Locals get tennis lessons from ITA coaches<\/p>\n
Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Two American tennis coaches are seeking to help develop
\nIndonesian tennis as they began a series of coaching clinics here
\non Monday<\/p>\n
The clinics are being organized by the country's tennis
\ngoverning body, Pelti.<\/p>\n
Scott Del Mastro and Paul Sindhunata, both from the Florida-
\nbased International Tennis Academy (ITA), said that the ITA was
\ntrying to establish a relationship that would enable it to impart
\nthe techniques behind high performance tennis.<\/p>\n
"I think that sports are changing. Tennis is becoming powerful
\nand needs physical toughness. By coming here, we hope that Pelti
\ncan expose the coaches to what's going on around the world," Del
\nMastro told The Jakarta Post after a coaching session at the
\nCilandak Sports Center in South Jakarta on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The traveling coaches had been in Cilandak, where they made a
\npresentation to the Gunawan Fun Tennis Club over two days prior
\nto their workout with Pelti.<\/p>\n
Their Gunawan workshop involved four local coaches and eight
\nteenage players aged between 8 and 13.<\/p>\n
Del Mastro, who is the director of Sports Science at ITA, said
\nthat ITA was also looking to create links with the Indonesian
\ntennis community, which would possibly pave the way for
\nIndonesian players to set up a training camp in ITA campus.<\/p>\n
"I have heard that there are not many tennis tournaments here.
\nIf the players want to improve their performance, they will have
\nto go outside Indonesia and play in as many tournaments as
\npossible," he said.<\/p>\n
"I really do want to promote Indonesian tennis," he added.<\/p>\n
ITA, which was established six years ago, is based in Delray
\nBeach, Florida. A few tennis stars once trained there, including
\nAndy Rodick and Monica Seles.<\/p>\n
Sindhunata, who used to be an Indonesian junior player during
\nhis teenage years before emigrating to the U.S., said that they
\nwere offering high performance fitness to the national coaches.<\/p>\n
"That's the theme for the coaching workshop. We have gone to
\nRussia, France and many other places to make our presentation
\nabout fitness knowledge.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully, they (Indonesian coaches) will pick something up
\nwhich will be good for them," he said.<\/p>\n
When they complete their presentation in Jakarta, they will
\nbring their coaching clinic to Surabaya, East Java, and Magelang,
\nCentral Java, for two days each.<\/p>\n
Speaking further about Indonesia's problems with tennis
\ndevelopment, Sindhunata emphasized the need for educated coaches,
\na prerequisite that would require a lot of money.<\/p>\n
"There are some differences between the U.S. and Indonesia.
\nThe biggest difference is money. Maybe there's not enough money
\nin the federation.<\/p>\n
"The United States spends US$9 million a year on educating
\ncoaches and holding tournaments for players," he said. He
\nmentioned a few Indonesian coaches whom he said were skilled but
\nhad not had as much opportunity to upgrade their coaching
\nknowledge as the American counterparts did.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/locals-get-tennis-lessons-from-ita-coaches-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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