Official Dome Supplier of the OTA

It goes without saying that 2020 has been a difficult year for sport clubs.

But today, we’re happy to share some news that’ll help us build a brighter future for the 250+ tennis clubs across Ontario.

As of October 1st, 2020, members of the Ontario Tennis Association now have access to a resource that could help them bounce back in 2021: a partnership with North America’s 1# Tennis Dome Supplier and Service Provider.

The Ontario Tennis Association (OTA) has announced that The Farley Group is the new Official Tennis Dome Supplier and Service Provider of the Ontario Tennis Association and its over 250 members. Effective October 1, 2020, the 4-year agreement is in place until September 30, 2024.

We can’t wait to lend our air structure expertise, as well as our passion for setting industry standards when it comes to service and support, to OTA members across the province! Here’s what this exciting partnership means for Ontario’s tennis clubs.

Official Tennis Dome Supplier and Service Provider of the OTA

If you’ve ever taken or taught tennis lessons in Ontario, you’ve probably heard of the Ontario Tennis Association.

Founded in 1919, the Ontario Tennis Association (OTA) is the governing body for tennis in Ontario. The Ontario Tennis Association is the single largest provincial association within Tennis Canada, with 250 clubs and approximately 75,000 players across the province.

The OTA’s mission is twofold: to encourage participation in tennis as part of a healthy lifestyle, and to promote the pursuit of excellence in the sport for all tennis players.

With those goals in mind, it’s clear why the Ontario Tennis Association and The Farley Group are a perfect fit.

Here are a few important stats.

Today, tennis ranks as the 8th most played sport in the country, with about 6.6 million Canadians picking up a racquet in 2019.

But that number would be much higher if not for the startling lack of indoor tennis courts throughout much of the country.

Amazingly, a whopping 51% of Canadians say they would play more tennis if only they had access to convenient and affordable covered courts nearby!

Right now, only 10% of outdoor tennis courts get covered during the winter...and 85% of those covered courts are located in either Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver! Millions of Canadians are being left out in the cold.

And this, right here, is where The Farley Group and the OTA can make a huge difference together. Canadians are clamouring for indoor tennis facilities, and tennis domes are the simplest, fastest, most cost-effective way to provide them.

We think tennis domes could be the key to getting more and more people involved in this incredible sport. Who knows ‒ with more tennis domes in Ontario, the number of Canadian players could climb to 7, 8, perhaps even 10 million people!

Truly, the sky's the limit.

So, What Exactly Is a Tennis Dome?

Tennis domes (also known as ‘tennis bubbles’, which is the term used by Tennis Canada and others) are incredibly versatile structures that can be designed, constructed, and installed at a fraction of the cost of a brick-and-mortar structure.

Domes can be permanent or seasonal/temporary. You can have a year-round tennis bubble that offers air-conditioned play in the summer and warmth in the winter, or a seasonal dome that covers the court only from fall to spring.

Domes can be used to cover tennis courts, of course, but also soccer fields, pools, driving ranges, velodromes, volleyball courts...practically any sporting arena you could imagine.

We’ve also seen domes used as community spaces like gyms, party venues, and storage facilities! The possibilities are virtually endless. 

Now, if you’re used to playing in the great outdoors, you might wonder what it’s like to play tennis in a dome. To be honest with you, it’s hardly any different from playing on a regular court.

Some athletes worry that a dome might feel “stuffy”, but that shouldn’t be the case. The Farley Group’s tennis domes are exceptionally well-ventilated (more on that later) and completely climate controlled for optimal, predictable comfort.

As for the playing experience? The only real difference is that domes will offer a cooler playing temperature during the warmer months than outdoor play, which means the ball will bounce slower than it might outdoors. But the change is so minimal that most players have no problem adjusting!

How Domes Help Keep Athletes Safe During COVID-19

Here’s why now is the perfect time for this exciting new partnership.

It comes at a time when, in light of COVID-19, the advantages of a dome are more evident and important than ever before.

We know the risk of transmission is generally lower outside than indoors. That’s all well and good when it’s July, but as the temperature falls, so do the prospects of outdoor tennis.

The good news? The air inside of a dome is a lot closer to outdoor conditions than most buildings.

1. The Air Quality In a Dome Resembles Outdoor Conditions.
A typical dome contains 500,000 to 5,000,000 cubic feet of air; for a topical comparison, a typical classroom contains just 6,000 cubic feet of air.
2. Dome Ventilation Is Remarkably Better Than In Most Buildings.
Under ASHRAE standards, a normal classroom’s ventilation is designed to move 222 cubic feet of air per minute; domes have a minimum of 50 times more outside fresh air!
3. There’s Tons of Room To Breathe In a Dome.
At 6-foot social distance, a dome provides about 800 cubic feet of ventilation air per person per minute; a typical classroom with 20 students would provide 11 cubic feet.

In other words, you could say that playing tennis is a dome is the next best thing to playing outdoors!

Learn More About Our Tennis Domes and Service

The Farley Group is proud to be the Official Tennis Dome Supplier and Service Provider to Canada’s largest Provincial Tennis Association. Reach out to us to learn more about what we do or find out how your tennis club can benefit from this exciting partnership!