WHY OPTIMUM?
Sportsmen’s Tennis Club seeks to add the next step on our program ladder with the launch of the Optimum Training Program, an intensive program designed to develop young athletes and prepare them for high–level competition. Through Optimum, we will increase the number of STC youth qualified to compete on the national level by 25% in the first year of the program.

Optimum builds on the STC history of using an interdisciplinary program methodology that melds academic, athletic, health and social components to support all facets of a young athlete’s development.

With the addition of Optimum, STC will have a comprehensive program framework that meets the needs of all youth from the novice player to the competitive athlete. This framework will establish STC as the premiere tennis training organization for urban youth.

NEED
Boston is home to many college and university tennis teams and thousands of tennis fans, yet there are few accessible and affordable tennis training programs available to Boston’s youth. Those that do exist, including STC’s current programs, do not offer intensive, high level training for the young athlete ready to take their skills to the elite level and beyond.

In fact, there are no low–cost, elite level tennis training programs for urban youth in the Northeast. As a result, for a child living in one of Boston’s inner city neighborhoods, becoming a nationally or internationally competitive tennis player is likely not within their realm of possibilities. If a child shows promise and commitment and his or her family does not have the means to hire coaches and trainers, there no advancement opportunities available.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW
What is Optimum? For an athlete, it is the highest degree of performance that can be imagined and the ultimate level to strive for. The Optimum Training Program is an elite level tennis–training program for urban youth that seeks to prepare them for competition by supporting their athletic, physical, emotional and intellectual development.

Program Goal: To prepare youth for professional tennis competition on the regional, national and international level through an intensive training program that holistically addresses all facets of the young athlete’s development.

Like other STC programs, Optimum has a multi–faceted approach, combining sports psychology, off–court physical training, high intensity drilling, nutrition education and classroom instruction. Through this unique combination of on–court and off–court training, participants will develop to their full potential.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

• Physical Conditioning – To play and compete at a high level, participants must develop their physical strength, endurance, flexibility and agility. The physical conditioning component of Optimum will include cardio and strength training.
• Skill Development – The skill development component will provide Optimum participants with intensive, individualized coaching five days per week. This component of Optimum, will double the current amount of advanced level training available to youth at STC. Participants will be led through a variety of drills and regular match plays to fine tune their tennis skills and prepare them for competition.
• Nutrition Education – Whether preparing for the STC championship or the US Open, a “healthy” diet and body contributes to a player’s quest to reach peak performance. Optimum participants will learn about the importance of proper nutrition habits and how they relate to their health and performance. Emphasis will be placed on the unique dietary needs of tennis players and how to make the right food choices to ensure the body operates efficiently during matches and practices.
• Sports Psychology – Players need to be as strong mentally as they are physically. The sports psychology component of Optimum will focus on giving participants the skills they need to strengthen the mental aspect of their game. They will learn how to face adversity without letting negative thoughts get in the way of their performance and how to maintain their focus and not crumble under pressure.
• Tennis Classroom – The tennis classroom will develop participants’ knowledge of the history of tennis as well as build their ability to constructively and critically assess matches. Through this component, participants will learn how to chart play–by–play on court competition, how to play a match and set, strategic movement and how to play in the zone. Perhaps most importantly though, they will learn important assessment skills, discovering how to analyze their opponent’s weaknesses and develop strategies to use against them in competition.

SCHEDULE:
Optimum will run throughout the school year, five days per week. Each day, participants will be led through conditioning and training for a total of seven hours per week of physical activity and court time. Three days of the five days will include additional classroom instruction time for the Nutrition, Sports Psychology ad Tennis Classroom components.

COMPETITION:
The goal of the Optimum program is to prepare participants for high–level competition. All players will play in two New England regional tournaments per month. In addition to regional competitions, qualified participants will play in at least five national and/or international competitions during the course of the program. To qualify for national level competition, players must be ranked among the top ten in New England. Through Optimum, STC will increase the number of STC youth qualified for national competition by 25% in year one of the program.

PARTICIPANTS:
In year one, the pilot year of the program, up to fifteen participants ages 10–18 will be recruited from across the City of Boston. In year two, we will expand the program to up to 25 participants. We anticipate that most participants will come from STC’s surrounding neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan.

STAFF:
Optimum requires a high level of expertise to fully implement all program components. As a result, we will add a part–time nutritionist, sports psychologist and personal trainer as well as five additional coaches to support the program in year one.

PROGRAM IMPACT:
Optimum will create a new generation of urban tennis players that are nationally recognized and it has the potential to make tennis more visible among urban communities and increase interest in the sport. Perhaps most importantly though, Optimum will increase opportunities for urban youth and open doors to higher education and careers in the tennis community.