The Harvest Tennis Academy Philosophy

Tennis and school
At HTA the game of tennis and academic learning thrive in harmony, engendering perfect blend of scholastic education and professional tennis training. Considering, the humongous toll taken by the act of playing a professional sport, the attention rendered to academics is quite commendable. The synchronization is not just for few days but for the entire length of the scholastic year. We understand the value of time, and therefore at Harvest everything is harnessed under one roof without any loss of time.

Life in the boarding house
Our coaches, teachers and supervisors provide the students with round the clock support and care. Living at HTA is like being at home, but away from home. The deep engagement and care without compromising on safety and security makes Harvest a safeguarded environment. Therefore the term homesickness is an unknown entity here and it does not find a place in the annals of Harvest.

Learning on long term basis
The HTA training program incorporates a combination of all factors that have optimistic impact on the performance of the learners. The training of stroke technique, consistency and tactics as well as conditioning training (speed, coordination, agility, strength, balance and endurance) are vital parts of the daily training routine at HTA. We consequently fight any weakness or “flaw” in the fields of technique, tactics and condition. Besides, we are highly motivated to unfurl the range of modern and effective repertoire strokes to the students. By means of early, but well balanced lobbying into tournament tennis, HTA students will be empowered to face the challenges of competitive sport and subsequently learn to master it. The young learners are ceaselessly encouraged by their coaches to play aggressive tennis and to galvanize their modern game, instead of channelizing their focus just on winning. In our philosophy, breathtaking results and rankings at a young age are of a minor importance. Without an iota of doubt, the main objective is the guidance and education of our players and the development of their character. As a matter of fact, we do not just produce players, we build characters. They are people who live and breathe and not just entities which would be washed ashore by the tides of time and become obsolete.

When playing tournament matches our young players are always encouraged by their coaches to play aggressive and to build up a modern game, instead of putting too much focus on winning. We regard tournament tennis for young players as a learning process, that’s why we call it tournament training. In our philosophy good results and rankings at a young age are of minor importance. Our main objective is the guidance and education of our players and the development of their character.

Education and Guidance
That’s why all HTA staff coaches and teachers focus on the guidance and education of our players and the development of their character. We don’t just produce players, we build up people.
Fitness-Technique-Tactics-Mental toughness-Intelligence-Education-Social behavior

We encourage and foster the students in sportsmanship, fair play on and off the field, discipline, team spirit, respect towards team mates, coaches and teachers, responsibility, self-confidence and motivation. The members of HTA staff realize that the development of these factors in an individual is a vital cog in maximizing his/her potential and performance.

“Sportsmanship“ is a “keyword“ at HTA
At HTA the coaches expect the learners to showcase their true sense of sportsmanship.

“Without sportsmanship there is no true victory“
Another essential factor in HTA philosophy and education is “team spirit“. By practicing together, playing tournaments together and passing leisure time together, our players learn to build an extraordinary team spirit. The younger HTA players benefit from their older, more experienced and successful comrades. We try to help our students to develop the lifetime skills of self-reliance, discipline, respect, responsibility, cooperation and time management. We teach them that outstanding performance requires a high degree of discipline, concentration and positive thinking.

 

Holistic, individual development on the long run
The HTA training program is based on a long term education. We emphasize on the long term development in order to turn raw individuals into complete tennis players and do not sacrifice development or fall prey to short term successes. The goal of our education is to help each of our students to attain his/her level best. We develop our students with a holistic approach which emphasizes all those elements that make up a complete tennis player and competitor: An outstanding physical fitness, a complete, efficient and effective stroke technique, an individualistic yet variable game style, a perfect modern footwork, sophisticated tactical skills and most importantly mental skills, that provide them with the ability to deal with all the problems and difficulties they face in competitive tennis.

HTA system
Maximize the individual potential.The focus of the HTA system is to help our students to reach their full potential. Our final goal is to make our students complete players, who within their unique style become the best they can be.The HTA program integrates a combination of all factors that have an impact on performance in the game of tennis. The program design incorporates stroke production training (technical and consistency training) physical conditioning training (strength, power, endurance, balance, flexibility, speed and agility) on-court and off-court, strategy and tactical training and mental toughness training.The HTA training is periodized and is following a precise plan.

The HTA Training System
The HTA training system is based on the latest state of the art, scientific knowledge. In fact, the game of tennis has come a long way in terms of perceivable changes in the last two decades.

Our daily conditioning training consists of:
• Speed and agility training on and off the court
• Training of tennis specific endurance,
• Tennis specific strength and power training (power and explosiveness of arms and legs)
• An extensive injury prevention program for all parts of the body (special emphasis on core and shoulders)

The tennis practice at the HTA is split into two parts
• Individual lessons
• Technique development lessons

Through all of these, our goal is to develop effective and efficient modern technique of all strokes, which one day will enable them to compete at the highest level.
During the daily group training lessons we put emphasis on:
• Growing strokes
• Rhythm
• Footwork
• Situation training (building points, offensive play, defensive play)
• Training of tactics and strategy (development of individual patterns of play)
• Mental aspects (emotional control, body language)
• Routines and rituals
• Concentration
• Effort,
• Tenacity
• Match training in singles and doubles

Mini Program
Program meant to guide children at their first step into the game of tennis;
• Meant for children aged 4 to 10 years
• Training – 5 times a week
• Leading the children in a playful way into the game of tennis. Learning by playing and having fun
• Program to develop the basics of the game of tennis (coordination, speed & agility, concentration);
• Learning the basic strokes and techniques of tennis;
• Tutoring care and control.

Junior Program
Program for children and young players aged 10 to 18 years
• Training: 5 to 6 times a week
• 3 to 4 hours of tennis training daily, about 2 hours of conditioning training (coordination, speed& agility, strength, endurance)
• Tournament program throughout the year.
• Round the year program

Professional Program
• Professional training and coaching for ambitious players aged16 years and above.
• Training sessions – 5 to 6 times a week in the morning and / or in the afternoon (4-6 hours a day).
• Tournament planning, tournament organization (travel, accommodation, entry and so on.)
• Coaching for tournaments.
• Final goal: Leading young players to the top level in ITF, ATP and WTA tennis.