Osten and Victor Alberta Tennis Centre leading the way for females in the sport

Calgary tennis centre training girls A Calgary tennis centre is offering training for teenage girls who want to elevate their games. Glenn Campbell reports.

CALGARY — The Alberta Tennis Centre will hold the first fully inclusive girls camp in the province and one of the first in Canada at the end of the month.

It's called She Can Play, and only females can attend.

Suzanna Cavalcante, the head of junior development, will be one of the coaches and mentors at the camp and she says it's all about empowering young women.

"I'm really excited to have girls participating in this event. It's all females," she said.

"Female coaches, female mentors, female organizers and it's really cool and I'm sure that it's going to have a great future and it's going to give out great fruits for the future."

The first camp will take place Oct. 30. There will be three more next year.

Twelve-year-old Gabby Sowiak will be at the camp and she says she can hardly wait for it to get going.

"It's going to be for girls to be able to have a camp to themselves in an environment with other girls," she said. "It's going to be great."

Eleven-year-old Marissa Bayentin says an all-girls camp will make her feel more comfortable.

"Being around my friends and other girls is a really good environment for me," she said.

Sowiak loves the idea of the camp because she says no one will be putting on a show.

"I think it will open girls up to be themselves and be able to do that without them feeling like they have to impress people or just not be themselves I guess," she said.

The one-day camp will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it won't just be about tennis. Participants will also learn about nutrition, athletic development and yoga.

Cavalcante is hoping these camps will build leaders for the future.

"The way it impacts is that girls can know that they have a future in sports," Cavalcante said.

”Whether they become a professional tennis player or a professional psychologist that works with sports people or even a female coach which we need more of. We see on a daily basis here that it does make a difference, especially for the younger kids here."