Intense training regime for Dean Cooper Kirby at Gomez Tennis Academy

Former Totally Tennis performance player and Sherfield School tennis scholar Dean Cooper Kirby is now living and training full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy based in Naples, Florida. After winning the Spring Tropical Junior event and spending a month training at the Florida academy back in April, Cooper Kirby made the permanent move to the academy in the summer. His parents Brian and Karen visited him at his new home in the sunshine state over the recent October half term to check on his wellbeing and progress.

As well as training for thirty-eight hours a week, Cooper Kirby is studying at the school linked to the academy based in nearby Fort Myers. While resident at the academy Cooper Kirby will be following an intense daily training programme to improve every area of his game including technique, footwork, movement and strategy on an individual and small group basis. The training includes  match play and drills as well as mental training and fitness.

Brian said, “It was great to see Dean and to watch him train but also to understand how hard they are pushed in high temperatures – it was 36 degrees on court when we were there.”

The programme ensures that players are looked after in every way to improve their game, everything they eat and drink throughout the day is recorded and that data is used to analysis performance on court versus food intake to track energy levels.  He needs a massive 8,500 daily calorie intake to cope with a days training, he is weighted in the morning and lunchtime to record how much water he has lost due to the morning training session, so far the most he has lost in a morning session is four pounds.

Cooper Kirby has two tournaments before Christmas, the Eddie Herr International Junior Championships in Florida starting in mid-November and the Junior Orange Bowl International also in Florida in December. He will then travel back to the UK for just a week for Christmas before heading back to Naples to resume training. His performance will be reviewed after his tournaments and training up to to Christmas and a new tournament schedule will be devised to include ITFs in South and North America.

The Gomez Tennis Academy was founded in 2010 by tennis coach Rene Gomez, his wife Leslie Gomez and her son Chase Muma. Gomez Tennis Academy is a boutique tennis training academy situated in Naples, Florida. Led by Rene’s knowledge and experience, the Gomez team practices a training philosophy based on commitment, consistency and individualized instruction.*

Read more about the academy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

*All information about the Gomez Tennis Academy and court photo were sourced from www.gomeztennisacademy.com

Read more about Copper Kirby’s time in Florida in previous posts totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/cooper-kirby-returns-from-florida-to-contest-european-tournaments and totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/09/01/cooper-kirby-heads-for-full-time-academy-training-in-florida/

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Hignett & Reid Play in Latest South West Winter County Tour

Totally Tennis performance players Isla Hignett and Tillie Reid competed in the 18 and under Girls Doubles event, part of the latest South West Winter County Tour, at Totally Tennis Basingstoke run by coach Liam Hignett.

Five pairs entered the event and the Totally Tennis pair beat Ridah Nayeemullah and Lucy Peer 4-3(1), 4-1 but were unlucky in their other three matches and finished fourth overall. Second seeds Martyna Ciubatiuk and Magda Kornijczuk were the overall winners.

The next event in the series is the Mens and Womens Open that takes place on 11th November

Hignett Takes On Gap Year Coaching Role

Performance player and former Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Liam Hignett is putting his gap year to good use by taking on a coaching role at the club where he will be working with both adults and juniors in various sessions at Totally Tennis’ indoor centre. He will also be continuing his tournament referee role as well as competing in a variety of tournaments countrywide and studying for his Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) level 3 coaching qualification.

Hignett, who completed his A levels the summer, decided to forgo his scholarship at Tennessee Technological University (TTU) in favour of studying at university in the UK after his gap year which we see him concentrate on competing and progressing his coaching career.

Current Hampshire & IOW County Championships Men’s champion, Hignett will be sharing his experience and expertise with players in the junior development and orange/green squads, adults drills, Saturday munchkin and junior clubs as well as the weekend Pirates and Indians squads. He will also be offering private lessons as well as hitting sessions for performance players looking for that extra practice.

His level 3 coach qualification* starts next week and will be completed in January 2019. He will learn many skills including how to coach beginners and improvers in groups and as individuals, understanding the basics of business management and the competitive structure in the UK and work with level 1 and 2 coaching assistants. Alongside the four modules Hignett will need to undertake coaching experience with a mentor, compile a portfolio and pass a final on court practical coaching assessment.

Hignett completed the LTA referee development course that enables him to run events at the club such as the recent LTA South West Summer County Tour series. He will be running South West Winter County Tour series at Totally Tennis between September and March for juniors aged from eight to eighteen – to find out more about the tournaments and to enter visit www3.lta.org.uk/Competitions/

Hignett said, “I am looking forward to coaching regularly at Tennis Totally in between my tournaments that are scheduled during my gap year. This will provide me with some more experience that will prove to be useful in the future.”

For more information contact Totally Tennis on 01256 358816 or Hignett via Instagram and Facebook

*LTA Level 3 course information used with courtesy of www.lta.org.uk

 

 

Cooper Kirby Heads For Full-Time Academy Training in Florida

Totally Tennis performance player and former Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Dean Cooper Kirby has made the permanent move to America’s sunshine state to live and train full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida.

As well as training for thirty-eight hours a week, Cooper Kirby will be studying at the school linked to the academy based in nearby Fort Myers. If initial training goes to plan he will be looking to compete at the ITF tournament to be held in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of October.

While resident at the academy Cooper Kirby will be following an intense daily training programme to improve every area of his game including technique, footwork, movement and strategy on an individual and small group basis. The training includes  match play and drills as well as mental training and fitness.

Brian Cooper Kirby, Dean’s father said, “After receiving his four year US Visa Dean flew to Fort Lauderdale on 29th August to train full-time at the Gomez Tennis Academy in Naples, Florida.”

Cooper Kirby spent a month at the Florida academy earlier this year in April and while there he won the Spring Tropical Junior and also competed in another 16 and under event but was knocked out in the quarter final stages by a fellow Gomez Academy player.

The Gomez Tennis Academy was founded in 2010 by tennis coach Rene Gomez, his wife Leslie Gomez and her son Chase Muma. Gomez Tennis Academy is a boutique tennis training academy situated in Naples, Florida. Led by Rene’s knowledge and experience, the Gomez team practices a training philosophy based on commitment, consistency and individualized instruction.*

Read more about the academy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter

*All information about the Gomez Tennis Academy and court photo were sourced from www.gomeztennisacademy.com

Read more about Copper Kirby’s time in Florida in previous post totallytennis.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/cooper-kirby-returns-from-florida-to-contest-european-tournaments/

Bromilow Secures Tennis Scholarship to Study in America

Performance player and Sherfield School Tennis Scholar, Miles Bromilow has secured a tennis scholarship to join the Pioneers at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, just outside Chicago in Illinois.

Bromilow, who was Head Boy at Sherfield School and even modelled on this year’s London Fashion Week catwalk, will leave to start the next stage in his education in America in the middle of August. He will be studying for a degree in engineering as well as training on court and working on his fitness with his new college team mates. He will compete in the Pioneers tennis team, who have just claimed their third straight Region IV Crown, against colleges from other states across the country.

This is an amazing opportunity for Bromilow that sees him follow in the footsteps of many former Totally Tennis performance players including current coach Steph Catlin, who studied in Colorado.

Bromilow said “On a personal note I would like thank all the coaches and staff at Totally Tennis for their help in my development as a player and a person over the years.” he added, “I will of course be back at the club during the summer breaks.”

Dean Cooper Kirby Wins Doubles Title With Leo Borg, Son of Tennis Legend Björn

Performance player and Sherfield School Tennis Scholar Dean Cooper Kirby and his Swedish partner Leo Borg, son of Tennis legend Björn Borg, won the Boys Doubles 16 and under title at the Reykjavik Open held last week at the Viking Tennis Club in Reykjavik, Iceland.

The pair, who were top seeds in the latest Tennis Europe event, beat Daniils Snaiders and Markuss Tions from Latvia 6 – 3, 6 – 1 in the quarters followed by a three-set win against Tobias Bo Kudsk (Denmark) and Karol Szczap (Poland) in the semis 4-6, 6-2, 10-7. In the final they faced second seed and Cooper Kirby’s partner from the last doubles event in Iceland Mark Owen Endler (Germany) and his partner Nicolas Moser (Austria) and beat them in another three battle 6-1, 3-6, 10-7 to win the event.

In the singles, Cooper Kirby was third seed and after a bye in the first round he beat Yaroslav Kostyuk from Russia in the second round 7-6(1), 7-5 and seventh seed Tions (Latvia) in the quarters 6-0, 7-5. Top seed and eventual winner Borg then knocked Cooper Kirby out of the competition in the semis 6 – 0, 6 – 4. Borg beat second seed Moser in the final 6 -0, 6 – 3 to win his second title of the tournament.

Congratulations to Dean and Leo for winning the Doubles title 🙂

 

First Win For Hayden

Totally Tennis mini performance player and reigning TT Tour orange champion Hayden Cummings competed in his first green ball tournament at the Maidenhead Junior Open 2018 earlier this month and he WON it!

Cummings, who was playing in the Grade 4 tournament held at Maidenhead Lawn Tennis Club, competed in Group B in the first stage of the 10 and under Mixed Singles competition. He won all his four of his matches defeating Jasper Tong 4-0, Pavana Nrshinga 4-3(3), Gabriel Riminton 4-1 and Flora Hodge 4-0. In the main draw, Cummings beat Alexander Bruce in the semi-finals 4-2 and then beat Marcel Jesenko in the final 4-2 to win the event and collect the winners medal.

Head coach James McIntosh said, “Hayden works really hard in his lessons and is progressing all the time, he has done really well to win his first green ball tournament. Well done Hayden, keep up the good work!”

Last week Cummings competed in the Winchester Spring Open 2018 in both the 9 & under and 10 & under Boys singles events. After a bye in the first round of the 9 & under competition   he defeated Aidan Hewitt in the second round 7-2, 7-3 followed by a three set defeat of namesake Hayden Mundy 6-8, 7-3,7-4 in the quarters before losing in the semi-final to eventual winner Matteo Mirone 7-3, 8-6.

In the 10 & under event Cummings lost in the first round of the main draw against Michael Mitchell 5-3, 4-2 but then went on to be crowned consolation winner after beating Feliciano Ayala De Carolis 4-0, 4-1, Oliver Flynn 4-1, 4-1 and Jaydan Mitchell in the final  2-4, 4-1,1-0(2).

Congratulations Hayden 😉

Read more about the Winchester Spring Open 2018 in previous post Trophies for Performance Players at Winchester Spring Open