110 coaches from 35 countries attended the 2014 Tennis Europe Coaches Conference powered by Polar in Tallinn, where the event was hosted by the Estonian Tennis Association from 22-26 October.
This edition of the conference focused on the overall topic of ‘Developing Performance 14 & Under Players’ and saw three days of on and off-court presentations from renowned speakers from the tennis world as well as interactive working groups and panel discussions.
Technology was at the forefront throughout the event, with special guest Mark Kovacs presenting via Skype to the congress, and Spain’s Jaime Fernandez demonstrating high-intensity drills using Polar heart rate monitors and apps. Delegates were also given a preview of Tennis Europe’s new coach education website, which will be launched in the coming weeks and aims to increase awareness of and facilitate comparisons between the many different coach education systems in Europe.
Saturday evening saw the delegates treated to a stylish closing dinner at Tallinn’s Opera House, which included a performance from Estonia’s youngest soprano, Kadri Kipper.
ITF/Tennis Europe Development Office Hrvoje Zmajic summed up the meeting, saying, “The last few days have been very productive for all of us. The challenge of producing high performance 14 & Under players is one that concerns all federations, regardless of their size or resources, and I am sure that much of the advice and expertise shared here in Tallinn will be of great assistance. On behalf of Tennis Europe, I’d like to thank Olympic Solidarity for supporting the event and the Estonian Tennis Association for their flawless organisation.”
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