Benjamin Armstrong

Advantage Tennis International

Advantage Tennis International Coaching Philosophy: At Advantage Tennis International, we strive to build "champions in tennis and life." We want to develop the whole person, as well as the tennis player/athlete. Advantage Tennis International implements a coaching philosophy based on the "actions method" developed by Louis Cayer and used in Tennis Canada's certification system. Our goal at ATI is to produce what Louis Cayer describes as "performers." They are are focused, competitive athletes, who play smart with effective strokes. To accomplish this, ATI will: - coach in a systematic,learner-centred way; - train tennis as an open-skill sport; - use a "global"/holistic approach in developing competitors; and, - use a game-based approach in training. In a learner-centred approach, the player works with the coach to identify and systematically realize the player's objectives. The coaches understand that each player learns in a different way (visual, kinesthetic and auditory) and at a different speed. As a result, coaches must be creative to find the most effective and fastest way to help each player. This is generally accomplished by adopting a coaching style that is enthusiastic and cooperative, and includes goal-setting and providing a lot of feedback. Tennis is an open-skill sport, in which players must constantly adapt to constantly changing situations on the court. Perception, decision, execution and feedback occur on each shot performed. Our players are trained to focus on and improve in each of these areas. The "global" method is a holistic approach to developing competitive players in four performance areas: - technical - tactical - psychological (includes mental, emotional and social) - physical