“It is a question of hitting a million balls and achieving the required consistency and focus.” – Dayanand Pai, Patron
The tennis village was built to international standards with the single purpose of providing the best coaching at a great facility to the best talent.
The objective of the Academy is to teach the technique and the spirit behind the game of tennis. We focus on helping the trainees reach their potential. There is no bar. Anybody with an interest in the game is welcome to join the Academy. Some go on to become stars, while others are happy to just enjoy the game, and the discipline it gives them. The entry criterion is not talent. It is a tremendous will to work hard, follow a strict regimen and enjoy the spirit of the game.
To fully encourage the best out of our trainees, we endeavor to give them the best training and facilities in keeping with international standards:
The Tennis Village is built over an area of three-and-a-half acres. It provides its young trainees with the best in infrastructure. It strives to ensure state-of-the-art facilities, be it in the courts or basic amenities. The courts comprise 6 Plexicushion Courts. Excellent residential accommodation and plenty of other sports and fitness facilities are available for leisure, and school education is an option with an affiliation to some very good schools close by. Being situated away from the noise and pollution, the players have the advantage of playing in clean unpolluted surroundings, making learning a pleasure.
The Academy has a full-fledged training team of 10, picked from among the best in the field. In addition, there is a resident trainer, who is an accomplished player himself, and is available all the time.
The trainee’s game is often recorded, and he is later shown the recording with an on-line voice pointing out his progress and his mistakes. The video analysis and self-appraisal technique offered enable him to analyze his style and make the necessary corrections. This method is used very often as it has been found to be extremely effective in coaching.
In order to give a more professional international perspective, the Tennis Village often screens world-class games played by world champions.
This provides a clear picture of a well-played game and the style and technique used. It also acts as an example for trainees who wish to study the style to improve their own play. The Village has plans to find sponsors for the best talents, particularly to try to meet the foreign travel requirements for major tournaments.
We can never stress too much the importance of hard work and discipline. The trainees are often taken for cross-country runs in order to improve their endurance and the use of a complete gymnasium. The games played by the trainees during their physical training which include Kho – kho and Lagori provide the trainees with the much-needed coordination, speed, reflexes and endurance, which are the key ingredients.
The Tennis Village abounds with youngsters sweating it out on the courts, their eyes intent on hitting ball after ball. The only interruption being short breaks to take quick gulps of water and then it is back to hard practice again. Through the rigorous grilling, all the children seem to be enjoying the training as they flash smiles at the proud parents watching them play. The coaches, who do not stop for a moment’s breather, constantly have words of encouragement for the players, wrong stroke play instantly corrected.
This is the Academy at the Tennis Village. All work. All play. And every bit of it, as exhausting as it is enjoying. This is where the champions of tomorrow are being moulded today.