TPI at Park Meadow Shows It's About The Kids

Coach Leo Montano explaining to
Jorge Falla & parent

For years it has really gotten under my skin that tennis pros and coaches often put their own interests ahead of the interests of their clients. Whoa! Heavy statement eh? Yeah, well sometimes heavy statements are necessary. Specifically, I’m talking about junior camp directors, who are afraid to engage in inter-camp competition.

Perhaps I am mistaken, but it is my belief that tournament players or aspiring tournament players generally benefit from playing competitive matches against a variety of opponents. There is only so much variety available within any one camp.

Jorge Falla students taking
a break

Bringing camps together once a month, once every two weeks so that players can play each other in a non-tournament setting, where coaches can actually coach while matches are being played, would probably be very beneficial to juniors seeking to improve as tournament players.

Ansley hitting high
forehand volley

So why would camp directors not want to engage in such cooperative endeavors if they would benefit their students? I have a theory, but I’m going to keep that close to the vest for now. If any camp directors out there would care to enlighten me, I’d be very happy to hear their rationales.

Coach Leo Montano 

Just last week, though, Leo and Rone Montano of Tennis Performance International (TPI) brought Jorge Falla (dad of World No. 54 tour pro Alejandro Falla) and some of his students to Park Meadow Tennis Center (PMTC) in Fort Myers to train with TPI’s juniors. It was good to see coaches unafraid of their students mingling with students of other coaches.

Jorge Falla & parent

Perhaps the Montanos and Falla have hit on the winning formula: the camps have to be far enough apart that the coaches won’t be afraid that their students might jump ship? Or perhaps it’s just that both camps were secure in their programs and confident about the loyalty of their students. Whatever the full story was that day, it was good to see such cooperation among coaches. After all, isn’t it about the kids?

Click here for kids participating in the TPI/Falla practice session.