Welcome to Coach Suzi’s Canyon & Creekside Tennis Team Information page.

This year for the first time in 18 years, there will be two separate teams; Canyon A and B, and Creekside A and B . These teams are competitive teams and not recreational tennis, or tennis lessons.  As in any competitive sport, players participate in lessons and programs during the off-season to prepare themselves. 

Many of the current and incoming Canyon and Creekside students have worked very hard in tennis lessons and programs this past year to be able to earn a spot on the competitive Castro Valley Middle Schools (CVMS) team and I truly appreciate their hard work, dedication to the sport and support from their parents.

B Teams Overview:

  • The 24 players on the B team practice on Mondays from 3:15 – 4:30. 
  • This team works mainly on developing competitive serves and strokes, as well as on consistency and strategy. 

A Teams Overview:

  • The 24 players on the A team practice on Wednesdays from 2:30 – 4:30 (Canyon) or 3:00 – 4:30 (Creekside), and play interscholastic matches on Wednesdays or Fridays as part of the Alameda County Junior Tennis League (ACJTL). 
  • Players on the A team are experienced, competitive tennis players, committed to the sport and have participated, and will continue to participate in lessons and other competitive tennis programs. 
  • Both teams will travel to matches in San Leandro and are driven to and from matches by their parents.

Info Meeting – The 2023 information meeting is mandatory for all interested players and optional for parents. It is held on Monday, 8/21, 3:15 – 4:00 at the Canyon courts

I will answer all questions about the team and try-outs at that time.  Please understand that hundreds of parents are emailing me about the Fall, 2023 team.  It is more efficient for me to answer your questions at the info meeting.

Try-Outs:

Monday, August 21 (after info meeting) until 5:00

Creekside only tryouts on Tuesday, 8/22 – 3:15 – 5:00

Canyon only tryouts on Wednesday, 8/23, 2:15 – 5:00

Thursday, 8/24, 3:15 – 5:00, by email invitation only for Canyon and Creekside students from Coach Suzi

Friday, 8/25, 3:15 – 5:00, by email invitation only for Canyon and Creekside students from Coach Suzi

Saturday, 8/26, Parents will be notified if their player made the team

Try-Out Criteria:

  • Mandatory – Players must be registered, then cleared through SportsNet, the software that Canyon and Creekside parents use tell the athletic department and coach that their player is interested in tennis. The link is on the school’s athletics web site. If you don’t enter tennis, then I don’t know that your player has interest and I don’t have the student’s name or email address . Parents will receive SportsNet clearance from the AD via email at the email address input into the software. In 2021, if the parents hadn’t received an email that the student was cleared, the student was not allowed to try out for the tennis team.
  • Students may not try out unless they are cleared through SportsNet. 
  • Players must bring a 27″ racquet and water bottle and be dressed in shoes for tennis. 
  • Try-outs include multiple four game sets of singles or doubles. The scores will be collected from every set.
  • Students will also be assessed on attitude, listening skills and able to receive direction, which I call coachability.
  • Players with the highest cumulative singles, doubles and coachability scores will be given a place on the team. 
  • Students may not be asked to return after the second or third day of try-outs, depending on their skill level and doubles scores.
  • Last year, it was over 100 degrees during try-outs. A hat and sunglasses would be helpful, also.
  • To give your student the best chance of making the team, they should come to all five days of try-outs since their scores for all days will be collected.
  • Players who are not picked up from the courts by 5:00 will not be asked back to the next try-out session.

A team first practice – The first day of A team practice is Wednesday, 8/30 from 2:15 – 4:30 (Canyon due to early dismissal) and 3:00 – 4:30 (Creekside). A schedule will be distributed to A team players and families.

B team first practice – The first day of B team practice is Monday, August 28 from 3:15 – 4:30.A schedule will be distributed to B team players and families.

A and B Team Roster postings – The rosters will be given to the Athletic Directors for posting, as well as on the Canyon tennis court bulletin board on 8/25. An email will be sent to all the A and B team members by 8/25.

Please don’t ask me whether your child will be on the team before 8/26.  I have no idea how many openings I will have until after the information meeting and try-outs are complete.