A day at the Tennis Academy
Practice, practice, ...
What is a day at a tennis academy like? I am currently working in the Tennis Academy of Asia, where I coach on court and work with players on their mental side – both on and off the court. The first practice session starts at 9 AM. So, most players have breakfast at around 8:15. The facilities in this academy are really great, and most of the off-court activities take place in the clubhouse.
Since everyone must eat, that’s where you meet players and coaches from all over the world. Just before 9:00, players start getting ready for the first practice on nearby hard courts.We start with group warm-up lead by Ning, who is responsible for the fitness and conditioning of players at the tennis academy. After 15–to–20 minutes of warm-up activities, we split the players into groups according to their level.
Morning practice focuses on learning, improving, and making certain shots automatic in certain situations, though sometimes these morning sessions are fitness oriented. The practice lasts until 11 AM and is followed by 30 minutes of physical training. Ning works with players on coordination, speed, reactions, endurance and other factors of physical preparation.
We finish at 11:30 and soon meet again in the clubhouse for lunch. Players can choose different meals and drinks. Most of them check their email after lunch. The second floor has plenty of space for social activities and Internet access. For those of us with laptops, it is especially convenient, because of the wireless Internet. So, I just sit down and turn on my laptop and I'm online. Great stuff!
The third floor of the tennis academy clubhouse is all about fitness. We practice here sometimes when we have strength training on the program or sometimes when rain stops our court practice and we must run for cover. So, in any case there is always something to do…
The afternoon practice starts at 16:30 and is usually oriented toward match play and working on different match situations. I have prepared various topics on mental training, and before practice we meet in the meeting room, where I explain a topic with a PowerPoint presentation on my laptop.
After that, players warm-up again and either play practice matches or work on various situational drills. After an hour or so, we get them back for a quick analysis and discussion of a particular topic in strategy or psychology. The practice usually lasts until 18:30 and is followed again by 30 minutes of physical on-court training.
Strength and speed endurance are usually the afternoon topics. We often play some fun games (like different types of relay races or other types of group competition) to keep the players’ attitudes positive and high.
We finish at 19:00 and head for dinner back in the clubhouse. By this time, most players are tired but satisfied from their hard working day and are looking forward to rest. Soon it will be another day and another 5 hours of practice in the very warm climate of Thailand. The Tennis Academy of Asia hosts many tournaments, like the men's and women's $10,000, Junior Fed Cup competitions and others. This makes the academy a very colorful and interesting arena, because you get to watch and meet so many different players.
So, that's the day of a player (and a coach) at the Tennis Academy, and I am personally enjoying my time here very much. For more information about the Tennis Academy of Asia, check their homepage, where you will also find contact information. See you on court! Back to Tennis Articles
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