Inside ‘ball kid’ training for the Calgary National Bank Challenger 

At the Osten & Victor Alberta Tennis Centre, kids roll, run, and toss all for the chance to become a ball kid for the Calgary National Bank Challenger.

Roughly 85 kids are training for the professional tennis event and around 75 will earn a coveted spot.

Marc Colangeli is the head of the ball crew. He says there is some key criteria that they look for.

“Professional is the big bar that we like to set. Obviously we are hosting a pro event, these guys are playing for prize money, but also importantly their careers.” he said.

Lauren Ford, 11, will be a ball crew member for the second time. She says focus and dedication is key.

“The players are constantly looking at you and asking for balls and stuff and when you don’t have any balls you are like ‘Oh no,'” she said. “So it is really hard, but at the same time very fun.”

The role of being a ball kid goes far beyond just catching a few tennis balls; there is also how you present . 

“You are supposed to be in the position of where you look attentive, look proper,” Ford said. “So you have to put your hands behind your back, and stand without your legs crossed.”

When the point isn’t in play, the ball kids put one hand up in the air and the other at their side — all while holding multiple tennis balls. 

Aside from focus and presentation, keeping score is also critical– not doing so can lead to big mistakes on the court.

“You really need to get the balls to the other side, or else they are going to be late to serve and that’s not going to be good because they could go over their match time,” said ball kid Mac Burgess.

While being a ball kid can have its share of stress, part of the fun, according to the kids, is getting up close to the professional players. 

Ball kid Tami Solola, says she finds the experience helps her not just as a competitive tennis player, but as a person as well.

“They inspired me to start taking my tennis more seriously, and they are just such a big inspiration to see the amount of time they put into their craft, and they are just really good role models,” she said.

The Calgary National Bank Challenger runs November 5 to 12.

Some of the players competing include Gabriel Diallo, Alexis Galarneau, and Katherine Sebov.

Canadian tennis star Vasek Pospisil announced Tuesday that he will be withdrawing from the tournament due to an elbow injury.

Last year’s women’s singles champion Robin Montgomery of the United States is also out due to injury. 

Tickets for the tournament can be found here at calgary.nationalbankchallenger.com/ticket-info/