Philosophy

Mission statement:
To develop accountable, aware and competitive athletes
who play smart and courageous tennis
 

Our personal committment:
To lead by example in terms of an attitude of constant self-improvement and to dedicate our time and passion to those who are willing to make a commitment to tennis and who demonstrate the courage and will to be accountable for their actions

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SPORT. The sport of tennis offers a wonderful opportunity for a player to learn about themselves. We see this as our highest objective. Improving a players game comes secondary to improving the character of the person. For us, its people first and players second. However, if you can improve upon yourself, make yourself more accountable for your actions, then you grow in confidence and your tennis in turn improves as well. In many cases far greater and faster then you ever imagined.

PEACEFUL APPROACH. Tennis has often been described as a battle field, and although we understand the metaphor and encourage a player to be resilient and to aim for victory there are several violent terms we try to avoid in our coaching. Why? Because there is something bigger and greater than this game at stake, and that is how these athletes will leave the tennis court and into the world. Will they see their competition as someone that needs to be beaten for them to succeed? Or will they feel blessed by their opponents in life and cherish the competition.

PLAYER EMPOWERMENT VS PLAYER DEPENDANCE. Player empowerment is a word we use often, we prefer to think of our players as their own destiny makers rather than dependent on such things as good coaching, proper parenting, effective training environment, international opportunities etc. All those things are important but they come to the player that is ready for them, the player does not seek them to become better, the player becomes better so they can receive. The player learns that these things will not come to him until he has developed himself and prepared himself to accept these gifts.

LEARNING RATHER THAN REMEMBERING. We stress to our students that it is not a job to try and remember how to hit a forehand rather to fully learn the dynamic skill of playing the game. Since no two shots will ever be the same or under the same circumstances each shot is treated as a unique moment in time. Through learning the game of tennis the player can develop a great respect for the game, for opponents, and most importantly for themselves. Players of all ages will benefit from our positive approach to the game, and will have the opportunity to share in the passion for the sport and for life. On the tennis court we use a global approach to learning. Technique is the highest priority at the learning stage, followed by tactics, as a player improves so does the importance of physical and psychological. However, at all levels of development the philosophical aspect of the game is always under consideration. The power of thought is taught from the first day a child picks up a racquet or from the first day a parent drops off a child. The learning is not restricted to the player on the court, it expands into the lives of all those affected. The journaling program is designed to teach the players that the learning is not just in the playing of the game. By recording thoughts and actions the player gains a sense of self empowerment. By using visualization a player can learn 24 hours a day