Sanchez-Casal (56k warning)

[tennis_balla]

I just got back from being 3 weeks in Europe. Got to see Vienna, Prague once again and spent 1 week at Sanchez-Casal in Barcelona doing their week long coaching course.
This is not a course showing you how to feed balls, or teaching how to communicate with your players, or how to teach the forehand and backhand and so on they expect you to already know that. Its a training system, developed by them and what they use everyday at the academy from their high school kids up to their top player (their ATP/WTA group) adjusted according of course to each players ability in terms of intensity and so on. Stuff like drills, training methods, fitness, physio, video analysis, sport psychology and so on. Really good stuff in the course but not for someone who's just starting out in coaching. Lots of good info and drills and inside knowledge, how they make the kids move on the court through their drills, their training/teaching philosophy, and so on.

I got some pictures of the place so I'll show them. I've coached at Newcombes in their junior academy for a little over a year and Sanchez-Casal makes that place look like a sh*thole pardon my language. I checked out Saddlebrook also about 3 years ago for a day and wasn't too impressed. The support the kids get from the academy is amazing, the coaches, trainers, physio, school teacher (school on site) etc everyone works together and is always in communication with each other which is great. The food the kids get is really good, nutritious and lots of it. If you guys wanna ask any questions go ahead, lots has happened so I can't remember everything right now and I don't wanna type out a wall of text and yes Emilio Sanchez and Sergio Casal were both on site and I saw Casal coaching everyday.

Anyways, the photos....

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/15-04-09_2025.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/15-04-09_2026.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/15-04-09_2031.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/15-04-09_2032.jpg

[tennis_balla]

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1448.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1452.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1453.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1455.jpg

[tennis_balla]

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1457.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1505.jpg
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Sanchez-Casal/16-04-09_1459.jpg

[mctennis]

Do they have any grass courts? Just wondering.

[tennis_balla]

They got 2 artificial grass courts

Edit:

Four different surfaces. Red clay, hard courts (I think its DecoTurf), Rebound Ace and the artificial grass.

[jmverdugo]

That grass mini tennis court seems to be really a lot of fun.

[tennis_balla]

Its artificial grass and its paddle tennis court, its got glass in the back to hit your shots off of. For some reason the Spanish love playing it though if you're used to tennis its kinda weird to watch. The place is also a full on club so its got members also as well as the academy kids. So its a lot of fun there.

[tennis_balla]

Forgot to add, one of the highlights of being there was I got to see Maria Kirilenko train up close :p For a pretty small frame she can rip the ball, but I wasn't paying too much attention to her strokes to be honest :twisted:

[10ispro]

you are right. I did a training session in FLA at Sc-A and their idea of "high performance" really puts alot of US academies and facilities to shame. Its a complete approach to High Performance not just on a tennis court.
Another thing is their idea behind building a complete person, not just a tennis player with mandatory education.

I now use alot of their ideas and drills in my own teaching and have seen great improvement at all levels that I teach.

there really isnt a doubt why Spain has more players ranked in the top 100 ATP than any other country and is one of the top on WTA as well.
Spain like France has more of a "unified" teaching system. The basis and presentation are similar throughout the country.

I remember Emilio saying that when they get a kid coming to the Academy from France that he knows that he will have good technique (strokes and movement) whereas if he were coming from other countries there may be several things that may needed adjusted, usually movement.

[tennis_balla]

Yea France has a very well rounded approach to the game, teaching all aspect of play (baseline, mid court, net) and the Sanchez-Casal method is no exception and of course like you said they teach life skills as well as tennis skills. Awesome program and like you said it puts, from what I've seen personally and heard, a lot of the US programs and academies to shame with what they do.

[Mountain Ghost]

The cost for your one week?

MG

[tennis_balla]

725 Euros including food and housing and pickup from airport. I was there from Sunday to Sunday.

[sureshs]

Does Henin's Florida academy offer an "European" training experience in the US?

[tennis_balla]

Keep in mind guys this is not a course on how to coach, or how they teach how to hit topspin forehands and backhands and so on like USPTA or PTR. Its a training system. Its an explanation of their drills, coaching philosophy, their methods of developing players (through video analysis, specific off court training and so on). They have 11 basic drills (as well as others) that they use on everyone, which cover 3 areas of the court. Defensive (baseline), attacking (mid-court) and finishing (net). Its a great course, but like I said before don't take it if you don't already have significant experience as a coach.

[Mountain Ghost]

I notice on their website they set this course up every 6 months. Is that true? Or is it more often? Do you happen to know the schedule?

MG

[tennis_balla]

You can do it any week pretty much. I'm not sure what you saw if you show me the link it might be easier to tell you. There are 3 options. Theres an intensive 3 day course, a week long course and then a month long course.

The 3 day is a compressed week long course and the month long you pay only for food, you do the week long course or sometimes more and then you get to coach there and work longer on the program to really understand it. They don't do that all the time, if they don't really need the extra help for that month you'll have to wait. I think the week long is enough, its perfect length and if you're there for the month you pretty much work off the cost of the course by coaching there but you have to pay them for your stay and food there. Like I said the food there is excellent, you'll be eating the exact same food as their coaches and players do (3 meals a day). Don't expect to be standing there, coaching and only feeding balls.
Daniel Sorribas the guy who does the course will be taking you through the drills as if you were a player, making you move properly, correct you on wrong footwork and getting you to set up for shot the way they do it so you fully understand whats going on in the drills and what their intentions are and how to teach them.

Edit:

Here it is:
http://www.sanchez-casal.com/docs/eng/08%20COACHES.pdf

[Mountain Ghost]

Thanks for the info . . . very interesting!

Here's the link to where it said 6 months: http://www.sanchez-casal-usa.com/coaches1.html

MG

[tennis_balla]

Ah...hmm weird that it says every 6 months. If you look at the date of yours it says 07/08. I found the new one 09/10 but they've always been every week so not sure why it says 6 months. If you have the choice do the one in Barcelona, they're not that big yet in Florida in terms of program and number of coaches. A friend of mine who I worked with did this course back in '06 and thats how I found out about it.

[millenium]

tennis balla, do they give you any certificate at the end of weekly course?
And what level of play must someone be, to be able to attend?

[tennis_balla]

They do give a certificate. They are gonna mail mine. You take a test at the end of the week on the Friday. Its not really difficult, everything that you've done in the course over the week is there and you can use the manuals they provided during the test and you do it with the others in the group (if there are any during your week). You just have to understand where the stuff is in the manuals and should have a good understanding of their system by now so some study is necessary. Then you do an on court test, feeding balls making sure you understand the drills, what drill #5 is for example and how it is executed as a coach, making sure you're feeding the balls the right way and making the player work properly instead of going through the motions just feeding it in the right spot.

[FloridaAG]

Nice report and photos - thanks

[moopie]

Forgot to add, one of the highlights of being there was I got to see Maria Kirilenko train up close :p For a pretty small frame she can rip the ball, but I wasn't paying too much attention to her strokes to be honest :twisted:

No pictures? :)

[tennis_balla]

^ Naa I try to avoid looking like a tourist as much as possible, I guess thats why I took all those pictures above with my camera phone haha but yea, she's a cutie. She needs to dump Andreev ;)

[millenium]

tennis balla,thanks for the information.
Did the course deal with any technical issues, of high performance strokes of the forehand and backhand etc. Or was it only drills?

[tennis_balla]

millenium, the course does not cover techinque

[Bud]

What are those miniature clay courts, in your last pic, used for ?

[Dream_On]

What are those miniature clay courts, in your last pic, used for ?

mini tennis i would guess

[tennis_balla]

For their kids program, the little people :P So instead of setting up those temporary mini nets they built their own mini courts for kids just starting out, use tennis balls with soft foam inside them and away you coach. Great way to get them into the sport without being lost on a full sized court.

[10ispro]

For their kids program, the little people :P So instead of setting up those temporary mini nets they built their own mini courts for kids just starting out, use tennis balls with soft foam inside them and away you coach. Great way to get them into the sport without being lost on a full sized court.

They were calling it Teddy Tennis.France has its own version, as does everyone else. US calls it Quickstart....

[baseline08thrasher]

Thanks for posting this.

This may be what changes my dad's mind on letting me go there in the summer.

I TOLD him they were wayy better in spain.

I will do everything to convince him to letting me go.

We have the money he just think it's absurd to go there for a 15 year old.

But the tennis is so worth it.

Are the meals good?

[tennis_balla]

15 years old? That's about the average age there for the kids. Some were a lot younger, like 12 or so. Some stay there a year, half a year, few months, a week or couple days. Depends really. 15 is the perfect time to go. Meals are great, real plates and knives and forks. Plenty of food, nutritious and tasty. I'd say they are way ahead of what I've seen in the academies in the states in all aspects.

[baseline08thrasher]

Thanks for the response! =]

[tennis_balla]

No problem. What level do you play at? and how many hours a day do you train now? They go for about 4 hours a day and then fitness training so if you're not used to that much you'll have to prepare yourself before you get there.

[adso1973]

hey Tennis_balla, Sanchez Casal academy seems to be a nice experience at a very nice place, I really like Barcelona.

I'm a level 4.0 - 5.0 player and I'm looking forward to became a tennis coach, so I was about to start a tennis coach course. My question is if this course covers all a tennis course should cover or you need to go with a previous experience.. also if you need need to go through some level test before starting with it.

Thanks,
Adso

[tennis_balla]

hey Tennis_balla, Sanchez Casal academy seems to be a nice experience at a very nice place, I really like Barcelona.

I'm a level 4.0 - 5.0 player and I'm looking forward to became a tennis coach, so I was about to start a tennis coach course. My question is if this course covers all a tennis course should cover or you need to go with a previous experience.. also if you need need to go through some level test before starting with it.

Thanks,
Adso

No, like I tried to explain before this isn't a beginners courses, you should already know how to coach. Although not really an advanced course (a bit in some parts but then it seemed straightforward to me) but it is a course which teaches their training system at the academy. They don't show you how to properly teach a topspin forehand or serve to your potential students, its a course about how they go about their training at the academy. On court drills, fitness, philosophy, and so on. They even stated to me in one of the emails that I should have a coaching certification from my country and already have experience coaching.

[10ispro]

hey Tennis_balla, Sanchez Casal academy seems to be a nice experience at a very nice place, I really like Barcelona.

I'm a level 4.0 - 5.0 player and I'm looking forward to became a tennis coach, so I was about to start a tennis coach course. My question is if this course covers all a tennis course should cover or you need to go with a previous experience.. also if you need need to go through some level test before starting with it.

Thanks,
Adso

If you are from Argentina the Sc-A system will not differ greatly in many aspects from the training system in Argentina. As the Op mentioned, its more of a Method or Training System that is presented, not a course on how to teach tennis or technique.
Like majority of other countries systems, except the US, the foundation is movement based.
Its based on positioning on the court, movement behind and forward to the ball, and transitions between the 2. Built into their drills are shot selection based on positioning (tactics) and conditioning.

When I went through the course in Naples, I was able to talk with an ITF coach from Argentina and he said that how they train in his country is basically the same, they just do less repetitions. complete cycle in the Sc-A system is 30 balls. Argentina was a max of 8-10.

I think its worth going through the course, but it does take a decent understanding of how to coach and teach the game to all levels as well as play at various levels of competition. Emilio is extremely passionate about their system and the way he shares his passion and enthusiasm transfers to everyone listening.

[tennis_balla]

Yea 30 balls is right, all their stuff is between 20, 30, 40 and 60 balls. The last drill of the basic 11 is 100 balls long. Prepare for an oxygen mask and a heart transplant :razz: of course you don't have to go that long in the course and as a coach you adjust the speed, feeding and duration of the drills according to who you're coaching obviously but I'd love to see someone do 100 balls of that drill.
http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd177/dsotm80/Photo3.jpg

[adso1973]

Got it!! thanks mate

[baseline08thrasher]

No problem. What level do you play at? and how many hours a day do you train now? They go for about 4 hours a day and then fitness training so if you're not used to that much you'll have to prepare yourself before you get there.

I play at a high level for a junior and I play a lot. I have no problem with being out on the court all day and keeping up my focus. I have a coach that I take lessons from 2-4 times a week, and I go to a lot of drills. I can hit the ball really cleanly and hard. But I have a tendency to get impatient during a rally, which I'm working really hard on. On clay though, I seem to be really patient because I'm convinced that patience is the way to go on that surface, and on hard courts I go for too much too early. I can compete with good college players, and I have a big game. I'm motivated to do well also.

[baseline08thrasher]

What kind of drills do they do here?
And how good are the kids in the summer camps for good competition?

Thanks.

[tennis_balla]

Their top kids train (practice matches and so on, top ones go one on one or 2 on one) with the coaches there, most of their high end coaches are former pros. One of the coaches there beat Kuerten and Rios when he played but I forgot his name. Even the ones that are there for a week get a lot of attention. It depends on your level but you'd be in the middle group, the intensity group as they call it and then theres one below that their high school group which is kids from the area also. Their high end group are their top ITF juniors and so on. Those are more the selected kids.
The intensity group is kids from all over Europe, really good level but of course it'll vary somewhat depending on the week but still stay high. They are most busy over the summer. Mind you all the kids there are motivated and wanna play. The intensity group practice starts at 8:15 am and they are all out there ready to go. I can't tell you everything cause I was only there a week and I hope I don't sound like I'm trying to promote the place, but send them an email they're really friendly and helpful.

[millenium]

tenis balla, thanks for all the information. Is it better than bollietteri img tennis academy?
Do they do tennis scholarships, if a kid is very talented and has potential?

[tennis_balla]

Don't know man I've never been to Bolletieri's but I've also never agreed with their approach to the game. Big forehand, power baseliner, why come to the net when you can win from the baseline and so on. I know they are changing their approach now but its still there. What I really enjoyed at S-C was that they concentrate on all areas of the game, and try and make a complete player. Thats why they have 4 surfaces at the academy and don't put everyone into the same mold. That was emphasize a lot in the course.

As for scholarships, not sure if they even do that but good luck with that cause it won't be easy.

[baseline08thrasher]

When should you sign up for the Summer camps?

I know as soon as possible, but when do you think they will have no more room?

[tennis_balla]

No idea man but I'd say sooner the better, email them and get more info

[tennis_balla]

When should you sign up for the Summer camps?

I know as soon as possible, but when do you think they will have no more room?

So did you end up going there? and if so how did you enjoy it?

[firstblud]

wow that's beautiful... would like the chance to play at a place like this some day (with the skill warranting such a venue :p)

[tennis_balla]

wow that's beautiful... would like the chance to play at a place like this some day (with the skill warranting such a venue :p)

Its also a regular tennis club, no need to be anyone or anything special to play there :)