Few federations around the world have developed as much talent as Tennis Canada over the past decade. A model to emulate on the field, it is off the court that Tennis Canada has stood out in recent months, thanks to an unprecedented social involvement.
“Girls. Set. Match. initiative launched in May to encourage more young girls to take up sport. “The Mental Pause”, a project focusing on the mental health and well-being of tennis players in Canada proposed in July. “Unmatched”, conference on gender equity in August. Billie Jean King’s visit to C2 Montreal in September to talk with people from the business community about the changes to come and to hope for in the world of sport.
“I’m so proud,” Eva Havaris, gender equity program manager and vice-president of business and engagement at Tennis Canada, said over the phone.
Involved in several projects with many sports associations since the beginning of her career, Havaris felt a change in tone at Tennis Canada, but above all a desire to act. Ultimately, to move from words to deeds.
PHOTO FROM EVA HAVARIS’ LINKEDIN PAGE Eva Havaris, Gender Equity Program Manager and Vice President of Business and Engagement at Tennis Canada
As an athlete, as a coach and as a manager, I have always wanted women to take on more importance. So to see that an organization is serious, that it wants to invest in it and hire competent people to make sure that happens makes me really proud.
Eva Havaris, Gender Equity Program Manager and Vice President of Business and Engagement at Tennis Canada
Everyone who has gravitated around the world of tennis has heard the old saying: “Tennis is 80% mental and 20% physical. “All things considered, the idea being that a good part of the success of players depends on mental well-being and good management of stress and emotions. However, distractions and pressure being more and more present, Tennis Canada wanted to have the means of its ambitions to promote the development of its athletes in a healthy environment.
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And there is perhaps no better sport than tennis to attempt all these advancements with. “There are people like Billie Jean King and Serena Williams who have pushed the boundaries of our sport. In tennis, we have the advantage of being able to build on what has been done before. There are a lot of conversations around women’s sports. There is a lot of media pressure, so we are in a good period to hope for social changes,” added Havaris.
From top to bottom
Changes are even happening within the organization, Havaris says, as more and more women are in management and decision-making positions. Even Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada, is pushing everyone to take a step in the right direction.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES Michael Downey, President and CEO of Tennis Canada
One word came up often during the interview: change. When the remark was made, Havaris pointed out that it was not only an important word, but motivation and a goal to achieve: “It has everything to do with change. I think it involves a change of mentality. I strongly believe that change towards equity across large organizations starts at the top of the pyramid, with the bosses, the decision makers. Everyone looks at us and wonders why we fight, what we stand for, what our values are. »
Tennis Canada’s initiatives go in the same direction. The more the message is carried by influential heads, the more it will be listened to. This is why the federation called on Bianca Andreescu for the “Girls. Set. Match. and “The Mental Break”. This is also why she called on the great Billie Jean King.
From the start of “Unmatched”, we had a vision and wondered how we could use tennis to move the conversation forward, not only for people in the tennis world, but for everyone. When I thought of the best possible person for our inaugural talk and guiding the audience, it was her.
Eva Havaris, Gender Equity Program Manager and Vice President of Business and Engagement at Tennis Canada
Tennis Canada’s next mission will be to spread its vision and convince other sports federations to follow suit. “We have a great opportunity to create an identity and we would be proud to share this way of doing things with other sports in Canada. If we can help the industry by being an example and showing how we proceed, that would be a victory for us. »
However, a victory is not an end in itself. Every win takes hard work, and it’s often how you get there that matters. Like when you sincerely want to change things.
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