Tennis Canada vs. CSA

[fishman]

What a contrast - they open a new NTC, complete with a world-class coaching staff and facilities. Weird - hire great coaches, train full-time, inject cash...

TENNIS CANADA OPENS ITS DOORS TO FULL-TIME NATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE

September 10, 2007

Tennis Canada announced Monday the official opening of its full-time national training centre, located at Uniprix Stadium in Montreal. Ten athletes ranging from 13-17 years of age have been selected from across the country as the first participants of the program. Three full-time coaches, an assistant coach and a fitness consultant will lead a dedicated staff whose main objective is to develop a pool of Top 10 ITF juniors with the potential to reach the Top 50 on the ATP or Sony Ericsson WTA tours.

“The opening of the full-time Tennis Canada National Training Centre in Montreal marks a new and exciting era for high performance tennis in this country,” expressed Anthony Eames, Tennis Canada Chair. “The staff worked diligently over the past year to make the start of today’s inaugural program a reality. Some of the best young tennis talent from across Canada have been selected to participate and learn from sport leaders and international best practices.”

“Tennis Canada has put into place a full-time national training centre that will provide international calibre juniors with the coaching, training and resources necessary to succeed,” said Vice-President, High Performance Athlete Development Louis Borfiga. “Our new coaches bring a wealth of global experience and will guide these athletes to their true potential.”

The creation of the National training centre in Montreal and the start-up centre in Toronto was made possible by a landmark $1 million annual investment increase for high performance development in Canada. Increased concentration will be made towards under-12 player development and additional support will be targeted towards prospects making the transition from junior to professional tennis.

The milestone decision by the Tennis Canada Board of Directors followed the recruiting of world renowned tennis leaders Louis Borfiga and Bob Brett in 2006. Borfiga, vice-president high performance, athlete development, joined Tennis Canada in August 2006 from the French Tennis Federation where he led their largest national training centre. He will also serve as director for both Canadian national training centres and guide top juniors making the transition to the professional game.

Uniprix Stadium is a world-class facility featuring 12 indoor courts, on-site physiotherapy, a pro shop, restaurant amenities and staff resources. The concept of operating national training centres is recognized as an international best practice. The goal is to consistently produce Canadians who rank among the Top 50 in the world. Players will be regrouped under one roof and a coach will be assigned to train and travel full time with participants. Players will hone their technical, physical and tactical fundamentals, garner top level international competitive experiences, manage life on the junior circuit as a precursor to the professional tours, and develop team identity and values to represent Canada on the international scene.

Participants will typically train six months per year, six hours a day to include tennis and fitness sessions, supplemented with an additional five months of top-level international competition. Out-of-town players will reside with host families, similar to the ‘Adopt A Player’ program, found in many junior hockey circles.

Additionally, a separate transition team program has been created to help athletes make the difficult move from top junior tennis to the professional ranks.