The Tribune

THE Bahamas Lawn Tennis Association congratulates coach Ricardo Demeritte who recently participated in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Level 2 Coaching Advanced Players Course which was held in Trinidad and Tobago in August.

At the end of this intensive 12-day course, it is expected that the coach would understand and be able to apply the necessary training principles for coaching beginner, intermediate and advanced players and plan the training and competition programme for advanced players. The course was led by the development officer for the Caribbean, John Goede.

Demeritte shared his views on the course and how he hopes to utilise the knowledge obtained.

“Heading to Trinidad to participate in the ITF Level 2 – CAP Course, I was extremely nervous due to the setup/schedule of the course.

“The course is typically 12 packed days filled with many hours on court also in the classroom.

“It was a lot of information to absorb, process, and test during on-court practicals, pop-up tests, and assignments. I would say that the main reason I was successful in passing the course were my amazing classmates and ITF tutors. They presented information through various articles, discussions, case studies, statistics and real-life experiences in the tennis industry.”

Three of my biggest takeaways from the course are:

• The new method to effectively assess, analyse and correct advanced players.

• Learning about the more efficient and effective ways to create training plans for advanced players.

• The importance of clear and effective communication between players, coaches and parents.

“I intend to use the knowledge and tools gained from the course to start a training programme for advanced junior players and also for our collegiate players.

“I also would like to establish a coaches’ association. As coaches are the most important elements in tennis, it is paramount that we work together to develop tennis at various levels.”

BLTA President Perry Newton expressed his excitement of another Level 2 coach being added to the coaching pool in The Bahamas.

“We can only grow and develop our players in tandem with the development and growth of quality coaches. This course is a challenging course and we congratulate coach Demeritte on his successful completion,” Newton said.

“I am very proud of him. We are also thankful to the ITF for all the opportunities, as we work to develop tennis on all levels.”