To many people, a four-week long trip to Bradenton, Florida sounds like the ideal vacation; 15 minutes away from white sandy beaches, one hour away from Universal Studios, and five minutes away from some of the most prestigious athletic training facilities in the world, IMG Academies.
IMG offers seven different sports programs including tennis, basketball, golf, football, soccer, lacrosse and baseball. This 350-acre site is home to thousands of athletes, ranging in level from beginners to professionals. Although their level of competition may differ, each athletes shares a passionate work ethic, dedication for the game, and a desire to push their own goals.
I was fortunate enough to attend the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy at IMG this summer for a four-week program. Each day, my schedule was packed with three hours of tennis training, one hour of physical training, two hours of match-play, and one hour of mental conditioning.
Although it was hard to become accustomed to the 6:00 am wake-up, 95+ degree weather, and six plus hours a day of physical training, I knew that this is what it would take to rise to the next level.
On the same courts that I would play on, I would see Ryan Harrison – a 19-year-old from Texas who is currently ranked in the Top 70 tennis players in the world. I admired his focus and competitive attitude as he practiced every day with a hitting partner.
Having the opportunity to train in the same environment as professionals inspired me to work harder to improve my game. Although I’m not sure what my future in tennis will hold, I caught a glimpse of what it takes to be a part of this elite group of athletes.
On the first day, I stepped onto the courts for my first match with my new Nikes and a positive attitude ready to work hard. Yet, I struggled to make it through the second set of my match and almost fainted from lack of sleep and dehydration. This was not the way I had hoped to start the week. But after giving myself a pep talk and downing some blue Gatorade, I powered through the set and was able to finish the match without fainting. I knew that if I could make it through this first day, I could make it through anything.
Training began every Monday with an evaluation, where coaches would distribute the 300 players into groups based on skill level and technique. Each group included a head coach and about 15-20 players. In these groups we would do drills, play matches, and work out together on the indoor courts.
The hardest challenge of the week was the lake run every Wednesday morning. The run consisted of six laps around the lake with various exercises in between each lap, like squats, push-ups and lunges.
A slew of complaints could be heard from players every Wednesday when we would gather around the lake. Players were desperate to give up and even tried to hide in the bushes until the last lap. From these workouts I learned two things: there are no shortcuts to success, and second, it’s all in your head. Deep down I knew that I could make it through even though my legs were telling me otherwise. And the refreshing feeling that came when I finished running assured me that it was all worth it.
By the third week, I had gotten used to this new routine and the scorching hot Florida sun. I had one more week to prepare for the Bollettierri Championship Tournament, which I would play on the weekend before I returned home.
When I stepped onto the court for my first round of the tournament, I was mentally and physically ready. My speed and ability to read the ball greatly improved due to the hours of drilling and conditioning from the last three weeks. I also took into account a piece of advice that my coach had given me a week prior.
“Play every point like it’s match point,” he would say.
In the next two matches, I played the best tennis that I have ever played; defeating the number two seed and reaching the finals of the tournament.
These matches involved the application of all the skills that I had learned over the last three weeks and it felt so rewarding to know that my hard work had paid off. While I didn’t win the final match, I knew that I had given it everything that I had.
Although every day was a challenge, I had some great experiences at IMG training with some of the best athletes from around the world. I hope to bring the skills that I learned in Florida to the Paly Tennis courts.
