CHH’s Invitational Pathway for Juniors in 2025

To support the development of young players while maintaining the competitive and respectful spirit of CHH, we’ve introduced a new system for Juniors (14 years and under) to join our leagues.

Why the Change?

Over the past two years, CHH has become increasingly popular among High-Performance Juniors and their coaches, who often refer these players to us. Despite numerous discussions with Tennis ACT, they have no plans to establish a similar competition that is not UTR-rated. While we understand their reasons, this leaves CHH as the sole provider of this unique competitive opportunity for select Juniors—a responsibility we are proud to uphold but acknowledge comes with challenges.

While we value Junior participation, frequent Junior vs Junior matches significantly increase the administrative burden and often lead to behavioural challenges. These situations, compounded by occasional parental involvement, can disrupt the harmony of our leagues. Frankly, managing these dynamics makes it unsustainable for CHH to continue in the long term without adjustments.

In response, CHH discontinued its NextGen Leagues a few years ago and now only allows Juniors who have demonstrated exceptional skill, sportsmanship, and positive behaviour both on and off the court. To ensure a fair and balanced experience for all participants, the following changes will be implemented from 2025:

  • Waiting List Registration: Juniors must first register for a ‘Waiting List’ League (free).

  • Invitation System: Invitations to divisions will be issued based on availability, the player’s history in CHH leagues, and their past conduct.

  • Junior Participation Limits: A maximum of one Junior per group in Divisions 1 and 2, and up to two Juniors per group in Division 3. Juniors in the same group will not face each other during the Round Robin stages.

These measures aim to maintain CHH’s standards while continuing to provide a valuable pathway for High-Performance Juniors who meet our expectations..

Expectations for Juniors in Open Divisions

Juniors must meet CHH’s high standards of skill, behaviour, and independence to compete alongside adults. Key expectations include:

  • Compete to the best of their ability while maintaining a positive attitude.

  • Avoid sulking or prolonged negative body language.

  • Adhere to CHH’s Golden Rules, including clear score calling - loud and clear.

  • No coaching and limited interaction with parents/guardians during the match.

Expectations for Parents/Guardians/Coaches

Parents and guardians play a crucial role in supporting their child’s success. To ensure smooth operations:

  • Supervise your child at all times. See R&R 15 for how things will backfire if you don’t.

  • Verbal encouragement should be positive, brief, and infrequent to promote independence.

  • If your child is unfit to play (emotionally or otherwise), reschedule or withdraw before starting the match.

Expectations for Adult Opponents of Juniors

Playing against a Junior comes with its own set of responsibilities:

  • Always compete at your best level—this is part of their development.

  • Be competitive but not aggressive, particularly if there is a significant age or size difference.

  • Allow leniency for minor line call errors and avoid confrontations over perceived mistakes.

  • If a Junior is visibly struggling emotionally, discuss the situation with their supervising parent/guardian and consider ending the match for welfare reasons.

Safeguarding and Conduct

All participants in CHH must adhere to Tennis Australia’s Safeguarding Children policy. Adults should limit communication with Juniors to match-related topics unless explicitly approved by a parent/guardian.

This pathway ensures CHH provides a supportive, competitive environment for Juniors while maintaining fairness and respect for all players.