Well here I am in the land of pizza, pasta, ice cream, the san siro, fashion shows, and…it’s raining! This is the first of a succession of world class junior events that I am fortunate enough to experience over the coming weeks. First stop, Milan! For the ‘Trofeo Bonfigilio’ where names such as Federer, Murray, Edberg, Wilander have all graced the courts over the years.
This is an opportunity for us as an Academy to really find out the standards we are after, what are the best juniors in the world doing, how do they think, play, eat, act. It is vital experience for Josh and Liam, but I believe the experience we pick up as coaches can really help all the players at the Academy – that is my goal anyway!
Since I last wrote, STA has grown and we have 5 new full-time players, with 4 starting in July. We will formally announce them on the website in the coming weeks. I am excited at all prospects and believe we have STA players coming – respectful, hard-working characters who are desperate to learn.
As this is a Grade A event – the top 50 junior players in the world are here, boys and girls. Awareness of standards is a key part of our job as a tennis coach. I will be more than happy to feedback to readers on areas of interest from the event and I can hopefully give you a feel through blogs and pics of what these events are really like!
Now off to make sure I have a bed to sleep in and make sure I stay away from their famous ‘gelate’ as long as I can…
Dan Kiernan
Director, SotoTennis Academy
Inspiring Excellence | Tennis Academy Spain