With the COVID 19 preventative protocols still in full effect across the nation, Montverde Academy Tennis (MAT) is taking great measures to ensure that the MVA tennis athletes are achieving their athletic goals.
On the first day back after spring break, the tennis staff decided to implement an online daily routine schedule for the student-athletes to follow, which includes mandatory meetings every day at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Below is the MAT online training schedule:
Monday -Â Students engage in online studying and coach's planning
Tuesday -Â One video is sent out to be analyzed as a group and presented every Thursday of the week
Wednesday -Â Guest speakers are utilized and the student-athletes must be engaged and have questions ready to go
Thursday -Â Video analysis (each team will discuss with the coaches and teammates about the technical, tactical and mental aspect of the game shown in the video sent out on Tuesday).
Friday - Guest speakers are utilized and the student-athletes must be engaged and have questions ready to go.Â
Guest Speaker Joey Johnson
The first guest speaker MAT hosted online was a professional tennis player, Luisa Stefani, who is currently ranked No. 46 in the world in doubles. She was also a former Pepperdine University tennis player, former top 10 ITF juniors player, women's doubles Bronze medalist in the 2019 Lima PanAm Games, and member of the Brazilian FedCup team.
Their second guest speaker was mental health coach Joey Johnson. He is the author of "Worthy to Win" and has specialized in mental health training for the past 30 years. He played and graduated from Ole Miss University and then competed in the ATP Men's Pro Tour.
In addition to video analysis and guest speakers, the students have been following Tim Crowley's fitness program to make sure they are improving in their strength and conditioning skills. They have also been engaging in tennis drills using a racket, a tennis ball, and a wall. The coaches record their tennis drills and send them to the athletes. Once the students receive their instructional video, they must record themselves practicing the drills and send them back for further analysis.
"Tennis is probably the sport with the longest season, we compete for almost 11 months of the year nonstop, so this change has shaken the tennis community deeper," said Head Tennis Coach Jaime Oncins. "On the bright side, I feel like we are more united, I see our players putting a lot of effort on the drills we ask them to do at home and fitness training. We have been sending daily encouragement messages about staying safe, controlling what you can control, live each day to the fullest, and tackle each day with resiliency and optimism."
