THE 1st SÁNCHEZ-CASAL MAPFRE CHALLENGER IS BORN, THE TOURNAMENT OF DREAMS
From the 7th to the 14th of October, the Sánchez-Casal Academy will host the Sánchez-Casal Mapfre tournament, from the ATP Challenger Tour. This tournament will bring together international professional tennis players for the second most important tournament in the region.
QUALITIES OF A GREAT COACH
This week I want to share a story about a special person on the Sanchez-Casal team, Alvaro Pino. Alvaro is the son of Antonio Pino, a former tennis player, and coach who has worked with us since the Academy was founded in Barcelona.
JERRY SHANG’S FIRST GOLD BALL
The week in Mobile, Alabama went by fast and was solely concentrated on the tournament. It hit me at the trophy presentation when the announcer asked Jerry which places he liked most during his stay in Mobile, and Jerry answered, “the club was very nice”. We spent eight days in Mobile with very little time to go around and explore the town, but Jerry was cooperative and willing to sacrifice his free time because he knew he was there to win. This is the type of sacrifice a tennis player must make in order to achieve solid steps in his formation, even at thirteen years old. For anyone involved in helping young players, finding balance is an everyday dynamic. A kid is a kid, but in a competitive sport and environment like this, they need to develop professional skills from the beginning without losing their playful essence and “spark” that makes them fun individuals to be around.
Ramkumar Ramanathan Reaches his First ATP Final at the 2018 Hall of Fame Open
I recently had the pleasure of catching up with ASC player, Ramkumar Ramanathan, following his first ATP final at the 2018 Hall of Fame Open. We discussed everything from the outcome of the match to how he prepared for this final.
The ASC-ES International School University Trip
1258 kilometers of driving, 10 universities, 6 northeastern states and 111 tennis matches. We have just returned from the annual ASC-ES International School University Trip. This is not a typical university trip. Ours reflects exactly who we are – in both mission and values — as a tennis academy and a school.
Conversations, ideas, exploration, victories, disappointments, wins, losses, laughter, tears, discovery, and growth… the essence of our Academy embodied in the lives of 9 of our student-athletes.
MY EXPERIENCE AS AN ASC STUDENT-ATHLETE AND NOW… COACH!
It was 2014 when I first came across Academia Sanchez-Casal. I had just finished 10th grade and was frustrated with my daily life in India. I always felt like there was something holding me back and that I could perform better, both as an athlete and as a student. So, when I decided to join ASC, 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 the most enriching years of my life. The quality of the tennis and fitness training was second to none, which was helped by a good, private international school. The coaches and staff made me feel as if I were a part of their family, so much so that 2 years after I graduated as the valedictorian of my class, I felt the urge to return to ASC as a coach.
HOW MY PASSION FOR TENNIS SHAPED MY LIFE
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.
THE UTR REACHES SPAIN WITH THE HELP OF THE CASPER TOUR
The latest of the Emilio Sánchez Vicario Foundation’s (FESV) projects, The Casper Tour, came to life in tribute to the young Spanish tennis player, Casper Fernández.
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.”
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.
EXPERIENCING THE BARCELONA OPEN BANC SABADELL AS AN UNDER 14
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.
A Player’s Box of Chocolates
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.
