ITF

24 ITFWorld // WINTER 2019/20 D E V E L O P M E N T "That's the magic of our profession. Changing people's lives - that's why I keep doing this." E M I L I O S A N C H E Z The theme of the 2019 conference was 'Maximising the player's journey: The coach as facilitator and team leader', with the October 25-27 programme extensive and wide-ranging. Keynote speakers included recent Hall of Fame inductee Mary Pierce and Emilio Sanchez, co-founder and CEO of Academy Sanchez-Casal, arguably the world's biggest tennis academy, with sites in Barcelona, the US and China. Sanchez delivered two of the 12 keynote presentations, which took place on a specially-laid hybrid clay court. Afternoons were divided into 32 breakout sessions, giving delegates a choice of four daily serves from a packed tennis agenda. Topics covered in the 20-minute breakout talks ranged from successful playing styles of players in the 14 and under age category to wheelchair tennis analysis to myths in strength and conditioning. The final afternoon was a well-received two-hour interactive session, giving coaches a chance to engage in deeper conversation with all presenters. The evolving role of the coach was a strong sub- theme. While many of the attendees work in elite player development and the high-performance space, there is a growing focus on coaches as developers of human potential, not merely on-court potential. Dual major champion Pierce, presenting at her third Worldwide Coaches Conference, demonstrated the daily drills that honed her aggressive style and carried her to the finals of all four Grand Slams. But asked what she most appreciated about her legendary coach Nick Bollettieri, she replied: "He really cared about me as a person." Sanchez echoed Pierce, finding the personal connection more rewarding than on-court success. "What I like when I see a [former] player is they remember how much you care for them," said the former No.1 doubles player and winning 2008 Davis Cup captain. "We are very lucky, we can influence people," Sanchez said in his passionate address on Qualities and Pillars of Sanchez gave a passionate address on the qualities and pillars of the coach The 2019 ITF Worldwide Coaches Conference was attended by a record 113 nations Swiss conditioning coach Beni Linder conducted a session focused on intensity High-octane classes were a feature of the conference There were plenty of interactive sessions at the conference

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