By Tatiana Batalla and Ivette Nieto, Marketing department of ASC Florida
As the ASC senior student-athletes prepare themselves for the graduation date, our ASC academy prepares to say goodbye to 10 of our seniors. They are ready for the next stage of their lives, some of them have already committed to US Universities to continue with their education career and compete at the highest level in top Division 1 & 2 schools. During their last month of school, they are taking their AP exams, they are studying for their finals, and receiving their last SAT scores. On the tennis side, their last month of practice is getting tougher, they are getting ready for a college season, team competition, and lots of tournaments.
During their journey, they have learned what it is to become a student-athlete at ASC. Being a student-athlete means growing as a person, overcoming the different challenges, and leaving one hometown to enter a full boarding academy where they have to be organized, find solutions for their daily problems, and learn how to live with different people from different countries. During their stay, they find their comfort circle of friends, create connections with their tutors, and find a good environment around the facilities. In the beginning, they see this place as a big and unknown place, they come without friends, and some of them without having a fluent dialogue in the common English language. Step by step they start to develop relationships, they start to explore their surroundings and they work hard to achieve a better place on the tennis court. After a while, they adapt to the schedule, they get to know the facility and the staff, they open their mind to their new and second home.
Our academy provides a home away from home for all the student-athletes that join our full-time program. We hear from our alumni words that describe us as a family, but, what makes ASC a family? We have asked many athletes this question because we want to know why they chose Sanchez-Casal over any other place. We have gotten answers such as our way to care for our student-athletes, our way of being there for them, our way of paying attention to their needs, of making them grow in an individualistic way, helping them achieve their goals, and interests and, finding a way of success in becoming their best version. Our academy is made to give opportunities to our student-athletes in their fields. During their time here, our mission is to help the student-athletes build character and we only succeed if our student-athletes succeed.
During the junior and senior years, they choose the next step of their life. Most of our athletes want to pursue the college pathway, some of them will start with a college pathway while they are transitioning to the pro stage. Some of our student-athletes want to move towards an academic pathway and chose to go to prestigious academic schools to become great in their dream job. These last years will determine their needs based on the goals they want to achieve. Next to us, they will develop the right abilities and skills that will lead them towards their pathway.
More than a goodbye is a see you later to all of our seniors because one can never forget their second home. Once in their pathway, we always keep a place for them to keep growing next to us and learning from what we do best, teach, inspire, educate, motivate, connect, help, lead. Each year we see our alumni come back to succeed, and we couldn’t be prouder.
During the journey at ASC, they will develop many skills, they will learn how to become independent and most importantly they will learn values such as respect, effort, and discipline. So, if you are thinking about the future of your children, let them discover their own pathway next to us and let them come to ASC to be part of something great.
Tatiana Batalla and Ivette Nieto
Marketing department of ASC Florida
