Athletic training concept
Our main objective at the Junaided Tennis Academy (Junaided Tennisakademie) is to provide the players with an integral training in the area of basic motor skills with regard to strength and fitness exercises. Basic motor skills – what does that exactly mean? The term summarizes the physical abilities of strength, speed and endurance, coordination skills, and agility. And all of them together form the basis of sport performance. This performance should be improved purposefully, and you have to take in account the age and the physical condition of the player. To ensure a training which is tailor-made for each player who trains with us, we use helpful instruments such as the determination of “peak height velocity” (when the growth spurt in puberty starts).
Here are other tests which might be used later, such as a “one-leg hop top” and “counter-movement jump”, strength tests, and (tennis-specific) tests in order to determine endurance performance (inter alia “hit-and-turn tennis test”).
The athletics training generally has two aspects, or let us say: goals, and both of them serve to prepare players for the stresses of playing tennis.
One goal is to keep within reasonable limits the imbalances, which playing tennis generates. These are, for example, the increased one-sided rotation of the spine, and the substantial load on shoulder girdle muscles.
The second goal is to increase performance capability by improving the basic motor skills needed.
So, what is needed to achieve these goals? The training should take place not only on the tennis court, but also in the weight room. A player-customized training takes in account the player’s needs in the individual areas, as a result the units on the court or in the weight room may gain different priority from time to time. Moreover, the training units should also be configured in consultation and agreement with the tennis coach.
The individual training units themselves should follow a progressive plan and step by step introduce players to the later exertion and stresses. In addition, such a plan can serve as motivation if, for example, it is published in the form of posters or as electronic file. In order to achieve the next exercise level, a player must, for example, be capable of performing a certain strength exercise with a previously-defined weight over a defined repetition and set count.
In addition, this will provide players with excellent knowledge about the individual exercises and their importance.
We at Junaided Tennis Academy (Junaided Tennisakademie) would like to support our players away from tennis training, too. Therefore, we will give them the possibility to gain basic knowledge of nutrition in sport. After a basis of trust has been established with the players - players can reach the trainers at any time – we also want to provide them with knowledge about how to deal with (mental and physical) stress. For playing on court, for example, deliberate use of sports psychology can be routine (e.g. positive self-talks). For dealing with physical stress such as training, and also hormonal changes during puberty, further measures for recuperation will be taught in addition to information about nutrition. Last, but not least, even in the event of non-achievement of sports goals, we want to convey the fun in playing tennis and sport, and promote a (life) long engagement in sporting activities.