HOW MY PASSION FOR TENNIS SHAPED MY LIFE

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By Ana Gabriela Canahuate-Torres, ASC Florida and ESIS Alumna Class of 2015

A normal day at Academia Sanchez-Casal, Florida is not exactly a true statement. For our annual students, the day seems to be anything but ordinary. With three-hour practices in the morning, then school along with study hall in the afternoon, most can agree that being an ASC Florida annual student is more than just tennis practices and school assignments. As athletes, they must focus on their personal goals of whether they will go on to play college tennis or become a professional tennis player. As students, it is a different matter, they need to focus on their grades and their overall performance in school. Having the ability to balance out their passion for tennis and academics brings them a step ahead in life. However, the question still remains on what is life at the Academy? I have the answer to that question from past and present annual students: Emilio Sánchez, Victoria Sánchez, Adéle Fernández, Ritwik Chatt, and myself Ana Gabriela Canahuate Torres.

Emilio Sanchez Jr.

Emilio Sánchez Jr, student-athlete (Spain): I was born in Barcelona, Spain where I lived my first eight years. I started to play tennis at ASC in Barcelona. Later I moved to the United States, where I started to play after school. ASC has been my second home and playground since I was about 3 years old. In 2016 I started in the annual program and played every day all year long. ASC has helped me develop in tennis and become more independent.

Emilio has learned to adapt to changes. His passion for tennis and life with his family has helped him to develop not only as an athlete but to become a more independent person. Having to combine sport and studies, both intensively, that is, for our students, but the Academy was born to help overcome this challenge.

Victoria Sánchez, current student-athlete (Spain): I have been in this academy for the past 5 years, I would not change it for anything. One of the most important things it has taught me is to be myself and respect the people around me. I could talk about this place for days, this is not just an academy for me, it is my home. Every day might be the same schedule, the same people, but it’s the best part about it is you get to spend time with your family. The atmosphere this place gives is so positive although sometimes it is hard,  it’s incredible the resilience it gives to each student-athlete. This academy will always remain in my heart, it’s my home!

Victoria Sanchez

Victoria will enter her senior year this upcoming Fall. Next year she will embark on a chapter of her life, college and she will need to prepare for it. Resilience and respect are two of the values that tennis, and sports in general, bring to the lives of our students. They must face difficult situations and learn to overcome them. Teammates, coaches, teachers, and the whole Academy staff end up becoming a second family to many of these student-athletes

Adele FernandezAdéle Fernández, current student-athlete (USA): My experience at ASC taught me many values. It taught me Respect, Effort and Discipline which helped me on and off the court. Being at ASC also taught me to be more independent and to manage my time between school and tennis. The friendships I have made this past year will always stay with me. Attending ASC has been one of the best experiences of my life.

It is an honor for ASC to hear that the students identify with the 3 values of Sanchez-Casal: Respect, Effort and Discipline. These values have marked the life of the Academy of this last year. They marked the life of the Academy of this last year. They are safe values to face any situation that life gives to our students.

Ritwik Chatterjee, ASC Florida alumni class of 2016 (India): When I came to Academia Sanchez-Casal as a fifteen-year-old player from India back in 2014, I wasn’t sure what to expect! Sure, I came prepared to work hard and take my tennis to a new level, but what I got was truly something extraordinary. The two years I spent here was, by far, the most enriching of my life. Not a day goes by where I don’t fondly recall grinding on the well maintained Har-Tru courts or working on exceeding my physical limitations in the gym. However, the best part of this academy for me was not the exponential improvement in my tennis, but the all-round development of my personality, value system and the friends I made.

Ritwik

My time here flew by rapidly. Repetitions on court turned into habits and friends turned into family. I can never forget the countless lessons I’ve learned from tennis greats like Emilio Sanchez and Pavel Slozil. They not only taught me how to play better tennis but also how to lead a better, more meaningful life. Living with these legends and their involvement in my life beyond the tennis court made all the difference. Emilio once explained to me the importance of doing everything with enthusiasm while driving me to Stanford, and I have imbibed that lesson into my daily life. The tennis part of this academy is second to none, but the area in which the academy truly shines is character development. Students here not only graduate as exceptional tennis players and leaders but also as very good human beings, an art I believe is lost in today’s world of instant gratification and material assessment

As I see the new students here — each with their own goals and expectations, I envy them! I envy them because they are about to embark on the most meaningful chapter of their lives and as they go about experiencing life here, I want them to believe that they are indeed at the finest place in the world and with the greatest teachers. In a place like this, the sky isn’t the limit, it is just the starting point.

Ritwik lived, trained and studied at the Academy for 2 years. Coming from a different culture, he adapted to new habits, customs, to a different language. At the Academy, we train children and adolescents and accompany them in transcendental moments in their lives, in the years when they are trained as people and learn to face the world. It is an honor to be referents in their lives and to see how, with the passing of time, they remember what we tried to teach them, even with more affection than the athletic part.

Ana Canahuate-Torres

Ana G. Canahuate-Torres, ASC-Florida alumni class of 2015 (Dominican Republic): My experience at ASC Florida was a bit different. For starters, I was the first annual student-athlete during that time, so I had to deal with being away from my family, and that was the most difficult part. I have to say that the academy impacted me the most in the area of maturity because I had to learn how to manage my time by balancing tennis and school, which essentially allowed me to excel in the college atmosphere. As a former ASC student-athlete, I can say that the values I learned from my parents and the ones I learned at ASC, gave me the opportunity to grow as a person ASC will always hold a very special place in my heart. I will be forever grateful to Emilio Sánchez for having the patience to change my attitude. I admire him very much because of the human being he is, the way he is so energetic on the court and how excited he gets when he sees you doing well. Emilio always motivated me to be a better player and person and I thank him for always believing in me. Life at ASC Florida was anything but ordinary because I had the opportunity to meet people that were in the same situation as me.

We have to appreciate the effort that these kids give to their academics and tennis development. Sometimes we forget that these kids are separating themselves from kids their age. Instead of going to a normal high-school and having their afternoons free, they chose to be in a tennis academy, a place where annual students are expected to fulfill seventeen hours of tennis practice per week, four hours of physical training, hour mental sessions, and thirty hours of school per week. In the end, these kids will have attained skills like time management in order to balance their student-athlete life and social life. They are all incredibly dedicated to tennis because they have chosen to sacrifice a normal teenage life for their improvement as players.

To the current annual student-athletes, you are all very privileged to have not only one tennis legend but two with Pavel Slozil. Take advantage of your time here and I hope that you all accomplish your desired dreams. We hope you never forget your time with at ASC, all your shared birthdays, trips to movie tournaments, beach days and other fun activities in which you participated. Of course, I will not forget my experience in this place that, in the end, became my second home.

Tennis and School for Tennis Players

Ana Canahuate-Torres
ASC Florida and ESIS Alumna Class of 2015

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THE UTR REACHES SPAIN WITH THE HELP OF THE CASPER TOUR

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By Eva Pascual, Marketing department, Sánchez-Casal Academy.

So far, 2018 has been a very special year, not only for the Sánchez-Casal Academy, but also for the Emilio Sánchez Vicario Foundation; and on a particularly personal level, for its founder and CEO, Emilio Sánchez-Vicario. After a 2017 marked by tragedy, Emilio Sanchez promised himself that 2018 would be a year full of hope and excitement. This is a promise that aligns with his personal outlook on life, which is to always ‘overcome adversity’.

This is how the latest of the Emilio Sánchez Vicario Foundation’s (FESV) projects, The Casper Tour, came to life. The Casper Tour was created in tribute to the young Spanish tennis player, Casper Fernández, a student of the Sánchez-Casal Academy, who died in 2017 at 16 years of age after a courageous fight against bone cancer.

 

Casper Mutua2
 

Casper had asked his father to help other kids train and progress in tennis, so they could have the opportunity to pursue a tennis career, just as Casper had wanted to do in his life. Emilio Sánchez united his foundation’s work to Casper’s request, and created a fund within the Foundation that provides resources for a tennis school for people with disabilities caused by bone cancer. The fund also provides scholarships for student-athletes with financial need. In this project, Emilio has had the help of the RFET, the USTA, and Feliciano López, a personal friend of Casper’s family.

In 2018 the Casper Tour was inaugurated, with 9 tournaments on 3 continents, all of them with a spirit that is different from other youth tournaments. In the words of Emilio Sanchez, “The Casper Tour is a bit different because you don’t go there just to play and win. Sometimes you need to learn how to lose as well, without forgetting the most important thing, which is the heart and the soul of a competitor.”

 

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One of the challenges was to make a truly competitive tournament, where young tennis players could play games that allowed them to learn, against rivals that help them to grow and improve. With this goal in mind, it was essential to make the matches as equal as possible and that is how the support of the UTR, Powered by Oracle, became necessary.

The Universal Tennis Rating (UTR) is a global rating system for tennis players, which produces an objective, consistent and accurate index of the players’ abilities. UTR uses its own algorithm based on the strength of the opponent and the final score of the match in sets and games. It does not just score the result of the match, but also takes into account whether the match was equally fought.  In summary, it reflects the skill of the player and, therefore, it measures his or her true level.

 
Grafica UTR
 

Since its release in 2008, the UTR system has been adopted by the ITF and the USTA and currently records the results of all ATP, WTA and ITF Junior and Futures events; all USTA youth events, all the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) matches and all NCAA doubles tournaments. Furthermore, it is the system used by the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) for the official rankings of university tennis in all American universities. UTR also incorporates the results of a growing number of national federations. It updates and maintains the ratings of more than 600,000 players, and its database includes 6 million match results.

It has been shown that organizing draws by UTR level produces matches between players of more similar levels of tennis, and this is more effective than if the draw was organized simply by ranking or age range. Tournaments where opponents are more equally skilled are widely recognized by coaches as the most powerful method to develop tennis skills, and benefit all players. Conversely, non-competitive and less well-matched draws generally discourage the loser and don’t make significant improvements to the winner’s confidence; nor do they offer the opportunity to improve either player’s skills.

For these reasons, Emilio Sanchez knew that the UTR Powered by Oracle had to be a travel companion to the Casper Tour. Through this relationship, the universal classification of tennis has also reached Spain, thanks to the Sánchez-Casal Academy, a pioneer in the world of tennis and the development of young tennis players.

utr

More info and registrations for Casper Tour Barcelona: caspertour@sanchez-casal.com

info register

Eva Pascual
Marketing department, Sánchez-Casal Academy

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THANK YOU … FOR EVERYTHING

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By Pep Plasin, Head Coach of Girls Area at Academia Sánchez-Casal Barcelona.

This June 22nd, 2018, a very special day will be celebrated here at the Sánchez-Casal Academy in Barcelona. A fresh new group of students will graduate, after 12 intense academic years, and it will be time for them to face the next stage in their lives. It is both a happy and a sad day as we say goodbye to people who have become part of our family.

Graduation is a very exciting day, both for the graduating students and for the people who have worked with them over the years. Coaches, teachers, physical trainers, physiotherapists, psychologists, dieticians, and more, make up part of this organization, and each has contributed his/her own grain of sand towards the education that these students receive, ensuring that these boys and girls acquire the academic knowledge and the tennis level necessary to continue on into the next stage in their lives.

Our mission at the Academy is to create opportunities in tennis, in education, and in life, and that is what we have done since the beginning. If we think particularly about the generation that graduates this June, they are practically like our children, because many of them have spent over a decade with us. Laura López, Marc Feliu, and Jordi Ferrer were each just tiny little kids when they joined the Sánchez-Casal family.

 

Laura Lopez 78_low_ep3

 

Graduation is a magical moment. The students are full of nerves during the days leading up to it because it can be difficult to speak in front of such a large audience and during such an emotional moment. The sharing of memoriesand experiences often causes a knot to form, not only in the throats of those who speak, but also for the audience as well. With the experiences that each graduate shares, they can often make you cry.

Everything starts with the speech of the Salutatorian, who is the student with the second highest grade point average. The rest of the students then follow, with a short speech of their own. Finally, the Valedictorian, the top ranked student in his/her grade, closes the ceremony with a longer, often more emotive and inspirational speech.

 

Graduación 2017_ep

 

After the diplomas are awarded, the ceremony ends and congratulations, hugs, photos, laughter and, of course, tears begin. This is when the high school stage of the students’ lives officially ends. Every one of these students will take a different path forward, but they will each take within them on their journeys the values that we transmitted at the Academy. At the same time, each and every one of us here at the Academy will hang on to a precious memory of these students, because we also learned so much from them.

Two years ago, we held a very emotional alumni reunion with an impressive level of attendance. Many formers students of Sanchez-Casal returned to be part of one more special and unforgettable day, that was filled of fond and precious memories.

 

Alumni Dinner_21 LOW

 

That night, a former student spoke to me and for no particular reason, said “Thank you.” I asked “what for?” and she told me “… for everything”. Her answer, so short and yet so broad, gave me much to think about, because she said it with so much feeling and it evidently came from the heart.

In my opinion, this simple phrase is the summary of everything our students experience and learn at the Academy; so many lessons which, with the passing of time and with the experiences they go through, our students value more than they ever imagined.

So thank you too, to our students, for everything.

Tennis and School for Tennis Players

Pep Plasin
Head Coach of Girls Area at Academia Sánchez-Casal Barcelona

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ASC NANJING GETS A NEW TENNIS DIRECTOR

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By Emilio Sanchez CEO and Founder of Academia Sanchez-Casal

INTERVIEW WITH HECTOR RUIZ, NEW ASC NANJING TENNIS DIRECTOR

This year, we celebrate 20 years in Barcelona, 6 in USA and 3 in China. Reaching these milestones made me think of all the ways my team has contributed to Academia Sanchez Casal’s success. Thanks to them, Academia Sanchez-Casal and our tennis teaching system have become recognized everywhere we go. To commemorate this, I want to share a series of stories about the people who have helped us get to where we are today.

Let’s kick off this new series with Hector Ruiz, people in the tennis industry might know his name, but some may not. Hector started playing tennis at just 8 years old, he trained in Sanchez-Casal Barcelona for many years and reached a career-high ranking of 205. Then, at the age of 25, he transitioned from playing tennis to coaching. He went through all of our coaching programs and has gone on to work with us for the next ten years; first as a coach, then as a traveling coach and finally as the traveling team coordinator. This past April, he opened a new chapter in his career, he became the new tennis director of Sanchez Casal Nanjing. Having someone leading the project that has the ASC Identity imprinted in his DNA is not only a huge opportunity for him, but also for ASC.

Hector Ruiz on Court

Nanjing has been an incredible endeavor. On top of the Academy lies a beautiful natural park surrounded by forests and palaces of the Ming dynasty. The place is majestic, only one and half hour from Shanghai by train. And believe it or not, it has been our biggest challenge. We started with almost zero players and have slowly started to grow. It won’t be an easy adjustment for Hector, he will have to overcome the cultural and language barriers and different mentalities. He will also have to teach his players about tours and how to compete internationally (something that hasn’t happened there before).

Emilio Sanchez with ASC Nanjing Satff

Learning to lead a team of 4 international coaches as well as Chinese coaches will be a new challenge, but he will succeed. Hector is ASC. And ASC is what it is thanks to people like him who care for the students and help them become the best version they can be. It is truly humbling to have a great group of people around me. Hector has been a part of ASC from the beginning, his loyalty, his way of doing things, and his determination put him in a position that he can enjoy today. He is very well prepared and I am sure he will continue on the path that Daniel Sorribas opened two years ago, with incredible success.

Emilio Sanchez
CEO and Co-Founder of the Academia Sanchez-Casal

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EXPERIENCING THE BARCELONA OPEN BANC SABADELL AS AN UNDER 14

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By Daniel Muñoz Pozo, Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.

The same courts that have seen the likes of players such as Rafa Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, Novak Djokovic, Feliciano López, have now also welcomed our student-athlete Luis Utrilla. Luis was selected to play the U14 Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, 66º Trophy Conde of Godó, a tournament for promising young players that is held in parallel to the ATP.

This amazing opportunity was experienced by Luis as well as his Sánchez-Casal coach, Juan Manuel Lorenzo, who affirms that “it is an important opportunity for Luis because he gained firsthand experience of what the professional players go through during the week. It’s a different, special and magical tournament. Being able to train and play on the same courts as the pros during the ATP tournament, to have the same supporters cheering on you, and to use the same locker rooms, cafeteria and players’ lounge as the pros is indeed a unique experience.”

 

 

For Luis, reaching the semifinals (where he was defeated by the tournament winner), has been an incredible journey, “It has been a great experience, perhaps one of the most important of my life, because it is the most professional tournament that I have ever taken part in. I had the chance to live with the pros, to share the same spaces, such as the players’ lounge where we relaxed and prepared together for our next matches”.

The young ASC player, who in September of 2017 joined the Sánchez-Casal Academy and ES International School in the Annual Tennis + School Program, said: “I have learned so much and absorbed many great ideas thanks to being so close to these professional players. I saw what they did to warm up and how they prepared themselves in the hours leading up to their games, all of which was a huge opportunity for me”.

 

2 coach y luis utrilla

 

How does the Sánchez-Casal Academy prepare players for a tournament of this category?

Luis’s coach, Juan Manuel, remarks that “with the ASC 360 Tennis System, we trained everything in general (controls, drills, serve, points, etc) up to 3 days before competing in the Godó Tournament. In the final 3 days, we began a more specific work, with transition exercises in different zones of the court, directional tactics and points under specific conditions.”

Regarding routines, Juan Manuel and Luis have been following the same patterns as we usually follow with any ASC Travelling Team: “Focusing on proper nutrition, ensuring good warm up on the court where the competition will take place, making tactical preparations in the players’ lounge, and reinforcing the mental routines necessary to face challenges of these proportions.”

 

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On the other side, Luis affirms that “the week prior to the tournament, in addition to training with my coach, I was training in both tactics and strategy with the Head Coaches of the Academy. On the physical side, I was focused on becoming stronger to be able to face tough matches. On the mental side, I had a session to help me manage my emotions in moments that could be adverse or difficult and turn them into positive thoughts”.

In short, Luis has gone through days of strong emotions, hard work and effort, and above all, days of hope and excitement. His coach Jose Manuel and the whole Sanchez-Casal Academy are proud of Luis, who, as all our students do during tournaments, has relied on our total support to be able to enjoy the experience.

Daniel Muñoz Pozo
Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.

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THE METABOLIC WINDOW

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By Sergi Bonillo, Food and Beverage manager at Academia Sánchez-Casal, Barcelona.

Nutrition and sport are two terms that both professional and nonprofessional athletes know must go hand in hand. When you practice sport regularly, it is fundamental that you follow a balanced diet that covers all of your body’s needs, before, during and after exercise.

Nonetheless, there is no such thing as “one ideal diet for all”, because each person has different dietary requirements. Therefore, each diet should be adapted to the person’s needs, and to the sport they practice. It is important to take into account the intensity of the sport, the number of practices sessions they do, and the schedule of each athlete.

manteles nutri_fin_low2

In addition, the function and goal of your nutritional intake should be different during the three phases of exercise, which are before, during and after sport is practiced.

In this article, we will focus on post-exercise nutrition and the importance of the metabolic window in the athlete’s recovery from exercise.

Foods for after exercising
The objective is to RECOVER the correct blood sugar levels and muscle glycogen reserves, while also rehydrating adequately.

The first two hours after exercise are key to proper recovery, as this is when the “metabolic window” is open.

 

Metabolic-window

 

The metabolic window
The post-exercise period of time in which the body is extremely receptive to the absorption of nutrients, due to the influence of insulin in the body.

This metabolic window is open for the first two hours post-training, although the first 45 minutes are when our bodies are the most receptive. This period of time is the opportunity our bodies give us to absorb the highest amount of nutrients and increase our performance abilities.

If we take advantage of this opportunity, the benefits will be considerable. We can:

  • Accelerate the elimination of waste produced during training by increasing blood flow via insulin. This reduces the damage produced by lactate
  • Reduce the muscular damage produced by physical activity
  • Promote muscle development
  • Help our immune system
  • Increase the recovery capacity of muscle glycogen levels
  • Go from a catabolic state of muscle destruction to an anabolic state of creation and repair

But … what should we eat during the metabolic window?

    • During the first hour, you should eat vegetables and fruits for their vitamins; and meat, fish and eggs for their protein.
    • During the second hour, you should eat complex carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, potatoes or legumes.

 

500px-Insulin_sensitivity_and_exercise_with_nutrition (1)

From: http://fellrnr.com

 

Knowing that insulin is the precursor to most anabolic and recovery processes, a combination of carbohydrates and proteins is recommended, with a carbohydrate to protein ratio of 3:1 or 4:1 (meaning 4 grams of carbohydrates per every 1 gram of protein).

The inclusion of other amino acids such as leucine, glutamine and vitamins such as antioxidants E and C will also improve protein synthesis, help protect our immune system, and minimize the action of free radicals.

Why are liquid supplements or shakes recommended?

Having this type of easy-to-prepare or pre-prepared supplement allows us to make the most of the short window of post-workout time. Liquids and shakes are absorbed very quickly, while solid foods have to go through the process of digestion first, thereby delaying the absorption of their nutrients.

Any sports fan will know that nutrition is one of the main factors that influences how much benefit professional and amateur athletes get from their workouts. With this article, I hope I have helped improve your knowledge of the field of sports nutrition so that you can get the most out of the sport you practice.

Sergi Bonillo
Food and Beverage manager at Academia Sánchez-Casal Barcelona

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A Player’s Box of Chocolates

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By Cameron Mofid, Student-Athlete at Academia Sanchez-Casal Florida

A top-ranked tennis professional, although alone on court, is supported by a variety of experts: at the very least, an ATP or WTA player usually travels with a tennis coach, a physiotherapist, and a fitness trainer. However, on championship Sunday of the 2018 Delray Beach Open, 64th world-ranked German Peter Gojowczyk was supported by a much more unpredictable team: I (who had just met Peter 10 days prior to that Sunday), along with an old friend of Peter’s from 11 years prior and his friend’s daughter were the ones accompanying him. In hindsight, perhaps the unforeseen makeup of his player’s box that day was representative of his surprising run to the final that week.

As a tournament intern, I mainly worked in the credential office to ensure that staff, guests, and players received their official identification badges. The office maintained a hectic and lively vibe due to the volume of work. As mentioned, just one professional player could mean five or six additional credentials for his/her whole team.

This usually active environment made Peter’s arrival all the more interesting, as he traveled to the tournament alone, just with his belongings and racquets. Surprised and inquisitive about his party of one, I offered to train with him the following afternoon and to my amazement, we set up a 1 p.m. court time for the next day.

Although I worried about not being high-level enough to meet his practice standards, I told myself to maintain a positive attitude and make as many balls in the court as possible. Peter was more than welcoming and found ways to make the training both efficient and enjoyable. We utilized practice strategies such as half-court controlled hitting, basket feeding, and serving/returning drills.

Updated

Before the tournament, I had the preconceived notion that the majority of top tennis professionals would be distant and not personable. And I didn’t blame them. However, Peter’s personality and approach to life completely reversed my prior stereotypes as he was extremely sociable and likable. Before his first-round match, we had dinner in downtown Boca Raton and discussed a variety of topics: these included the challenges of constant travel, his passion for tennis, and his off-time activities.

Over the course of the next several days, one thing stood out to me most about Peter: he never let negative situations/results change his outlook on competition and he approached every match with the same humble mindset of competing to win. This persistent mentality has paid dividends in his career, as he has been quite injury prone and even had to retire in the third set of his second round match the preceding week in New York.

Peter retold the story of how he underwent surgery in 2014 (which sideline him for 6 months) and fought all the way back to a first ATP title in Metz last September, achieving a career-high ranking of 61, all at the age of 28. On top of this were the personal situations that kept his coaching staff away for the week, but he remained undeterred and was solely ready for his on-court battles.

The only ATP singles player in the draw without a team, Peter took to the court on Tuesday morning against a fierce competitor in Slovak Lukas Lacko. After trailing a set and a break down due to Lukas’ high level of play, Peter advanced in an exhausting three sets. As the only one in his player’s box for his second-round encounter against 18th-ranked and big-serving John Isner, I was originally uncertain about Peter’s chances due to Isner’s often times overwhelming firepower. Over two and a half hours later, and 30 of Isner’s blistering aces, Peter found himself in a third set down three match points at 5-6, 0-40. Following a touch high backhand volley that landed inches over the net, and some big serving of his own, Peter yet again advanced 7-6 (3); 6-7 (4); 7-6 (5).

Due to these big wins, Peter found himself in the media, where a childhood friend of his, Oto Patzner, discovered his presence in Florida. Oto worked at the Karlsfeld Club in Munich, where Peter trained when he was a junior. Years later, Peter began his journey on tour and Oto opened up a company in Florida to fulfill his American Dream. Oto asked his daughter, Nina, to contact Peter, knowing it was a long-shot. After finding a way to reach him, Oto connected with Peter for the first time in over 11 years.

For Peter’s third round match, he faced one more big server and Next Gen player Reilly Opelka. While Peter’s box was made up of myself, Oto, and Nina, three people he most certainly would not have expected to see at the beginning of the week, there was more energy coming out of our side of the court than I had ever seen in a player’s box before. Oto would chant “Go Peter, Go!” seemingly after every point, combined with an extended period of resounding applause. Perhaps it was this encouragement that provided Peter with the extra push to win the match.

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Peter was now set to play Stevie Johnson, another top American and fan-favorite, in the semifinals. After producing a noteworthy performance, Peter came out on the winning end with to reach his second tour-level final. A week that had begun on his own, with a lingering foot injury, had transformed to one of the best weeks of his career. Peter was also subject to praise by fellow players, as Johnson graciously said, “He’s really come out strong this year. He won’t be ranked 60 or whatever he is for much longer.”

German legend Boris Becker also congratulated Peter by way of a tweet, “#PeterGojowczyk sagenhaft (amazing)!!!”

While the energy from our side was yet again electric the following day, Peter lost the final to a rising American in Frances Tiafoe. Whether it was Oto and Nina’s 5-hour round trip drives every day to support Peter, or simply a sensational click in his game, Peter cherished this week as one of the best in his professional journey. Following the week in Delray Beach, Peter ascended the rankings to world number 51, the highest he has ever reached. In describing the phenomena that was his miraculous week, Peter explained, “absolutely anything can happen. It’s tennis.”

Famously quoted by iconic movie character Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates” I have found that tennis, in a more microscopic outlook, is too like a box of chocolates. As Peter expressed to me: life on tour is composed of sporadic times, made up of the often unpredictable good and bad weeks. Fittingly, as Forrest so explained about his beloved chocolates, “You never know what you’re going to get.”

Cameron Headshot

 

 

Tennis and School for Tennis Players

Tennis and School for Tennis Players

Cameron Mofid
Student-Athlete at Academia Sanchez-Casal Florida

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Laura López realizes her dream of going to Boston College

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By Daniel Muñoz Pozo, Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.

After a decade as a student-athlete at Sanchez-Casal, Laura López will finally realize her dream of going to Boston College.

A few years ago we held an Alumni dinner at the Sánchez-Casal Academy headquarters in Barcelona, where past student-athletes returned and shared with us their stories of the paths they have followed, the dreams they have realized, and the experiences they have lived since leaving Sanchez-Casal.

In a few months, Laura López, who started tennis training in the after-school program ten years ago, will achieve her dream of attending Boston College to play college level tennis while working towards a university degree.

Laura will then become another ASC and ESIS alumni, stepping forth on the long and bright road ahead of her, to gain experience on another continent. Most importantly, she will take with her a special love of tennis and the wealth of all of her personal experiences that stem from being a part of the great family which is Sánchez-Casal.

We had time to talk to her and hear her story; a story that she is happy to share with our current student-athletes, and anyone out there who might have the same dreams, fears, hopes, and worries that she had before coming to the Academy.  Laura’s story is a testimony to how the experience of combining tennis and studies together in one location offers a unique advantage to those looking towards University.

“When I came here for the first time, my dream was to be a professional tennis player, because I knew of successes like that of Sveta Kuznetsova, Andy Murray, and Grigor Dimitrov, and I knew that this was the ideal place to be. As the time passed, I realized that the academy opens you up in a lot of ways, they prepare you physically, mentally, and also through school – you receive a great all-round education here”, affirms Laura.

The young tennis player had to overcome a significant personal loss during her stay at the Academy. Nonetheless, Laura knew how to draw strength from the best of herself, and was able to use her resilience to deal with her grief and also overcome adversity. Accompanied by the four pillars of tennis: tactical, technical, physical and mental, Laura exceeded expectations on the tennis court and in school.

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“There are 4 fundamental pillars of tennis, and I have always been guided in them by great staff both in tennis and school. The tutors have always taken care of me and supported me. They have always known how to motivate me, and that especially has helped me to achieve my goals”, adds Laura.

It has been a decade long journey for Laura, who arrived at Sánchez-Casal as a young girl, later clinching the U12 Cataluña Title, and also acquiring experience in the Marca Tennis Circuit, Tennis Europe, and others. She affirms that: “it has been a great experience to be in an international environment, living with people from around the world, and I am going to remember everything, not just some specific moments, but the whole experience”.

Laura is, to her own merit, a strong ambassador of the Academy Sánchez-Casal and a model of the Sánchez-Casal identity, for three simple reasons: her capacity for respect, effort, and discipline.

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Daniel Muñoz Pozo
Head of Communications & Media at Sánchez-Casal Academy.

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MY GOAL FOR THE MIAMI OPEN 2018

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Emilio Sanchez interviews Academia Sanchez-Casal player Ramkumar Ramanathan

By Emilio Sanchez

CEO and Founder at Academia Sanchez-Casal

INTERVIEW WITH RAMKUMAR RAMANATHAN, ATP WORLD N135 AND ASC PLAYER

ASC player Ramkumar Ramanathan is one to watch at the Miami Open 2018. Last year the Indian player jumped 143 spots in the Singles ranking and is now ranked world N135. Also, worth mentioning is his victory over world N6 Dominic Thiem at the Antalya Open in June 2017 (where he reached the quarterfinals), his first main draw qualification of a Masters 1000 tournament at Cincinnati Masters in August 2017, or his role as a N1 player at the India Davis Cup Team. However, the 23-year old player is now facing one of his long time aspired career goals: to compete in the Miami Open.

Ramkumar was first sent to Academia Sánchez-Casal Barcelona by the president of the Chennai Tennis Federation at the age of 14 from his hometown Chennai, India. He stayed at the academy 4 months then returned to India to play and win the U18 Nationals, at 15. Soon after, Ram started gaining confidence and playing better so ASC took a gamble and offered him a scholarship. He played all futures, competed 35-40 weeks and in between tournaments, trained at the academy.

Last year he called me at ASC Florida. He had been playing professionally for the last 2-3 years but couldn’t reach the 200-ranking barrier. He asked me if we could help him accomplish his goals: reach the top 150 of the ATP ranking by the end 2017. We accepted the challenge and he’s been training here since.

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I recently interviewed him while he was preparing for the Miami Open.

Here’s a summary of some of the topics we dealt with (watch the full interview in the video below)

ES: How was your debut as a junior player at ASC?

RR: I started playing tennis when I was 7 and at 14 the Chennai Tennis Federation brought me to ASC Barcelona. It was an incredible opportunity, but also a big challenge to be outside of my home and my country at a very early age. In Europe everything was different; the culture, the food… Eventually I came back to ASC Barcelona every year, and it became my second home.

ES: You know that our 360 ASC System focuses on the 4 Pillars of tennis: Technical, Tactical, Physical and Mental. Which is the most important one for you?

RR: Although I have to pay a special attention to the physical pillar, I think that the mental one is crucial. During the last years I’ve learned so much about staying present in every match, fighting every point. Mental strength makes the difference; it also goes together with confidence.

ES: What are your goals for this year?

RR: When I came last year to ASC Florida, I wanted to get in the top 150, and I made it. This year, I would like to reach the top 100 by the end of the year.

ES: You’ve been playing at the Common Wealth Games, Cincinnati Open, Indian Wells… If you had to choose to do well in one of these tournaments, which one would you take?

RR: To do well in Miami Open.

Apart from the Grand Slams the Miami Open is considered one of the biggest events in the tour. Since last year I couldn’t compete there, it became one of my main goals for 2018.

ES: What does it mean to you to represent your country in the Davis Cup?

RR: To play for your country, to listen to the national anthem, it’s something very special. I like to play with the crowd; they push you to give your best until the end of the match.

ES: RED (Respect, Effort and Discipline) is part of the ASC identity. What do these values mean to you?

RR: Tennis teaches you many things that will help you in your tennis career. Sacrifice, focus, stay present, stay away from your cell phone… Simple things that then you can apply to your personal life.

We wish him the best of luck and lots of success in his upcoming endeavor.

Watch the complete interview here:

Emilio Sanchez

Emilio Sánchez Vicario
CEO and Founder at Academia Sanchez-Casal

Collaboration: Susana Zaragoza

Marketing Manager at Academia Sanchez-Casal, Florida

 

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HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR COACHING ROLE

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Emilio Sanchez entrevista a Oscar Burrieza

COACHING SERIES BY ACADEMIA SANCHEZ-CASAL

By Emilio Sánchez Vicario, CEO and Founder of Academia Sánchez-Casal

“You are one of those coaches that I admire, the ones that do the dirty work, the complicated task of staying with players in the key moments’

What does it take to become a good coach?

And how do they describe their players in the four pillars of tennis?

Emilio Sánchez, CEO of Academia Sanchez-Casal in Florida and Oscar Burrieza, coach of the Madrid Tennis Federation analyze these topics during an interview recorded at the $15,000 Men’s Futures at ASC, where two of Burrieza’s players competed: Javier Marti and Miguel Semmler. This is a great opportunity to learn from two tennis players who transitioned to coaching and know the necessary skills and challenges that athletes face.

(Interview in Spanish with subtitiles in English. Activate the video subtitles to enjoy the English version)

A comprehensive training method is essential to take a player to the top of the tennis pyramid, the elite stage only a few of the thousands talented tennis players who dream to reach the top 100 attain. At Academia Sánchez-Casal, we use our own training method, the ASC 360 Performance System, which is universally effective in helping its students- athletes achieve their best tennis level. This system has been used by professional ATP tennis players such as Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Juan Monaco, and WTA players such as Svetlana Kuznetsova, Daniela Hantuchova, Tamira Paszek and more.

Emilio Sánchez Vicario
CEO and Founder at Academia Sanchez-Casal

 

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