AFTER 20 YEARS, WE ASK OURSELVES WHO WE REALLY ARE

Posted on 13 December, 2019

By Emilio Sanchez, CEO and Founder of the Academia Sanchez-Casal.

Normally it is very difficult to talk about yourself, but tennis gives players the habit of having to review ourselves, to find out what are our areas of improvement, and makes us create new habits to reach our goals. I love this process and I try to do it personally every now and then. I’m a coach, and therefore I need to be coached and coach others.

After 20 years of making opportunities in tennis and education and being a world renowned academy in Europe, I tried to apply the same process to our Tennis Academy and School, ASC and ESIS. But I found that it was a difficult thing to do because we have students, parents, teachers, coaches, and employees and they all think differently. A few years back we reviewed our philosophy, and we asked ourselves who we really are; it was a very interesting process. Students and parents saw us as a turning point that changed their lives. They kept talking about values like effort, respect, discipline and hard work. Teachers and coaches had a different view as educators, while employees had another one as workers. Finally, we summarized our values as Respect, Effort and Discipline (RED), and we promoted these values and tried to embrace them.

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As a leader, I try to align all these different perspectives of our mission and values according to who is evaluating us, and it is very rewarding. The main idea is to show our true identity, as I’m tired of telling myself we are something different from our reality. Understanding my true identity is the first step of self-improvement: to do anything else goes against my nature of analyzing myself to become better.

Fortunately, I got some unexpected help without asking for it. We had the visit of MSA a few weeks ago. They are our school accreditors, and they made a deep analysis of our essence. The conclusions of their report were outstanding; all my doubts disappeared as they were reading their report to the committees. The faces of the directors, teachers, and coaches as they were listening to the MSA representatives were shining, and every sentence was more powerful than the previous one. I almost had tears in my eyes. Our efforts were worth every minute of it: all the hard work, discipline, commitment, and hours invested by the team in the students was rewarded by this report. I could never have expected this outcome. That’s why I would like to share with you their comments about who they felt we are:

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“ESIS and ASC can be summarized by the words “family” and “community.” The parents and students love the fact that they can concentrate on tennis or another sport and still experience an education that will enable them to be successful in life.

ESIS is a small school, but it is one that is vibrant with activity. We are in awe of the level of student, staff, and community participation in the life of this school. We were very impressed with the way the school and the Academy come together to do what is best for each student.

We applaud you for the degree of cooperation among the administration, teachers, staff and coaches that makes this possible – student athletes can work on becoming excellent in their sport and excellent students. Know that your students appreciate this reality of your school.

We are also impressed by the uniformity with which the parents with whom we spoke support the work of ESIS. We were told by the school administrators that the community supports the students and the administration will strive to provide whatever is necessary to make sure the students have what they need and what they want.

We heard from your students that a strength of your school is the level of caring and concern the teachers have for their students. They told us that their teachers are always willing to go the extra mile with them, and that their teachers are always available to them.

We want to applaud you for being living examples of your printed Mission and Vision. The administration, faculty, and staff of the school and the Academy are fully committed to fulfilling the school’s mission statement which is closely related to the mission of the Academy. We could see and feel that all members of the community – adults and students – maintain and develop relationships of mutual respect, effort, and discipline with a sense of trust and openness. You know the areas of your strengths, as well as your weaknesses, and are willing and able to work together to move those weaknesses to strengths.

The classes we observed were student-centered. Teachers were helping students to think and make decisions on their own. We applaud the implementation of the IB PYP program in the elementary school and the curriculum guides in the middle school are excellent. We congratulate the initiative in the Creative Writing class where the students spend the year writing their novel which concludes in the publishing and marketing of these novels!!

The campus is huge and open. The students commented how much they loved the outdoor space on the campus. The campus is beautifully maintained. The school provides an aesthetically appealing learning environment that supports both students and teachers.

We concluded that ES International School meets all 12 of the standards for accreditation. Therefore, the team will recommend to MSA that ES International School be re-accredited for seven years.”

I always try hard to come out of my comfort zone and improve, and I thought I had to make some improvements at ASC, but when such an important organization tells you that you are family, community, respect, effort, discipline, values, trustworthy, openness, a think-tank, that you improve character, care about others, help in decision-making, and a aesthetically appealing learning environment that supports both students and teachers, what else can you expect to achieve? I’m so proud of what we do.

I want to congratulate everyone and want them to know that I am thankful and inspired by my team of teachers, coaches and employees and what they offer the students and families who decide to study with us. This report makes everything worth it. I feel so lucky to be able to be part of the development of these kids, mold their character through tennis and education and be part of their lives.

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

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Mr. Eddie Herr, I am Missing You

Posted on 6 December, 2019

By Emilio Sanchez, CEO and Founder of the Academia Sanchez-Casal.

In the US, one of the most important dates of the year is Thanksgiving Day. After living here for seven years, we have started to understand this tradition and to feel part of it. The only problem is that when you have a tennis academy for kids from 10 to 18 years old, most of them have a goal to compete in Eddie Herr at IMG Academy on that weekend. Therefore, every year we have to put together a big group of players and drive up north with the travelling teams. This year on top of that I had two of my kids competing: 15-year-old Emilio and 13-year-old Valentina. That’s why for the ASC Florida players and my family, it’s difficult to celebrate the holiday.

Before I talk about their terrible experience at IMG, I want to go back in time. Thirty-seven years ago I flew for the first time to the US to represent Spain at the Orange Bowl. I arrived beforehand and was told to participate at the Eddie Herr tournament. I took a bus from Miami to Bradenton and had an incredible experience. I competed and had fun, but what I remember the most is Eddie Herr on one side, who was like Santa Claus. He was all around, knew every player, and cared for every one of us that came from so far away. On the other side obviously was Nick, who was always looking to connect with all talented kids to convince them to come to train there. The reality was that I was so impressed by them and they made me feel so good, that the tournament was so special I even tried to convince my parents to send me there. But with the economic situation of my family that was impossible. Mr. Eddie Herr was an incredible person, who loved tennis and built an incredible event with the love and passion he had for the sport.

Now let’s go back to last week. The kids left with the illusion of going to a top event. The qualies gathered 128 kids per category, times 6 categories in the 12-16 ages, which equaled more than a thousand players including the 18’s. Out of the 60 courts, only 33 hardcourts were used to play the tournament. The sign-in for the event started at 10 a.m. for kids under 12, then it was the turn for the under 14 and finally the 16, with the sign-in finishing around 4 p.m. Schedule of play came out later than 10:30 p.m., making it very difficult to plan ahead. Many of the kids didn’t play the next day and there was no chance to practice unless they signed up for a camp on site. Valentina played around noon and lost. Emilio was supposed to play at 4p.m., but apparently the organizers made some mistakes in the draw and they had to redo it. As a result, they put him in one of the last matches and he ended up entering the court at 11:20 p.m. He complained and they told him, “You guys have to play now, like that you guys can spend the holiday with your parents.” They made the same comment to two other players from Mexico and China, who obviously didn’t care much about that since their parents are thousands of kilometers away. They put another ASC player in the 16’s category instead of the 14’s, and at the end they replaced him, took him out for another of our players that they also forgotten to add in the draw. We complained to USTA, they blamed UTR, UTR sent us to IMG, and IMG to USTA; this was the perfect triangle. My coaches tried to help, but the treatment they received made them feel like they had nothing to do with the issue; this happened instead of overcoming rivalries and thinking about the athletes to make them feel great about their experience and have a nice memory of the event and the place.

I even called the USTA and they told me to call IMG. I called, left a voice mail, but they never called back. I just want to make them aware of the problem, but they had such a mess that they never called back. I’m so sad. I miss Eddie Herr and his spirit, his way of taking care of kids, of inspiring them to persevere in this great career and to make a tournament that would stay in their memories like it happened to me. Instead, today you go to this amazing facility, you pay $145 to play a match, $15 a day to park 15 minutes away from the facility, and $20 for a meal. They force you to book a hotel with their agency, paying at least 10-20% more than the normal price, and overall they make you feel like a number. What a pity.

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I just want to remind everyone that we’re all responsible to wake-up the passion to love this sport and that these kids independent of their level arrive there with a dream and that we need to keep their dream alive. My kids arrived home saying, “I never want to go back to that place.” In my case, that is not a problem, but how many kids will feel so disappointed that they will leave our sport? There is a lot of talk about the problem of keeping players in competition, and Eddie Herr is just the tip of the iceberg, because in many other events they do the same, turning this sport into just a business. Here is where we really need to analyze what is happening and the USTA should really improve the requirements to the organizers. We should all try to make the tournaments become an experience, be much more fun, offer courts for practice, have a well done schedule, and help kids enjoy rivalries and love to be the best version that they can be in everything, but mainly having fun and competing. Until we recover that spirit, the spirit that Eddie Herr imprinted on me and many others, we will not solve the problem. We can’t continue having such a terrible environment for kids who should be enjoying the ride and not suffering because of the inability of the organizers. Until we find a pyramid that makes competition fun and desirable, we will lack many talented kids that will choose other sports that are more friendly in competition and are more fun.

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

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The 4 pillars of the ASC 360 Tennis System©

Posted on 22 November, 2019

The ASC 360 Tennis System© is unique in the world. Designed by Emilio Sánchez Vicario and Sergio Casal, it is based on four core pillars of athletic development: technical, tactical, physical and mental.

Each of these four pillars is developed intensively and tailored to the player’s level, which will depend on age, physical condition and tennis level. The levels are reflected in the ASC Development Pyramid©, and range from the initiation stage to the elite stage.

TECHNICAL PILLAR

The tennis program includes 3-4 hours of daily training, depending on the program. Players work on technical and tactical aspects of their game, as well as court mobility and positioning. The ASC 360 Tennis System© develops a player’s game using all areas of the court, concentrating on offense, defense and transitions. It focuses on drills to develop patterns of play, and it creates positive habits through lots of repetition, increasing the player’s ability to adjust to different styles of play.

Each player is assigned a coaching tutor, who is responsible for monitoring the development of that player. All ASC technical coaches have RPT and USPTA certifications.

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TACTICAL PILLAR

The ASC 360 Tennis System© develops a player’s game using all areas of the court, concentrating on the defensive, offensive and transition areas. It emphasizes repetition of strokes through drills, controls and match play situations.

The system is comprised of a chain of drills and exercises that covers all areas and helps players develop patterns through repetition of predetermined plays. This repetition creates positive habits. In addition to competition experience, ASC students practice match play situations to recognize the different patterns of their opponents, learning to devise their own patterns and develop personal court strategies.

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PHYSICAL PILLAR – THE ATHLETE BODY SYSTEM

ASC’s daily physical training (Monday to Friday) is comprised of 1-2 hours of athlete-specific performance training. ASC Athlete Body programs are designed for the tennis athlete; they work on all aspects of speed, power, agility, quickness, coordination, balance, core and recovery, with injury prevention in mind at all times.

ASC performance specialists design each session based on the level of each tennis athlete, keeping in mind the player’s need to prepare for key tournaments. Every player is assigned a physical training “tutor” who is responsible for monitoring his/her long-term athletic development.

Nutrition is a key factor within a player’s training regimen because it influences directly the performance/development of each athlete. The ASC Food & Beverage Department provides each player with the opportunity to develop healthy nutritional habits.

The ASC Nutritional Guide teaches athletes the importance of a complete nutrition and hydration plan. Each plate is prepared with the appropriate amount of carbohydrates, protein and fat. ASC also provides a complete salad bar, vegetables, fruits, and a daily soup. Students are encouraged to make nutritional choices that will ensure their performance remains high.

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MENTAL PILLAR – The Athlete Mind System

Sport Psychologists handle all the mind components of the ASC training program: “ASC Athlete Mind System”. They work daily with players on court, supervising the mental goals set for that specific period.

The ultimate objective is to provide all players with the tools, strategies and techniques to make them mentally tougher, on and off the court. Key focus areas include: concentration, activation level, stress control and confidence.

A key tool in the Athlete Mind System is the ASC diary, compiled by each player and his/her coach. It enables the player and coach to set goals and track progress via regular evaluations.

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ASC also delivers mental training off court and emphasizes integrated communication between the tennis coaches and the school teachers to help coordinate the development of its students-athletes and maximize their opportunities for success.

In summary, the primary goal is to create the best motivational climate possible, and provide the right mental tools to help all ASC players be the best they can be, both in tennis and in life.

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Fitness, one pillar of the ASC 360 Performance System

Posted on 8 November, 2019

By Ivette Nieto & Tatiana Batalla, Marketing Deparment

Fitness, one pillar of the ASC 360 Performance System

Fitness in tennis represents a very strong and important pillar on the players preparation; a well designed physical plan can be the key factor for a successful match result. At ASC daily physical training is composed of 1 hour of athlete-specific performance training; working on different aspects including: speed, power, agility, quickness, coordination, balance, and core.

An organized and goal oriented fitness preparation also works on creating important habits that are necessary in high performance activities; as well as understanding the athlete body system by teaching players on how to take care of their bodies through recovery time and stretching routines in order to prevent injuries.

Important elements like an optimal hydration and nutrition make also part of the Fitness pillar.

Hydration is a key factor on players preparation which helps them to increase energy, improves movements, recovery and agility, hence improving physical performance. Proper hydration also help to prevent cramps, heat exhaustion, and reduce the risk of injuries, therefore, creating the habit of well hydration in athletes leads to improves muscle function, regulates blood pressure, and improve circulation. on the other hand a poor hydration can leads to muscle hence increasing the risk of injuries.

Nutrition is simply important because it represents a source of energy to perform. A proper nutrition impacts on the strength, performance and recovery. Creating habits of optimal nutrition are necessary to meet performance goals.

Derek Touchette, Head of Fitness Department, explained to us that the planning and the intensity of the fitness training are prepared along with the evolution and performance of each tennis player. He also explains, based on the ASC Pyramid, how he applies the fitness planning with the performance and evolution stage of each tennis player. In this short clip, Derek also shares with us what are his challenges and goals to achieve with every athlete and what motivates him to keep giving his 100% everyday at Sanchez-Casal Academy.

Sanchez-Casal Anual Program

Ivette Nieto & Tatiana Batalla

Marketing Department

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NEWS 2019 at Academia Sánchez-Casal Barcelona

Posted on 24 October, 2019

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

Coaches of the Digital Age: Sánchez-Casal with Playsight, Head Sensor, and Technogym, and the renovation of GreenSet courts.

The start of the new academic year at our headquarters in Barcelona comes full of news. We would like to share with you all the improvements we have made, all of which center around the player as the main protagonist of our project.

High Performance requires that we continuously innovate in our methods of training. When we talk about technology and data, there are ideal ingredients that give added value to the recognized and comprehensive ASC 360 Training System. The following technology and data tools have been implemented on campus this season:

Playsight’s recording and video analysis system; Head Sensors on the racket, new GreenSeet courts, and the complete renovation of our facilities in the gym alongside Technogym, the leading brand in the sector.

These technologies allow us to optimize training sessions and improve player development. For example, Playsight permits the recording of matches and training, alongside visualization on court of technical and tactical details, both of which are key pillars of the Sánchez-Casal system.

Head Sensors facilitate instantaneous access to key data coming from a memory card that is inserted in the tennis racket cap. As a result, players can visualize the point of impact, and precise details in the service.

In addition, the new machinery and technology of Technogym helps players obtain maximum performance from each training: a principal objective of the physical field. Technogym’s (official supplier of fitness equipment to the Olympic Games), Skillmill ™ line is showcased in our new gym. This line allows players to improve fitness in areas such as power, speed, endurance and agility, giving them significant advantages in their professional sports training.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN ARRIVES TO SÁNCHEZ-CASAL COURTS

One of the most significant additions for this academic year is the renewal of 3 courts by our provider GreenSet, with their new Cushion surface, a surface chosen this year to be used in the Australian Open Grand Slam.

The new courts, which provide a better absorption of the bounce, will allow our players to adapt to and feel the same sensations and speed of play as that which the ATP and WTA players will have in Melbourne.

All of these announcements represent the latest innovations at the Sánchez-Casal Academy, which is currently celebrating 20 years of taking care of the development and evolution of players. Our innovations embrace both technological and digital aspects, and a renovation of our infrastructure.

With these advances and renovations, the Sánchez-Casal coaches and players will work this year on the following three important pillars of the Sánchez-Casal system: the technical pillar, tactical pillar and the physical pillar. Thanks to our personalized treatment, communication has always been fundamental to the evolution and development of the player, and communication will be further facilitated by these technological advances, truly making a difference to each player’s development.

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

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Creating opportunities in ASC China

Posted on 11 October, 2019

By Héctor Ruiz, Tennis director, Sánchez-Casal Academy Nanjing

ASC has been creating opportunities in live through tennis during more than 20 years. More than 3 years ago we started in Nanjing with a wonderful project with TAC and bringing here our ASC 360 Tennis System®, based on working on the four pillars with different ages. Depending on the age of the player we are focusing more in one or another pillar. Since then, the performance and the results of our players have been successful as in the last Youth Games. We knew that tournament was important, so we were giving priority in the calendar to make our players reach in the best possible condition, working in singles matches and doubles. It was a period of tension and nerves for the players, they wanted to do great. Apart from the usual hard work that is always needed, we were working in a proper way the right pillars, helping the players improve and to find solutions for the different situations that they could find. Teaching them how to play with order and manage their emotions in order to perform good in the thought moments. The attitude and the results were very good, we feel proud of our players. Even if in some tournaments sometimes the results could’ve been better, the important thing in these ages is to learn. Everyone wants to win, but we try to make them understand that even if they lose, they have to perform their best and work hard every day having a good attitude. If they apply that sooner, they will see the success later.

After 3 years in China, I have seen ASC grow up not only in the number of players but also in the results. The performance of the players on the practices and on the different tournaments since U10 is improving day a day. We can see our players growing up as a player but also as a person that is the purpose of what we are working on, building a character in them through values, school and tennis. There has been cultural differences and difficulties, but the important thing is to learn from one another and to look forward, to see an evolution of the players that are here to enjoy and to fight to achieve their dreams.

Players like Majun, Denan, David that have been with us during almost all this time, are three of the players that have achieve gold and silver medals in the Youth Games. In this case Majun winning gold in singles and doubles. David being one-year younger won the last Final Nike Junior Tour of his age, a tournament played by the best players of China were Denan reached semifinals.

We are also making some of our players play tournaments abroad of China with the traveling team managed by Arthur to get more experiences and meet different players. We have the advantage of having two other Sanchez-Casal academies in Spain and the US granting our players to compete in Europe and America following with their practices and learning from some of the best coaches in the world with the ASC 360 Tennis System®.

This is a prove that hard work will reward them on each step of the way. It is a long way where it is important to take advantage of the time but without rushing because each one of the players have steps of the performance to follow.

Personally, I have been an ASC player and coach since the beginning of the academy 20 years ago. These last year and a half here in ASC Nanjing I am seeing what we had in Spain a long time ago when I was starting to play tennis for the first time; players that have motivation, that spread a great atmosphere of effort, respect and discipline.

In China the success rate of sports is high, and they work hard to achieve it. In my opinion, I believe that the rest of the world will start to see more and more Chinese tennis players on the top of the pyramid achieving a top 100 ATP level.

We are proud of the successes of our players of ASC China and we invite you to be part of the experience check out our year-round program of ASC Nanjing.

Héctor Ruiz

Tennis director, Sánchez-Casal Academy Nanjing

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ASC 360 TENNIS SYSTEM®

Posted on 27 September, 2019

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

At Sánchez-Casal Academy, we have created our own premier training system, the ASC 360 Tennis System®, proven time and time again to be the most effective method of ensuring students-athletes achieve their best tennis level.

Designed by Emilio Sánchez Vicario and Sergio Casal, the system combines the four theoretical pillars of athletic development – technical, tactical, physical (Athlete Body), and mental (Athlete Mind) with the sole objective of pushing players to achieve their top performance and help them reach their ideal competitive state.

Some of the benefits of the ASC 360 Tennis System ® are:

Designed for all types of players, regardless of age, fitness condition or tennis experience.
Compatible with all types of surfaces (clay, hard, or grass).
Complete system designed to practice and enhance any game style or strategy.
Improve players’ technical skills, physical conditioning, and strategic practices.
Ideal system for players who want to move from the junior stages to the professional circuit.

This successful system has been used by professional ATP and WTA tennis players such as Andy Murray, Grigor Dimitrov, Juan Monaco, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Daniela Hantuchova, Tamira Paszek, Teimuraz Gabashvili, Gilles Müller, Johanna Konta, Maria Sakkari, Anna Blinkova, Ana Ivanovic, Magüi Serna and Arantxa Sánchez Vicario.

What makes our method really unique is that our High Performance training system places equal importance on both the player’s athletic development and on the player’s academic development. Thus, academics are provided through our own school, ES International School, which is located within the grounds of the tennis academy.

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ES International School focuses on the academic, social and emotional development of students from first grade through 12th grade, spanning Elementary School, Middle School and High School. In Elementary School, we are currently a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) and are pursuing authorization to become an official IB World School in September 2020.

In High School, we offer an Honors and Advanced Placement (AP) Classes, providing students with the skills necessary to be successful as they continue onto university. We work actively with our students so they can obtain athletic and academic scholarships at universities across the United States.

We are proud of one of the recent accolades achieved by the Academy founders: in 2017, Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal received the Philippe Chatrier Award: which is the ITF’s highest accolade, awarded to individuals for their outstanding contributions to tennis. As ITF President David Haggerty said: “We are delighted to present Sergio Casal and Emilio Sanchez with the Philippe Chatrier Award for their contributions to tennis as a successful doubles team and in the field of coaching. Their on-court achievements paved the way for further Spanish success, and in founding a successful coaching academy, they have shaped the careers of several prominent players and the lives of many more.”

We invite you to get to know our Academy and our system by joining any of our Weekly Programs in Naples (FL, USA), Barcelona (Spain), Atlanta (GA, USA) or Nanjing (China).

Eva Pascual
Marketing department, Sánchez-Casal Academy

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The little prince and the king of tennis

Posted on 9 September, 2019

By Emilio Sanchez, CEO and Founder of the Academia Sanchez-Casal.

When you read the masterpiece of The little prince from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, depending on your personal stage the outcome is different. It does not have an end. The Rafa of today with the trophy represents the little prince, it has been reinvented.

Rafa is already the best player in history; he is one slam away to overcome Roger Federer but is only a matter of time, in my opinion on 2020. He is already the best not only for today’s win and be closer but to have turned more every detail in each one of the pillars and have won against a new player.

Mentally, he has always been an inspiration, the best. Here, the big artist has been his uncle Toni, he educated him so that the frustration did not get into his mind, that danger of today’s youth, from most of his rivals, from setting false expectations, it has been a big masterpiece. He learned to be humble, and to be preservative, but most importantly he learned to play the next point as if it was the first one he had mistaken, or like if it was the last one he had to play in his life.

Physically, he has always been the best. Forcades has been able to mold this super athlete in the face of adversity of not being able to practice like the other ones, but being able to overcome and be the best version of him on the though moments. Maymó is the key that on the day of the battle he is able to balance the motor like a F1 to maximize his result.

Tactically, the arrival of Moya with his idea of modern tennis, to change the patron and turn Rafa into an aggressive player that uses his strokes to compete throwing and winning with them, was a big shock. Create a new habit at something that was already working, to somebody that is a walking habit, what a challenge. Roig made a team and with them all they achieved the impossible. With the triumph of Roland Garros this year and now this US Open they have shown us a masterpiece. Win winning.

Tecnically, he serves better, stronger , better angles, his forehand inside the court is comparable to any of the other’s best ones, the crosscourt backhand is ultimate, his volley penetrates and defines, basically to the whole amazing defense game just multiplied with the attack game as well.

For the little prince the fox, the rose, are his motivations, his team and the snake his rival. Rafa leans on his team, but is the how of the little prince that has the ability to create this ideal stage where sometimes the values, other times his head, other times his talents and his passion to find out solutions, his fortitude and his warrior heart makes him special and we can rewrite his story. The snake and the dark ideas of difficulty are his rivals, the barriers, but with his habits he turns them into motivations and his goals.

Rafa you will break all the records, you will be the best, the KING of tennis, but for me, you will keep being my little prince, reading you each time inspires me and I learned that each day I can be better at what I do and that I can also be the little prince. I wish that as with me, your legacy creates an impact on young people and they take you as a role model , that they learn and become young Rafa’s little princes that in the face of difficulty they reinvent themselves. Congratulations to fight, preserve, triumph and thank you for showing us that to reinvent and to achieve results is possible.

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

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Jerry Shang- The heart of a champion

Posted on 30 August, 2019

Jerry Shang is a 14-year-old player from China. He is part of the ASC Florida annual Tennis and School program for the last 2/2 years. Jerry came straight from ASC headquarters in Nanjing, where he started developing his skills as a player. Since Jerry and his father Yi landed in Naples, Florida in 2016 to play some tournaments, it has been nothing but a pleasure to work and be around them. He explains that at the time he thought that he wasn’t playing well, but that practiced at the Academy and liked the system and the possibility of combining both high-performance tennis and school. That’s when he decided to follow his dreams of being able to achieve a professional level of tennis and study at the same time.

Jerry faced many challenges his first year: to be away from home, to train and study in a language that wasn’t’ his mother tongue; the tight scheduled due to combining daily tennis practice, fitness, mental practice and school. However he adjusted very well and soon found his spot among both his schoolmates and coaches. Today is fluent in English as well as understands Spanish.

Jerry Shang has been next to ASC FL coach Victor Hugo Camargo, from Mexico, during his career as a student-athlete. Jerry’s path has been a success; he won the Boys ’12 Eddie Herr Tournament, the Boys ’14 National Championship, the Boys ’14 Easter Bowl, the $15k Prize Money Sánchez-Casal Series Tournament and the ITF’S great force (Beijing and Aruba) among others.

Victor Hugo explains: “Jerry has become a complete player; in the beginning he was comfortable playing from the baseline but he has learned how to use his strength better and has been working on different types of courts to be able to adapt his game. He is still in the process of using as many tools as possible in order to become as complete as a player as possible.”

He is an example and an inspiration for his fellow student-athletes and he impersonates the values of ASC: Respect, Effort and Discipline on and off the court. As Victor Hugo explains: “More than his game, what makes Jerry exceptional is being a good person, a role model for everybody.”

Jerry is a special person, in words of Emilio Sánchez: “Jerry is a leader, his way of being on the court inspire others, he is a mirror for the academy, he makes a difference towards others and inspire them to become the best version of themselves.”

After achieving the finals of the ITF Monterrey G3 this year Jerry stated that he would like to become a professional player. Now he has to work on achieving this next step. We are proud of what he has become and delighted to work with him on his path towards achieving his goals.

Watch this in depth video analyzing Jerry’s evolution, training, game and upcoming challenges. What does it take to become a top tennis player? How do you work the 4 pillars and what are the most important? What has been his path since he joined ASC Florida? What is his potential? Find answers to these questions and much more here:

Sanchez-Casal Anual Program

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“BELIEVE IN YOUR DREAMS BECAUSE DREAMS COME TRUE”

Posted on 16 August, 2019

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

Last June, a class of 12 students graduated from the Academia Sánchez-Casal and ESIS Barcelona. In the next months, they will start a new journey. Most of them will pursue a university career in the United States and/or Europe, combining sport and studies.

Graduation always provides us a really emotional ceremony, and this year has been especially exciting, considering that the Academia Sánchez-Casal celebrates its twentieth anniversary. In his speech, Emilio Sánchez Vicario gave a valuable piece of advice to the graduating students: ‘Believe in your dreams, because dreams come true. Work hard for them and always maintain your values. I hope that we have helped you on this path, which is the beginning of your next stage‘.

The Class of 2019 has been an atypical class, as 6 students are from Spain, 6 are tennis players, 3 practice a sport other than tennis, and 3 came to us for the academics only. We are proud of all of them:

Orla Promoción 2019

Well done to all of our graduates! We encourage you to work hard, be respectful and disciplined in all areas of your life, and we hope that all your dreams come true. Also, we say thank you to all the families for trusting us and for letting us become part of their lives.

Good luck, and see you again soon as ASC and ESIS, which will be always your home!

Eva Pascual
Marketing department, Sánchez-Casal Academy

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