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Thursday, December 31, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
18
Söderhamn this weekend, kids played Lucia Cupen!
Söderhamn is indeed one of my favorite places to bring the kids to, the club is always welcoming and cozy, a bigger variety of players as many southerners attend, the hostel is right next door, and the best reason of all, all ages compete during one weekend rather than the norm: 2 two weekends.
What made me glad?
-the girls were hitting the crap out of that yellow ball! .. so fun to see them applying what we've been training!
-all my players are playing more relaxed, that is, not under the constant pressure of thinking: I should not loose! The shift towards: "It is OK to loose" is, in my opinion, vital for a player's development -as it is only then that he/she will apply what we practice as well as develop his own tennis identity and tactic.
-from youngest to the oldest, all showed how well they take care of themselves, without their parents.
---
Niiice, As I write this, Rami has managed to turn around a 2-5 score, win the set and the match in 3 sets. She is in the final now. A great victory for our Rami :D
---
Rami got cramps 3 times during the final, her previous 3 hour battle took all her energy depot. Anyhow, very proud of you little girl!
---
Emilia time now, we gonna get the Christmas tree up, play a little tennis, her new favorite lacrosse and then build some puzzles. Tomorrow she has Lucia at her kindergarden :D
Söderhamn is indeed one of my favorite places to bring the kids to, the club is always welcoming and cozy, a bigger variety of players as many southerners attend, the hostel is right next door, and the best reason of all, all ages compete during one weekend rather than the norm: 2 two weekends.
What made me glad?
-the girls were hitting the crap out of that yellow ball! .. so fun to see them applying what we've been training!
-all my players are playing more relaxed, that is, not under the constant pressure of thinking: I should not loose! The shift towards: "It is OK to loose" is, in my opinion, vital for a player's development -as it is only then that he/she will apply what we practice as well as develop his own tennis identity and tactic.
-from youngest to the oldest, all showed how well they take care of themselves, without their parents.
---
Niiice, As I write this, Rami has managed to turn around a 2-5 score, win the set and the match in 3 sets. She is in the final now. A great victory for our Rami :D
---
Rami got cramps 3 times during the final, her previous 3 hour battle took all her energy depot. Anyhow, very proud of you little girl!
---
Emilia time now, we gonna get the Christmas tree up, play a little tennis, her new favorite lacrosse and then build some puzzles. Tomorrow she has Lucia at her kindergarden :D
Friday, December 11, 2009
17
As the end of the year gets closer, there are many things to look back to,
starting with my favorite in the tour level - all of the following from different sites i like:
- The success of the ATP World Tour Finals has been well documented: already recognised as the best- attended indoor tennis event in history, the ATP has confirmed that the event, which was screened in 180 countries, had the most ever traffic for an ATP tournament.
- Players that retire: Amèlie Mauresmo , two time Grand Slam champion, former ATP #1 Marat Safin (RUS), Fabrice Santoro (FRA), Frederic Niemeyer (CAN) and 35 year old Spanish former doubles #1 Virginia Ruano Pascual - doubles only.
- players coming back: Carlos Moyá, with a protected ranking of #50, Martina Hingis, and the all time favorite Justine Henin who said her main reason to come back was her desire to conquer Wimbledon :)
- The best excuse - if you need one- to just take it easy on new year's eve: Five of the world’s top ten players; Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Soderling and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, plus 20th-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka will begin their 2010 season at the Abu Dhabi Capitala World Tennis Championship exhibition - 31st December.
Now we know that Abu Dhabi aint cheap when it comes to player incentives or having a world class venue!
- Someone asked me how much money Söderling has made playing tennis.. the answer is 7.5 million. American dollars...just under 2009. 2010 should be as generous, specially since he is gonna start at Abu Dhabi!
starting with my favorite in the tour level - all of the following from different sites i like:
- The success of the ATP World Tour Finals has been well documented: already recognised as the best- attended indoor tennis event in history, the ATP has confirmed that the event, which was screened in 180 countries, had the most ever traffic for an ATP tournament.
- Players that retire: Amèlie Mauresmo , two time Grand Slam champion, former ATP #1 Marat Safin (RUS), Fabrice Santoro (FRA), Frederic Niemeyer (CAN) and 35 year old Spanish former doubles #1 Virginia Ruano Pascual - doubles only.
- players coming back: Carlos Moyá, with a protected ranking of #50, Martina Hingis, and the all time favorite Justine Henin who said her main reason to come back was her desire to conquer Wimbledon :)
- The best excuse - if you need one- to just take it easy on new year's eve: Five of the world’s top ten players; Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Soderling and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, plus 20th-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka will begin their 2010 season at the Abu Dhabi Capitala World Tennis Championship exhibition - 31st December.
Now we know that Abu Dhabi aint cheap when it comes to player incentives or having a world class venue!
- Someone asked me how much money Söderling has made playing tennis.. the answer is 7.5 million. American dollars...just under 2009. 2010 should be as generous, specially since he is gonna start at Abu Dhabi!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
16
Just got back form the courts, I had the chance to play after coaching today. Hard training and a set to top it off. We went head to head not being able to break each other's serve until the tiebreak. I love this sport!!
A great weekend for my players..
I saw development, good spirits and the good sense of looking at a defeat from the big perspective.
Results are always the easiest way to notice that a players is improving, although it can also be a very deceiving way. In that matter, I am very proud of the boys and girls that played the SJCup this past weekend not only for the results but mostly for how they played, behaved, thought, spoke about their matches and even kept me informed at all times by text messages :)
Andreas Kibe made his comeback into the tournament life, a second place was a good incentive to keep him "coming for more"!
A great weekend for my players..
I saw development, good spirits and the good sense of looking at a defeat from the big perspective.
Results are always the easiest way to notice that a players is improving, although it can also be a very deceiving way. In that matter, I am very proud of the boys and girls that played the SJCup this past weekend not only for the results but mostly for how they played, behaved, thought, spoke about their matches and even kept me informed at all times by text messages :)
Andreas Kibe made his comeback into the tournament life, a second place was a good incentive to keep him "coming for more"!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
15 - mixed feelings
4 semifinals tomorrow morning. kids have been playing so well this weekend! Even the ones that did not make it this far. I am so proud.. mainly because they have been playing as we have practiced, rather than their own way :)
whatever the results in the morning, this has been the ATA's best tournament this semester :D
----
3 am saturday/sunday night
"pst, man" .... "pst afro" .. I heard a voice on the distance as I walked home tonight. Experience told me: walk fast towards the taxi stop where there is always a crowd, unless you want 5 racist idiots jumping on your head. But I turned around, and what I saw hurt more than someone punching me hard.
One of my players selling hot dogs at 3am in the middle of the city. It was raining and he had been out for 5 hours in the same spot. Cold? Freaking freezing!!!
reality kicks in.
everything is relative.
I know all about picking up extra work as a kid to save cash for the next international tour or to get the new Nike Air Max, but never at 3am under the rain. !!!!??
:'(
whatever the results in the morning, this has been the ATA's best tournament this semester :D
----
3 am saturday/sunday night
"pst, man" .... "pst afro" .. I heard a voice on the distance as I walked home tonight. Experience told me: walk fast towards the taxi stop where there is always a crowd, unless you want 5 racist idiots jumping on your head. But I turned around, and what I saw hurt more than someone punching me hard.
One of my players selling hot dogs at 3am in the middle of the city. It was raining and he had been out for 5 hours in the same spot. Cold? Freaking freezing!!!
reality kicks in.
everything is relative.
I know all about picking up extra work as a kid to save cash for the next international tour or to get the new Nike Air Max, but never at 3am under the rain. !!!!??
:'(
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