Hello Everyone and welcome to the final edition of the 2015\16 tour blog.
(there will be more blogs, but they will be starting the new 2016 summer season and the 2016/17 season)
First of all i would like to thank all the coaches involved in the tour program this year. we had a very solid year. some ups, some down, as all things tend to have, but everyday Sam, Andrea, Patrice, Todd and Drago came out bringing their best attitude, energy and potential to the group. I also want to thank some of the coaches that filled in occasionally, you helped keep the transition smooth.
Secondly, i would like to thank all the kids. its not easy coming out everyday all year, and bringing your best effort to every practice, but for the most part, that was achieved. all of you bought into the program, the vision and the course content that we tried to provide to you and exceeded our expectation. throughout the year our group players were able to achieve a variety of their goals, top 4 provincially, top 4 nationally, offsa winners, high school teams learning a second serve, receiving a scholarship and countless others...., Thank you to everyone and good luck in your next stage of goal setting....
And, last but not least, i'd like to thank all the parents (and in some cases brothers and sisters) for bringing these players out each day and shuttling them back and forth all year. also, to the parents, thank you for your commitment and support all season. We look very much forward to being given another opportunity next year to continue working with your kids.
On to the program....
this season, the orc introduced a new tennis director and therefore some new changes and philosophies in the program. i think that as a whole we can say that we had great success in implementing some of these ideas and creating a wonderful environment for the players to develop in. i give credit to all the players for working hard and pushing through the changes and coming out better then when we started in September.
For this coming season, we have even better, bigger and more exciting plans for the programs as a whole and we (the coaching staff) cant wait to share the new direction of the program with everyone.
It all starts now!
for the summer there is a very exciting line up of groups and camps for players of all levels and plans. there will be daily summer long programs at the elite level as well as weekly session for the rec player looking to enjoy the physicality and fun of sports. all the info can be found on the website or you can ask any of the coaches about more information and how to sign up. the programs start next week so don't delay!
if there is anyone who still needs a report card of if anyone would like to talk about theirs, please feel free to contact me and i will be happy to help out.
i believe this concludes our season. Again, thank you to all, congrats to all and we look forward to continuing our work together in the summer and fall/winter seasons!
Sincerely,
All the Tour Coaches.
Thursday 23 June 2016
Tuesday 31 May 2016
Hello to all!
First off, we would like to welcome back Yves and Patrica. As you know, they went to the French Open. As coaches and as tourists. If you get a chance to trap them, feel free to ask them about their trip and their experiences at the French. They would be happy to share some observations of what they saw players doing and what the game of tennis is bringing. You can also chat with Justin and Isabelle as they wondered the site scouting players as well.
This week, we have a busy week for our group of players. we have lots of OFSAA contenders. this is happening Monday-Wednesday, we we will be having players come and go depending on their matches and results. Good Luck to all! Due to this we will be having open spots for make ups throughout the week. If you need to make up classes or missed one because of weather, let me or Drago know and we can accommodate that this week.
Looking ahead at the weather, there is currently a chance of rain on Thursday, with this in mind we will be gearing the program content for a 3 day week and if we get tennis on Thursday, we will use it as a bonus.
this weeks goal will be to be better players outdoors. Dealing with the elements better and with a more receptive mindset. not letting the wind get the better of us emotionally and mentally and learning how sometimes just getting a ball in play in tough conditions is enough.
The idea that we always want the ball to do what we want it to do is great in theory, but sometimes, other factors play a role in the outcome. this week we anticipate sunny days with higher wind conditions, this will give us the added challenge of not just selecting our shots but at the last minute readjusting that decisions and altering the plan. we will be discussing how to play with and against the wind. What some tactics are for it and how we can technically adjust to help with in the conditions. ie. the different tosses we can have based on the suns position and how to adjust our timing, motion and goal in order to get it in play.
Change and adjustments are a key part of the game. Adapting on the fly, recognizing short term patterns and habits and using them while they are available are all very important skills to have while competing, this week we will explore some of these challenges while continuing to work on our consistency, stamina and positive mental approach to the game.
lets continue to work hard, cheer on our fellow players at the various events throughout the week and have fun,
see you on the courts.....
Tour Team
First off, we would like to welcome back Yves and Patrica. As you know, they went to the French Open. As coaches and as tourists. If you get a chance to trap them, feel free to ask them about their trip and their experiences at the French. They would be happy to share some observations of what they saw players doing and what the game of tennis is bringing. You can also chat with Justin and Isabelle as they wondered the site scouting players as well.
This week, we have a busy week for our group of players. we have lots of OFSAA contenders. this is happening Monday-Wednesday, we we will be having players come and go depending on their matches and results. Good Luck to all! Due to this we will be having open spots for make ups throughout the week. If you need to make up classes or missed one because of weather, let me or Drago know and we can accommodate that this week.
Looking ahead at the weather, there is currently a chance of rain on Thursday, with this in mind we will be gearing the program content for a 3 day week and if we get tennis on Thursday, we will use it as a bonus.
this weeks goal will be to be better players outdoors. Dealing with the elements better and with a more receptive mindset. not letting the wind get the better of us emotionally and mentally and learning how sometimes just getting a ball in play in tough conditions is enough.
The idea that we always want the ball to do what we want it to do is great in theory, but sometimes, other factors play a role in the outcome. this week we anticipate sunny days with higher wind conditions, this will give us the added challenge of not just selecting our shots but at the last minute readjusting that decisions and altering the plan. we will be discussing how to play with and against the wind. What some tactics are for it and how we can technically adjust to help with in the conditions. ie. the different tosses we can have based on the suns position and how to adjust our timing, motion and goal in order to get it in play.
Change and adjustments are a key part of the game. Adapting on the fly, recognizing short term patterns and habits and using them while they are available are all very important skills to have while competing, this week we will explore some of these challenges while continuing to work on our consistency, stamina and positive mental approach to the game.
lets continue to work hard, cheer on our fellow players at the various events throughout the week and have fun,
see you on the courts.....
Tour Team
Tuesday 24 May 2016
hello everyone,
I hope you guys enjoyed the long weekend. couldn't have asked for better weather!! unless your a storm chaser, then your out of luck. but to all else, it was a perfect weekend for tennis. to all that participated in the selection qualies, great stuff. as well as to those that participated in their respective high school tennis sectionals, regionals and OFFSAA qualifying.
This week looks to be a great one weather wise (and again, if the weather does turn, please check on our social feeds to see the status of the courts) this is just a quick reminder to bring and wear lots of sun screen, bring hats, and bring extra water to the courts.
Last week with the attendance being quite small due to all the other tennis events you guys participated (as well as the prom for some of you) we didn't dive into anything new, but rather just personalized each day to fit the group that was there. this week we are looking to get back on schedule and to keep the flow going.
it will be a strong net week. we will be focusing a lot on being at the net, getting to the net, serving and volleying, chipping and charging, as well as how to defend when someone come to the net.
this is a very key aspect of hard court (and grass court) tennis and even a little bit more on the clay surfaces now. we are starting to see a little more net play at the French open. Which, I might add, is currently on, for those looking to catch some more tennis on tv, there is a lot of it on tsn. in a couple of weeks Wimbledon will be on and this weeks net session will be on display at its finest.
also, reminders, if you are missing a class, please keep sending me messages so that I can continue to let others know that we have room for make ups.
another reminder, we have a few more weeks of the program left, but will be continuing with a summer session, starting at the end of June. please check with the tennis department for forms for this great program. space is limited and weeks are filling up quickly!!
Lets have a great week!
see everyone on the courts
Team Tour
I hope you guys enjoyed the long weekend. couldn't have asked for better weather!! unless your a storm chaser, then your out of luck. but to all else, it was a perfect weekend for tennis. to all that participated in the selection qualies, great stuff. as well as to those that participated in their respective high school tennis sectionals, regionals and OFFSAA qualifying.
This week looks to be a great one weather wise (and again, if the weather does turn, please check on our social feeds to see the status of the courts) this is just a quick reminder to bring and wear lots of sun screen, bring hats, and bring extra water to the courts.
Last week with the attendance being quite small due to all the other tennis events you guys participated (as well as the prom for some of you) we didn't dive into anything new, but rather just personalized each day to fit the group that was there. this week we are looking to get back on schedule and to keep the flow going.
it will be a strong net week. we will be focusing a lot on being at the net, getting to the net, serving and volleying, chipping and charging, as well as how to defend when someone come to the net.
this is a very key aspect of hard court (and grass court) tennis and even a little bit more on the clay surfaces now. we are starting to see a little more net play at the French open. Which, I might add, is currently on, for those looking to catch some more tennis on tv, there is a lot of it on tsn. in a couple of weeks Wimbledon will be on and this weeks net session will be on display at its finest.
also, reminders, if you are missing a class, please keep sending me messages so that I can continue to let others know that we have room for make ups.
another reminder, we have a few more weeks of the program left, but will be continuing with a summer session, starting at the end of June. please check with the tennis department for forms for this great program. space is limited and weeks are filling up quickly!!
Lets have a great week!
see everyone on the courts
Team Tour
Tuesday 10 May 2016
Good morning team,
Well, to start, it was nice having some of the boys back together again. hopefully this is a trend for the remainder of the year. to all players that came out yesterday, great effort all around. First outdoor day for us and at the beginning it showed a little but by the end, the group was looking much more consistent. as you know, the courts are in an open field, more or less, with the pool up now it does help a little bit but in general, the courts at orc are windier then most. yesterday was a fairly calm day but in general, be prepared to have the extra challenge of wind while out here. we discussed yesterday the different ways to deal with these conditions and for those who missed it, we will continue to do so today. reminder this week , that the second bubble is coming down and we will be outdoors and on fewer courts, this might lead to an extra fitness session during practice, like we did on Monday, it may also alter practice depending on weather conditions. come prepared for anything. bring layers to help with the changing drill intensities and bring sunscreen as we face the sun for the whole session. on Tuesday we will continue to focus on volume and positioning to the ball. we will be discussing and focusing on the difference between moving to the ball and adjusting to the ball.
in short; one is about getting to the ball, the other is about being there and looking to have the best position to strike the ball. serving will also be a big focus on the day. there is a big difference in how you can work your serve outdoors and how to deal with the sun and how to use the wind while serving. lastly, bring lots of water with you, more then normal, with the sun and warmer weather, dehydration comes in quicker and thirst is more frequent and also there is no water fountain nearby so we don't want to waste a lot of time running in and out of the club for water. also, with the extra wind, we will not be allowing water cups on the courts as they are falling over to often.
thanks everyone, look forward to a great week, working hard, playing outdoors and getting the tan back!!!
Tour Team.
Well, to start, it was nice having some of the boys back together again. hopefully this is a trend for the remainder of the year. to all players that came out yesterday, great effort all around. First outdoor day for us and at the beginning it showed a little but by the end, the group was looking much more consistent. as you know, the courts are in an open field, more or less, with the pool up now it does help a little bit but in general, the courts at orc are windier then most. yesterday was a fairly calm day but in general, be prepared to have the extra challenge of wind while out here. we discussed yesterday the different ways to deal with these conditions and for those who missed it, we will continue to do so today. reminder this week , that the second bubble is coming down and we will be outdoors and on fewer courts, this might lead to an extra fitness session during practice, like we did on Monday, it may also alter practice depending on weather conditions. come prepared for anything. bring layers to help with the changing drill intensities and bring sunscreen as we face the sun for the whole session. on Tuesday we will continue to focus on volume and positioning to the ball. we will be discussing and focusing on the difference between moving to the ball and adjusting to the ball.
in short; one is about getting to the ball, the other is about being there and looking to have the best position to strike the ball. serving will also be a big focus on the day. there is a big difference in how you can work your serve outdoors and how to deal with the sun and how to use the wind while serving. lastly, bring lots of water with you, more then normal, with the sun and warmer weather, dehydration comes in quicker and thirst is more frequent and also there is no water fountain nearby so we don't want to waste a lot of time running in and out of the club for water. also, with the extra wind, we will not be allowing water cups on the courts as they are falling over to often.
thanks everyone, look forward to a great week, working hard, playing outdoors and getting the tan back!!!
Tour Team.
Wednesday 4 May 2016
hello fellow readers,
id like to start by congratulating the players from the tour group. the behaviour and focus this past week has been very much improved. there has been a solid effort made by all to limit the on court antics and maintain composure through the tougher times. due to this i feel like the intensity of each drill was better and longer. great job.
a note on the bubble situation. the back bubble is currently being taken down, so we will be doing the program in the first bubble with a couple days having an extra court indoors. please come into the first bubble each day and we will work out who goes where. a reminder that this week we are not doing any make up classes. if you have make ups we will still have a few more weeks once we head outside. also, incase the numbers get bigger then our court space allows please make sure you bring some gym shoes as we could be breaking up into groups and having an extra gym session.
for next week we will be outside, so please make sure you bring layers of clothing. not just a big hoodie. the temp might be different at 4 then at 6 or 7 so have options to change into, also please follow along with the weather reports incase of rain. don't just assume, if its one type of weather were you are then its the same at the orc. check out the twitter feed and the blog for updates.
this week being our last week of indoor play, we will be focusing heavily on consistency and serve. going outdoors means the conditions can play a bigger role in the type of ball you play and type of point you construct. to do this you need to be confident that you can keep the ball in play longer if needed and physically be capable of keeping the point alive longer. also, with depth perception opening up, the serve/toss is going to be affected a little more. we will get a head start on this this week by making sure we work on it a little extra.
last week we had a few days were we played some points and tried to structure the first couple of shots before a point became open. it wasn't our finest hour, lets just say that. we have to try and focus more on being able to create opportunity and not just wait for our opponents to give us those opportunities. this week we will try again. Monday will be a consistency day, Tuesday we will try and implement some of those drills into the point. Wednesday we will come back to consistency and Thursday we will put it into play again.
some of you will have your high school championships coming up over the next couple of weeks, please let me know who you are and when they are and if we can make arrangements for you to train according to your short term needs.
also, with the outdoor season coming up, there will be more tournaments on the OTA schedule, for those looking to get into that scene a little more, this would be a good time to look for extra match play, and have more local tournaments to choose from.
lets keep up the positive vibe and direction that we have started heading in, keep working hard and continue to have fun and enjoy the challenge.
Tour Team.....
id like to start by congratulating the players from the tour group. the behaviour and focus this past week has been very much improved. there has been a solid effort made by all to limit the on court antics and maintain composure through the tougher times. due to this i feel like the intensity of each drill was better and longer. great job.
a note on the bubble situation. the back bubble is currently being taken down, so we will be doing the program in the first bubble with a couple days having an extra court indoors. please come into the first bubble each day and we will work out who goes where. a reminder that this week we are not doing any make up classes. if you have make ups we will still have a few more weeks once we head outside. also, incase the numbers get bigger then our court space allows please make sure you bring some gym shoes as we could be breaking up into groups and having an extra gym session.
for next week we will be outside, so please make sure you bring layers of clothing. not just a big hoodie. the temp might be different at 4 then at 6 or 7 so have options to change into, also please follow along with the weather reports incase of rain. don't just assume, if its one type of weather were you are then its the same at the orc. check out the twitter feed and the blog for updates.
this week being our last week of indoor play, we will be focusing heavily on consistency and serve. going outdoors means the conditions can play a bigger role in the type of ball you play and type of point you construct. to do this you need to be confident that you can keep the ball in play longer if needed and physically be capable of keeping the point alive longer. also, with depth perception opening up, the serve/toss is going to be affected a little more. we will get a head start on this this week by making sure we work on it a little extra.
last week we had a few days were we played some points and tried to structure the first couple of shots before a point became open. it wasn't our finest hour, lets just say that. we have to try and focus more on being able to create opportunity and not just wait for our opponents to give us those opportunities. this week we will try again. Monday will be a consistency day, Tuesday we will try and implement some of those drills into the point. Wednesday we will come back to consistency and Thursday we will put it into play again.
some of you will have your high school championships coming up over the next couple of weeks, please let me know who you are and when they are and if we can make arrangements for you to train according to your short term needs.
also, with the outdoor season coming up, there will be more tournaments on the OTA schedule, for those looking to get into that scene a little more, this would be a good time to look for extra match play, and have more local tournaments to choose from.
lets keep up the positive vibe and direction that we have started heading in, keep working hard and continue to have fun and enjoy the challenge.
Tour Team.....
Tuesday 26 April 2016
Hello everyone and welcome to another week
This week we are going to be focusing on effort and attitude. Over the past few weeks " we" the tennis coaching staff and department as a whole have been evaluating and discussing all the different programs and players and trying to figure out how we can all help each other to be the best that we can be. This line might sound cliche but it's exactly correct and to the point.
At this point in the season everyone is going a little stir crazy being indoors for this long and having spring and the outdoors season get delayed week by week. Also, sometimes doing the same thing for so long can be repetitive and sometimes not as motivating as at the beginning. That being said, we still have to find ways to puch each other, push ourselves and bring the best attitude and effort to the club everyday. It's the only way that we can continue to improve and excel as players, people and as a group.
On that note we have been noticing a higher then normal discipline factor and because of this we have implement a set of new guidelines to help keep everyone in check. This isn't so much a punishment but more a way to help keep everyone stay a little more focued when the going gets tough.
We will be encouraging more positive and friendly behavior and trying to nip negativity as soon as it sneaks up. There will be a skipping detail to those that break some of the guidelines. We have already discussed the points and will continue to fill in those players that might have missed it.
Everyone has worked really hard all year and those that feel like they have pushed themselves each and everyday are starting to see the rewards that this can bring. Both in out of club results and in personal goals results. Let's keep pushing each other, bring our best efforts each day and dig deep to help bring up the level if intensity in ourselves and the player next to us.
As for the plan this week, we will be challenging each player in the drills that we do to push a little harder and a little longer. Drills will be geared towards having longer tougher rallies, points and score situations. They will attack your mental toughness and try and break you down so that when the real matches come up no situation will surprise or overwhelm you. These next few weeks will be hard and hopefully rewarding.
Keep it up!!
Tour coaches.....
This week we are going to be focusing on effort and attitude. Over the past few weeks " we" the tennis coaching staff and department as a whole have been evaluating and discussing all the different programs and players and trying to figure out how we can all help each other to be the best that we can be. This line might sound cliche but it's exactly correct and to the point.
At this point in the season everyone is going a little stir crazy being indoors for this long and having spring and the outdoors season get delayed week by week. Also, sometimes doing the same thing for so long can be repetitive and sometimes not as motivating as at the beginning. That being said, we still have to find ways to puch each other, push ourselves and bring the best attitude and effort to the club everyday. It's the only way that we can continue to improve and excel as players, people and as a group.
On that note we have been noticing a higher then normal discipline factor and because of this we have implement a set of new guidelines to help keep everyone in check. This isn't so much a punishment but more a way to help keep everyone stay a little more focued when the going gets tough.
We will be encouraging more positive and friendly behavior and trying to nip negativity as soon as it sneaks up. There will be a skipping detail to those that break some of the guidelines. We have already discussed the points and will continue to fill in those players that might have missed it.
Everyone has worked really hard all year and those that feel like they have pushed themselves each and everyday are starting to see the rewards that this can bring. Both in out of club results and in personal goals results. Let's keep pushing each other, bring our best efforts each day and dig deep to help bring up the level if intensity in ourselves and the player next to us.
As for the plan this week, we will be challenging each player in the drills that we do to push a little harder and a little longer. Drills will be geared towards having longer tougher rallies, points and score situations. They will attack your mental toughness and try and break you down so that when the real matches come up no situation will surprise or overwhelm you. These next few weeks will be hard and hopefully rewarding.
Keep it up!!
Tour coaches.....
Monday 11 April 2016
Hello Everyone,
and welcome to another snowy April day.....wait... that cant be right.
well it looks like the outdoor season has a ways to go, but the indoor season is definitely in full swing.
over the past few weeks several of the tour and elite players participated in the indoor Canadian nationals. a special congrats goes out to all as reaching this elite event is something to be very proud of. different players have different goals and measures of success so personal congratulations can be made to each as you see them, but as a whole, the coaching staff would like to applaud the efforts of the group and encourage those that just missed out to continue to work hard each and every day
As for our plan this week:
net play, net play, net play.....
this past week we spent a great deal of time playing games and situational points designed around getting to the net and being at the net. this week, we will continue our net play, but really focus in on the volley and overhead. first 2 days are going to be about getting each player on the same page with the technique of the strokes and establishing a clear plan of what to do with the volley and overhead. this will be followed by a couple days of point play with those 2 shots in mind.
one important aspect of having effective volleys is the use of our legs. its really important to be quick and strong in the core and lower body. during the group we will be spending time working on some strength exercises to improve our ability to get low to the ball and to be explosive hitting through the volley, as well as closing in on the upcoming shot. this will be followed by a verity of quick feet exercises to allow the players to get to the volley and overhead efficiently and effectively. the legs are the foundation of the shot.
also, a small reminder, with the season winding down each week, we encourage all players who need make up classes to contact me in order to try and come in on extra days to make those up. please don't just show up and expect to play. a quick heads up would be great.
thanks everyone!
to those participating in the itf this week, good luck!!!
Tour team out.......
and welcome to another snowy April day.....wait... that cant be right.
well it looks like the outdoor season has a ways to go, but the indoor season is definitely in full swing.
over the past few weeks several of the tour and elite players participated in the indoor Canadian nationals. a special congrats goes out to all as reaching this elite event is something to be very proud of. different players have different goals and measures of success so personal congratulations can be made to each as you see them, but as a whole, the coaching staff would like to applaud the efforts of the group and encourage those that just missed out to continue to work hard each and every day
As for our plan this week:
net play, net play, net play.....
this past week we spent a great deal of time playing games and situational points designed around getting to the net and being at the net. this week, we will continue our net play, but really focus in on the volley and overhead. first 2 days are going to be about getting each player on the same page with the technique of the strokes and establishing a clear plan of what to do with the volley and overhead. this will be followed by a couple days of point play with those 2 shots in mind.
one important aspect of having effective volleys is the use of our legs. its really important to be quick and strong in the core and lower body. during the group we will be spending time working on some strength exercises to improve our ability to get low to the ball and to be explosive hitting through the volley, as well as closing in on the upcoming shot. this will be followed by a verity of quick feet exercises to allow the players to get to the volley and overhead efficiently and effectively. the legs are the foundation of the shot.
also, a small reminder, with the season winding down each week, we encourage all players who need make up classes to contact me in order to try and come in on extra days to make those up. please don't just show up and expect to play. a quick heads up would be great.
thanks everyone!
to those participating in the itf this week, good luck!!!
Tour team out.......
Thursday 24 March 2016
Welcome back everyone.
Well, welcome back some of you.
With the first week of march break wrapping up for some and a second one still on for others, plus Easter coming up and a set of Nationals getting started his week, we as a group are very scattered this week. nonetheless, for those that are here and willing, we have a good line up of events scheduled for our sessions. first we will be looking to get back into the swing of things for those that had time off. first few days will be hitting based. lots of volume, consistency and a general feel for all of the strokes. Wednesday we will be doing a fitness day. all hitting based, but lots of grinding the legs and lungs. this should hopefully get our systems back in to playing mode. Thursday will be a bonus day. Given that the numbers will be small and each person will have their won agenda heading into the Easter break, we will be asking each player what they are looking for and working with that in mind.
General Easter reminder: the club will be open for the most part, regular hours, but the academies will not be running, Friday, Saturday and Monday.
As for next week,
with everyone back from march and Easter break we will be doing a lot of feeding, drilling, and volume. it will be a heavy volume week, with the emphasis strongly placed on pushing our cardio, and footwork. details of the week will follow....
on a side note, the coaching staff would like to congratulate all the players that participated in their respective provincial events and would like to encourage all of you to check out tennisontario.com for all the results of our great players.
also a reminder that this week starting Thursday, the under 12 and Under 16 Nationals will be happening and we can follow along with all our participants on the tenniscanada.com web site.
Thanks to all and see you all on the courts,
Tour Team
Well, welcome back some of you.
With the first week of march break wrapping up for some and a second one still on for others, plus Easter coming up and a set of Nationals getting started his week, we as a group are very scattered this week. nonetheless, for those that are here and willing, we have a good line up of events scheduled for our sessions. first we will be looking to get back into the swing of things for those that had time off. first few days will be hitting based. lots of volume, consistency and a general feel for all of the strokes. Wednesday we will be doing a fitness day. all hitting based, but lots of grinding the legs and lungs. this should hopefully get our systems back in to playing mode. Thursday will be a bonus day. Given that the numbers will be small and each person will have their won agenda heading into the Easter break, we will be asking each player what they are looking for and working with that in mind.
General Easter reminder: the club will be open for the most part, regular hours, but the academies will not be running, Friday, Saturday and Monday.
As for next week,
with everyone back from march and Easter break we will be doing a lot of feeding, drilling, and volume. it will be a heavy volume week, with the emphasis strongly placed on pushing our cardio, and footwork. details of the week will follow....
on a side note, the coaching staff would like to congratulate all the players that participated in their respective provincial events and would like to encourage all of you to check out tennisontario.com for all the results of our great players.
also a reminder that this week starting Thursday, the under 12 and Under 16 Nationals will be happening and we can follow along with all our participants on the tenniscanada.com web site.
Thanks to all and see you all on the courts,
Tour Team
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Hello and welcome to another edition of the Tour Blog.
This week we are gearing up for a run at the provincials. For those looking for info, this Friday is the start of the under 12 and under 16 group and next Wednesday will be the under 14 and 18. The under 18 event will be hosted by the ORC. for those looking to see some great junior tennis, come on out and check out what the players have to offer as well as come out and cheer on your fellow academy team mate.
we have a very respectable number of players in all the events and have contenders in all. To all participants, Good Luck!
This week has been a split focus week. We have been and continue to cater to the needs of each player instead of the group as a whole. with some playing the events and others not it was important for us to identify the needs of those present on a daily basis and work with each players requests.
the focus has been in part on match play, both singles and doubles as well as rhythm and consistency. for some not competing, we have been doing group drills and focusing on targets, zone hitting and return placement.
with the break coming up at the end of this week, we have tried not to implement new things but rather continued our focus on the items we have covered over the year and continued to stress the importance of each component.
habits are built with repetition.
for next week, a reminder that there is no academy and we are off for one week. hopefully that doesn't meant that players will be tennis free for the whole week. if you are not participating in the events, try and get out and hit a few balls. the club will be much busier then usual so if your looking for a court, call ahead and book. Monday and Tuesday will be manageable, with only the march break camps happening, but from Wednesday on, the camp and the u18 events will be using a great deal of the court time.
on another note, we have finalized details of the summer performance tennis camps, so for those interested, come talk to us about what the ORC will be providing this summer.
Have a great week, best of luck to all players and for those going away enjoy the sun or ski!!!
Tour Group.
This week we are gearing up for a run at the provincials. For those looking for info, this Friday is the start of the under 12 and under 16 group and next Wednesday will be the under 14 and 18. The under 18 event will be hosted by the ORC. for those looking to see some great junior tennis, come on out and check out what the players have to offer as well as come out and cheer on your fellow academy team mate.
we have a very respectable number of players in all the events and have contenders in all. To all participants, Good Luck!
This week has been a split focus week. We have been and continue to cater to the needs of each player instead of the group as a whole. with some playing the events and others not it was important for us to identify the needs of those present on a daily basis and work with each players requests.
the focus has been in part on match play, both singles and doubles as well as rhythm and consistency. for some not competing, we have been doing group drills and focusing on targets, zone hitting and return placement.
with the break coming up at the end of this week, we have tried not to implement new things but rather continued our focus on the items we have covered over the year and continued to stress the importance of each component.
habits are built with repetition.
for next week, a reminder that there is no academy and we are off for one week. hopefully that doesn't meant that players will be tennis free for the whole week. if you are not participating in the events, try and get out and hit a few balls. the club will be much busier then usual so if your looking for a court, call ahead and book. Monday and Tuesday will be manageable, with only the march break camps happening, but from Wednesday on, the camp and the u18 events will be using a great deal of the court time.
on another note, we have finalized details of the summer performance tennis camps, so for those interested, come talk to us about what the ORC will be providing this summer.
Have a great week, best of luck to all players and for those going away enjoy the sun or ski!!!
Tour Group.
Monday 29 February 2016
Welcome back to another week!
With the provincials right around the corner for some we will be focusing the program in parts. Those that are playing in them and those that are not. In order to best prepare those for the event we will be splitting into groups and focusing on personal goals and tasks. This week will be grou (a) focus on provincials and group (b) focus on development for the future.
Group a will be looking on last minute confidence boosters. Tactical conversations and point situations. Group b will further continue drilling. Pushing hard and sticking with the yearly plan.
In order to best suit every player this week there will not be a plan on writing as we are not sure who will be present on each day and therefore what kind of grouping we will have. Also there is a potential snow storm coming in on Tuesday which we will have to work around and attendance will not be know till the moment of.
The long and short of it is that we will be working hard. Preparing individually and in small groups and working in teams to achieve the goals of each player. There will be a second post this week once we have draws and times established from the Ota allowing us to regroup and plan again. Stay tuned.... And let's be ready to go T minus 4 hours...
With the provincials right around the corner for some we will be focusing the program in parts. Those that are playing in them and those that are not. In order to best prepare those for the event we will be splitting into groups and focusing on personal goals and tasks. This week will be grou (a) focus on provincials and group (b) focus on development for the future.
Group a will be looking on last minute confidence boosters. Tactical conversations and point situations. Group b will further continue drilling. Pushing hard and sticking with the yearly plan.
In order to best suit every player this week there will not be a plan on writing as we are not sure who will be present on each day and therefore what kind of grouping we will have. Also there is a potential snow storm coming in on Tuesday which we will have to work around and attendance will not be know till the moment of.
The long and short of it is that we will be working hard. Preparing individually and in small groups and working in teams to achieve the goals of each player. There will be a second post this week once we have draws and times established from the Ota allowing us to regroup and plan again. Stay tuned.... And let's be ready to go T minus 4 hours...
Tuesday 23 February 2016
bring it!
Hello players, parents and fellow coaches.
Here we are again with another week gone by and a new one ready to begin. Before heading into this weeks plan and thoughts lets sum up last week.
To those players that attended ( it was a small week) great stuff. We committed ourselves from Monday to work hard and put in a heavy work load for the week. And that we did. Everyone pushed hard and put in their time and reps. Kudos to all. The goal was for that week to get us on course for the next few. Hopefully it did and this week we can focus on some more partner hitting and structured play.
This weeks plan will be to focus on using the cardio training into our hitting. We will be focusing on high intensity rallying. Aiming for high numbers and big minutes. Pushing our legs and core strength to stay with the ball. Keeping our balance on contact and allowing for minimum mistakes. Lots of cross court hitting, keeping up the quality of each and every ball. Preventing the opponent from changing direction on the ball and dictating play.
We will also be focusing on being aggressive and explosive to the point from the beginning of it. Servers trying win on 4 or less shots. Returners trying to do the same. One example.
The combination of these two attitudes in paying the point should lead us to having short hard hitting and demanding points. May the best player win!
Here we are again with another week gone by and a new one ready to begin. Before heading into this weeks plan and thoughts lets sum up last week.
To those players that attended ( it was a small week) great stuff. We committed ourselves from Monday to work hard and put in a heavy work load for the week. And that we did. Everyone pushed hard and put in their time and reps. Kudos to all. The goal was for that week to get us on course for the next few. Hopefully it did and this week we can focus on some more partner hitting and structured play.
This weeks plan will be to focus on using the cardio training into our hitting. We will be focusing on high intensity rallying. Aiming for high numbers and big minutes. Pushing our legs and core strength to stay with the ball. Keeping our balance on contact and allowing for minimum mistakes. Lots of cross court hitting, keeping up the quality of each and every ball. Preventing the opponent from changing direction on the ball and dictating play.
We will also be focusing on being aggressive and explosive to the point from the beginning of it. Servers trying win on 4 or less shots. Returners trying to do the same. One example.
The combination of these two attitudes in paying the point should lead us to having short hard hitting and demanding points. May the best player win!
Tuesday 16 February 2016
Hello and welcome back from the long weekend. We hope everyone had time to recharge and get ready for a strong week ahead.
This weeks will be a work hard week. With a rare gap in the tournament schedule for most we are going to be able to make a full 4 day push Emphasis will be heavily put on pushing our legs and lungs. Over the past few weeks we have been focusing on match play. Strategy. Tactics and scenario play. This week will be a step away from all that and put on good ol fashion hard work and stamina. There will be a lots of station training. Feeding. Hand tossing and general footwork based drilling. For the odd player playing a tournament this weekend and having a match on Friday you might have a smaller work load. But the others make sure you bring your skipping rope everyday as mentioned in the past. It's essential that we take advantage of calendar gaps during our training to push ourselves and continue to be a step ahead of our opponents. We will also focus some attention to the serve. Working on the patterns and making sure we have command of the type of serve we want to hit Please let me know Tuesday if you are planning on a tournament this weekend. Let's bring the intensity this week!
This weeks will be a work hard week. With a rare gap in the tournament schedule for most we are going to be able to make a full 4 day push Emphasis will be heavily put on pushing our legs and lungs. Over the past few weeks we have been focusing on match play. Strategy. Tactics and scenario play. This week will be a step away from all that and put on good ol fashion hard work and stamina. There will be a lots of station training. Feeding. Hand tossing and general footwork based drilling. For the odd player playing a tournament this weekend and having a match on Friday you might have a smaller work load. But the others make sure you bring your skipping rope everyday as mentioned in the past. It's essential that we take advantage of calendar gaps during our training to push ourselves and continue to be a step ahead of our opponents. We will also focus some attention to the serve. Working on the patterns and making sure we have command of the type of serve we want to hit Please let me know Tuesday if you are planning on a tournament this weekend. Let's bring the intensity this week!
Monday 1 February 2016
Good day everyone,
I hope everyone enjoyed the fantastic week of tennis. So close for Milos. Great to see Canadian tennis back on track. Along with a great showing by the legend Mr. Nestor and with a positive comeback for Genie things are looking good for 2016.
Speaking of looking good for 2016, our juniors had some excellent showings at the recent qualifying events this past week. We will have a great representation of players at the up coming selection events! Go Tour team go!
This week we will be gearing up with some match play stRategy. We will focus our attention a little more individually for those players playing tournaments and for those that are not. With selections, provincials and more in full swing now we will be looking at point play a great deal. Working on specific situations, catering to players strengths and weekness and trying develop each players identity on the court.
It will be important for everyone to try and catch up quickly this week after some small layoff with exam week So with players coming and going throughout the week I will be making everyday available to all players. Just send me a text the morning of that you will either be attending or skipping and we will be able to accommodate changes and make ups throughout the week.
A reminder to all that if you have a tournament this week to keep up with your fitness plans but to stop after Wednesday. Keep Thursday light and be strong and fresh for Friday. If your not playing this weekend , continue as scheduled with your plans and make adjustments next week.
Let's have a fantastic week, work hard and enjoy the challenges ahead!
Tour team coaches
I hope everyone enjoyed the fantastic week of tennis. So close for Milos. Great to see Canadian tennis back on track. Along with a great showing by the legend Mr. Nestor and with a positive comeback for Genie things are looking good for 2016.
Speaking of looking good for 2016, our juniors had some excellent showings at the recent qualifying events this past week. We will have a great representation of players at the up coming selection events! Go Tour team go!
This week we will be gearing up with some match play stRategy. We will focus our attention a little more individually for those players playing tournaments and for those that are not. With selections, provincials and more in full swing now we will be looking at point play a great deal. Working on specific situations, catering to players strengths and weekness and trying develop each players identity on the court.
It will be important for everyone to try and catch up quickly this week after some small layoff with exam week So with players coming and going throughout the week I will be making everyday available to all players. Just send me a text the morning of that you will either be attending or skipping and we will be able to accommodate changes and make ups throughout the week.
A reminder to all that if you have a tournament this week to keep up with your fitness plans but to stop after Wednesday. Keep Thursday light and be strong and fresh for Friday. If your not playing this weekend , continue as scheduled with your plans and make adjustments next week.
Let's have a fantastic week, work hard and enjoy the challenges ahead!
Tour team coaches
Monday 25 January 2016
Hello and welcome to another week!
I hope everyone has had a chance to watch some great tennis. Including milos and his continued success heading into the quarterfinals. Hard work payed off
Last week we focused a lot on keeping our focus. At the beginning middle and end of a drill match or excercise. Looking at the milos match those words and mantra could not be any truer. He was up 2 set to none. Lost his way a bit and then stormed back I. The fifth to take it. This is a great example of continued focus.
This is something we are going to continue to try and promote and focus on as it is an invaluable piece of the game. This week we will continue also to work on ball control. We spent a little bit of time on it last week and had mixed success. So to further the process we will spend another week on this task and continue to challenge our hitting zones. It's great to hit a ball when when you have a solid foundation balance and good contact but try doing that when you don't. We have to make our opponents get out of their comfort zones and create opportunities.
With the tournament season now in full swing this is a big part of moving forward. Also, we will be updating results from this past week later today and discussing upcoming events as well. Once we have everyone's results they will be posted here. Stay tuned....
I hope everyone has had a chance to watch some great tennis. Including milos and his continued success heading into the quarterfinals. Hard work payed off
Last week we focused a lot on keeping our focus. At the beginning middle and end of a drill match or excercise. Looking at the milos match those words and mantra could not be any truer. He was up 2 set to none. Lost his way a bit and then stormed back I. The fifth to take it. This is a great example of continued focus.
This is something we are going to continue to try and promote and focus on as it is an invaluable piece of the game. This week we will continue also to work on ball control. We spent a little bit of time on it last week and had mixed success. So to further the process we will spend another week on this task and continue to challenge our hitting zones. It's great to hit a ball when when you have a solid foundation balance and good contact but try doing that when you don't. We have to make our opponents get out of their comfort zones and create opportunities.
With the tournament season now in full swing this is a big part of moving forward. Also, we will be updating results from this past week later today and discussing upcoming events as well. Once we have everyone's results they will be posted here. Stay tuned....
Monday 18 January 2016
Eh Mate!
Well, its Aussie Open time. Time to see some great late night and very early morning tennis. This is always a great time of year in the tennis world as we can finally see all the stars of our game on the tube and better yet see who put in the work in the "off season". As you can imagine, this tournament is one of the most physically demanding events on the tour and really, only the fittest survive.
I'd like all of you to have a look at the scores throughout the first week and notice how many 2 plus hour matches there are. Lots, even for the ladies, note, the 3 set matches and the time on court that they have. I bring this up, because our practices are 2 hours long and for the most part by minute 90 we find that lots of the players are mentally and physically starting to check out. We need to be tougher longer on the courts. If not us, then the opponents will be and your technique or strategy wont matter at that point.
In conjunction with this thought process, we will be shifting our focus to finishing practices strong, tough and evaluating each player on their ability to compete till the end. practices will be structured this week with a tough first 75minutes. heavy on volume, drilling and station work. at that point we will be playing a set which will then decide what the final 15 minutes of practice will look like. those keeping their focus will continue playing, those losing their way will spend time with Drago, haha,
point is, that we need to not only show up to practice ready to work, and energized but we have to maintain and finish just as strong.
this will be a fun and tough week for all, look forward to the challenge....
also...
As you know our Tennis Director Yves Boulais is in Australia with WTA player Alison Riske. I am sure you saw her in December training with us at ORC. In this blog I will be posting every day all sort of stuff interesting to you tennis players. I will post good articles, news from here and training video of players and all kind of stuff that will happen in our trip. This information will not get to you if you are not subscribe to the blog so do it now @ www.orcgrandslam.com, and once you are there fill out the text box on the right corner and every time I will post a new message, you will get a nice email that will tell you all about it. Help us help you.
Well, its Aussie Open time. Time to see some great late night and very early morning tennis. This is always a great time of year in the tennis world as we can finally see all the stars of our game on the tube and better yet see who put in the work in the "off season". As you can imagine, this tournament is one of the most physically demanding events on the tour and really, only the fittest survive.
I'd like all of you to have a look at the scores throughout the first week and notice how many 2 plus hour matches there are. Lots, even for the ladies, note, the 3 set matches and the time on court that they have. I bring this up, because our practices are 2 hours long and for the most part by minute 90 we find that lots of the players are mentally and physically starting to check out. We need to be tougher longer on the courts. If not us, then the opponents will be and your technique or strategy wont matter at that point.
In conjunction with this thought process, we will be shifting our focus to finishing practices strong, tough and evaluating each player on their ability to compete till the end. practices will be structured this week with a tough first 75minutes. heavy on volume, drilling and station work. at that point we will be playing a set which will then decide what the final 15 minutes of practice will look like. those keeping their focus will continue playing, those losing their way will spend time with Drago, haha,
point is, that we need to not only show up to practice ready to work, and energized but we have to maintain and finish just as strong.
this will be a fun and tough week for all, look forward to the challenge....
also...
As you know our Tennis Director Yves Boulais is in Australia with WTA player Alison Riske. I am sure you saw her in December training with us at ORC. In this blog I will be posting every day all sort of stuff interesting to you tennis players. I will post good articles, news from here and training video of players and all kind of stuff that will happen in our trip. This information will not get to you if you are not subscribe to the blog so do it now @ www.orcgrandslam.com, and once you are there fill out the text box on the right corner and every time I will post a new message, you will get a nice email that will tell you all about it. Help us help you.
Have a great week and thank you for choosing ORC "THE PLACE TO BE" :)"
Wednesday 13 January 2016
Hello to all!!
I want to say welcome back, but it's me who is coming back this week. I spent the past 5 days with some of the Orc boys (Clarke, Ivan, Ivan and Ryan as well as a player from another academy) in Florida playing a futures event. The boys competed hard, trained tough and learned a little more of what it's going to take to achieve international success. I also want to thank them as well for the opportunity and their commitment as I had a fantastic learning experience.
This week in he program we will be working on playing your second ball. That means that as a server the first shot coming back from the return. in order to focus on this shot we will be focusing on the serve as well in order to set up the shot and create a one two punch.
The second shot can very much set the tone for the point so it is really important that you have a plan ahead of time. this means using the serve to force a certain ball back ad also, when a shot comes back that you identify it as soon as possible in order to take advantage of an opportunity that might be there.
We will be working on this skill in three parts. from the hand feed in order to work on a certain situation, from a set play given by a live return and then in open play.
also, as a bonus feature.....
As you know our Tennis Director Yves Boulais is in Australia with WTA player Alison Riske. I am sure you saw her in December training with us at ORC. In this blog I will be posting every day all sort of stuff interesting to you tennis players. I will post good articles, news from here and training video of players and all kind of stuff that will happen in our trip. This information will not get to you if you are not subscribe to the blog so do it now @ www.orcgrandslam.com, and once you are there fill out the text box on the right corner and every time I will post a new message, you will get a nice email that will tell you all about it. Help us help you.
I want to say welcome back, but it's me who is coming back this week. I spent the past 5 days with some of the Orc boys (Clarke, Ivan, Ivan and Ryan as well as a player from another academy) in Florida playing a futures event. The boys competed hard, trained tough and learned a little more of what it's going to take to achieve international success. I also want to thank them as well for the opportunity and their commitment as I had a fantastic learning experience.
This week in he program we will be working on playing your second ball. That means that as a server the first shot coming back from the return. in order to focus on this shot we will be focusing on the serve as well in order to set up the shot and create a one two punch.
The second shot can very much set the tone for the point so it is really important that you have a plan ahead of time. this means using the serve to force a certain ball back ad also, when a shot comes back that you identify it as soon as possible in order to take advantage of an opportunity that might be there.
We will be working on this skill in three parts. from the hand feed in order to work on a certain situation, from a set play given by a live return and then in open play.
also, as a bonus feature.....
As you know our Tennis Director Yves Boulais is in Australia with WTA player Alison Riske. I am sure you saw her in December training with us at ORC. In this blog I will be posting every day all sort of stuff interesting to you tennis players. I will post good articles, news from here and training video of players and all kind of stuff that will happen in our trip. This information will not get to you if you are not subscribe to the blog so do it now @ www.orcgrandslam.com, and once you are there fill out the text box on the right corner and every time I will post a new message, you will get a nice email that will tell you all about it. Help us help you.
Have a great week and thank you for choosing ORC "THE PLACE TO BE" :)"
Monday 4 January 2016
Hello everyone and welcome back!!
I hope everyone had a great Christmas break and a wonderful New Years celebration.
Over the break some of you took time off to relax and recharge and someone you continued the daily grind. To this that where away from the courts we had a few exciting performances by some of our players. Congrats to all that played in the open series events as well as the Junior Circuit tournaments.
With the break now over and the new season in full swing it's time to get out game faces on. We will be splitting the court time this week in two parts. Some players new to get back to hitting and getting their timing, feel and footwork back in check, while others need to play lots of points to get ready for the upcoming tournaments. We will be having a more per player focused practice week this week in order to accommodate both of those needs.
Group 1 will be going throw a lot of volume hitting, feeding and footwork oriented hitting. With the emphasis being on contact, balance and set up. While group 2 will be more focused on point play, set play and match strategy to get ready for the upcoming series of events starting with this weekend.
For the new year we will shifting gears for a little bit in the month of January and getting back to hard work, fast paced tempo chasing the ball type drilling, and trying to get our cardio to catch up to the level of tennis that we will be looking at playing come provincials. Therefore the month of February will be more point play oriented to be in the best situation for the March provincial season.
I hope that all players have their tournament plans lined up. If not and you need help setting it up please sit down and speak with your coaches, if you do not have a person coach yet please speak with one of the tour coaches to help you. Sometimes it's not how hard you work, but rather how smart you work. Have a plan and a goal and therefor you have a purpose to each day.
Also, there is a small group of players headed to Florida this week to try their hand at a futures event, best of luck to them!
Let bring our best effort starting from day one of the new year!
Tour coaches......
I hope everyone had a great Christmas break and a wonderful New Years celebration.
Over the break some of you took time off to relax and recharge and someone you continued the daily grind. To this that where away from the courts we had a few exciting performances by some of our players. Congrats to all that played in the open series events as well as the Junior Circuit tournaments.
With the break now over and the new season in full swing it's time to get out game faces on. We will be splitting the court time this week in two parts. Some players new to get back to hitting and getting their timing, feel and footwork back in check, while others need to play lots of points to get ready for the upcoming tournaments. We will be having a more per player focused practice week this week in order to accommodate both of those needs.
Group 1 will be going throw a lot of volume hitting, feeding and footwork oriented hitting. With the emphasis being on contact, balance and set up. While group 2 will be more focused on point play, set play and match strategy to get ready for the upcoming series of events starting with this weekend.
For the new year we will shifting gears for a little bit in the month of January and getting back to hard work, fast paced tempo chasing the ball type drilling, and trying to get our cardio to catch up to the level of tennis that we will be looking at playing come provincials. Therefore the month of February will be more point play oriented to be in the best situation for the March provincial season.
I hope that all players have their tournament plans lined up. If not and you need help setting it up please sit down and speak with your coaches, if you do not have a person coach yet please speak with one of the tour coaches to help you. Sometimes it's not how hard you work, but rather how smart you work. Have a plan and a goal and therefor you have a purpose to each day.
Also, there is a small group of players headed to Florida this week to try their hand at a futures event, best of luck to them!
Let bring our best effort starting from day one of the new year!
Tour coaches......
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