaces so we have an assuring, sparkling clean start. The office cleaning alone comprised of removing 10lbs of computer and yellow balls fuzz, cobwebs, and cables galore. Clubhouse director KathleenG tag teamed with her teenage son Jack after work to de-cobweb the clubhouse, sweeping, mopping, getting in supplies like TP and towel paper, garbage bags and bins. Young Jack cleaned all the grimy windows too. Hard work!
NYTA’s Dave Duguay and crew exited in good time; we barely overlapped and didn’t get in each other’s way, which is a tricky thing. He was impressed with our volunteer crew; we are a community club, proud of it, and this is how we make things happen, with great teamwork.
A heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who came forward the past few weeks. Members, you may express your appreciation to any of them, anytime.
We got handoff/ winter bubble down by April 23 rd as we had snow, and even hail on Sun. Apr 19. We had a tight three days to get ready for First Assessment Tryouts by April 26th, (compared to other clubs who can take weeks to get ready in leisure) and then individual team tryouts which all took place the following week successfully, Apr. 27-May 1, despite some wet, chilly 5 degree mornings. Thank you and recognition to Leagues and Tournament Director Nigel McClean for leading the entire 6-day Tryouts schedule and process, and then to all the Captains and Co-captains under him, working in coordination to create the teams, run their tryouts, manage members’ expectations and lead the teams. If you didn’t know, DMTC fields !12 teams! – yes, 12 teams. 10 adult teams, and 2 Junior teams. That is 24 captains and co-captains with whom Nigel and I have interactions with to ensure the healthiness of the Teams process, that good, competitive interleague tennis is offered to our members to be enjoyed by all, no matter which stage of your tennis development.
The club opened as of April 28th and operated as Public courts until May 1. No official bookings were required these last days of April and everyone cooperated in a friendly manner for a few days to amicably share the courts. Coaches started teaching already, while the tryouts and team practices took place, as teams start league matches within a week. It’s an extremely hectic time for team captains as rosters are due by May 1 usually; we got an extension to May 4 this year.
Court Reserve online booking
Last week of April, we also worked on uploading member data to Court Reserve securely, and you should have received your Welcome message from Court Reserve directly (if you are an Approved paid-up member). Please follow the links to renew sign ups. You can download the CR app onto your phones. If you belong to more than one tennis club using Court Reserve, be mindful of that, which might be creating your problem, so ensure you know which club you are signing on from. If you joined DMTC late or paid late, then your access to Court Reserve is also late, as now we have to upload you manually and we’re now focusing on other club things besides registration. Give us a few days to upload your data if you’re a late add-on. If you are having CR issues, please use the Contact Us on the DMTC website to state your problem.
Our Adult House League will continue on Wednesday evenings 7-9PM. Previous participants all report good things on the camaraderie and well-matched level of players. If you’re looking for friendly competition in a fun atmosphere, please join us Wednesday evenings. DMTC House League caters to 3.0 level and above. You must register by Fri. May 15 th to show your interest, at this link House League Form. While we have a good sense for the skill levels of the majority of players, the HL coordinator will be conducting tryouts for relatively newer members or those who could benefit from a more recent assessment, by late-May. There will be a separate email to those invited to the assessment which is to be scheduled. If you do not receive an invitation, do not worry as we will have you on our master list.
HL starts mid-June and runs through early September, concluding with our traditional Potluck and Awards Night. For full info and registration details, see: House League
Club Opening Social Happened last Sat May 2, but Victoria Day Social [Potluck] is around the corner, Mon May 18th. We were so busy planning, with club deadlines every day, that we didn’t even have much time to announce events, lol. Nevertheless, we had a good turnout of ~50 people who came to enjoy Nigel’s chilli lunch, fun drills and Round Robin hit on May 2nd. Yes, we did get some rain, and even 5 minutes of snow! to complete the drama that day. Our Board volunteers SandyK, Nigel, AngelaK, Shana, LizaS and EdgarC worked hard to prepare you a lovely welcome to the 2026 club season. The next Social is a Potluck, on Mon. May 18.
Communication and sign ups will go out shortly.
Starting Tues May 12, our ever popular Kaffeeklatsch drop-in program will continue on Tuesday and Friday mornings 9 a.m-12 noon, led by volunteer member Edgar Chiang. Volunteers to help with the KK program are always needed, thank you. Don’t forget to treat your friends to your baking treats or store bought muffins, cookies or snacks to share. Our community always comes around food.
CONTINUING this year is our popular Live-Ball clinics. Wednesdays and Fridays 8-10 pm. Contact coach Pavel. Come and test your strokes, cardio, volleys, smashes, or mis-hits 
. It’s all in fun.
There will be morning Cardio Tennis programs with coach Rohan, as well as various other adult and junior clinics. Contact coach Rohan directly.
For those unfamiliar, DMTC offers six courts in a park setting, an air-conditioned clubhouse, WIFI, free balls during programs, lively Round Robin Socials, great Teams and skilled Pros to take you to the next level.
We invite you to visit our website where you can learn about DMTC’s programs for 2026, and to our Facebook page for frequent updates!
We are very excited about the coming season and look forward to seeing you a lot on the courts!!
Don Mills Tennis Club Executive
