Australian team members Tristan Schoolkate, Rinky Hijikata and Dane Sweeney sharing a team moment.
National Academy head coach Adam Carey and recent addition to the player group Tristan Schoolkate have spent the past 4 weeks travelling through Europe as part of Tennis Australia’s International Touring program. The program gives Australia’s best junior tennis players opportunities to travel to a variety of continents and compete against the world’s future stars.
The Tour, which consisted of a Training Week at Tennis Australia’s European base in Munich Germany followed by three weeks of tournament play in Italy, is the first progression in a series of touring opportunities aimed at giving athletes exposure to life on the road. It is also a very important learning environment where athletes are challenged to grow and develop into young leaders of the game. Australia was represented on the boy’s side by Queensland’s Dane Sweeney and Rocco Taplin, NSW player Rinky Hijikata and WA’s Tristan Schoolkate. The girls fielded a representative from SA in Amber Marshall, Olivia Gadecki from QLD and Erika Bollweg from VIC. The team was led by Coach Development Manager Alex Jago from Victoria and NA- Perth Head Coach Adam Carey.
Tennis West caught up with National Academy Head Coach Adam Carey and discussed his experiences as coach of the Australian contingent that made the trip. This is what he had to say.
What do you feel is the benefit of travelling internationally for the junior tennis player?
“ For me it is the opportunity to test yourself under the different pressures and challenges that being thousands of miles away from your home at such a young age brings. Most of the kids on this tour have never travelled without their parents, let alone outside the country, so it is a unique situation, and one that some flourish in and others struggle. The one constant is growth. The maturity that comes from making a tour like this stands you in good stead and can be a catalyst for your training and development in the future.”
How do you feel our 12/u Athletes compare with Europe’s best?
“ I can only speak to what we experienced and it was all very positive. At this age the wins and losses are insignificant when compared with the ability to grow. Our goal everyday on the tour was to strive for excellence in preparation, in effort and application of feedback. The athletes competed on a world stage and were rewarded for their effort at every event. The journey of a tennis player is a long one and the opportunities to learn exist everyday. As coaches it’s important that athletes apply incredible effort both physically and mentally at every opportunity given to them regardless or where you are in the world or who is across the net.”
Who are the young Aussies we should be watching for the future?
“Rather than talk just about individuals the beauty of the Tennis Australia tours are the opportunities they provide to grow together as a team. All of the athletes collectively applied themselves to the tasks we set them and as a team they represented their country and themselves in an exceptional way. Without the hard work by all individuals get no-where. Many of the athletes on the tour did exceptionally well. Dane Sweeney, Rinky Hijikata and Erika Bollweg all secured personal best results however, it was the consistent hard work by the group and support and commitment they provided each other that put the individual in that position.”
How did WA’s Tristan Schoolkate perform in his first international tour?
“Tristan is one of our players at the National Academy and we are very excited to have him as part of the team. Tristan has proven himself to be one of the best and brightest young talents coming through the WA system and I like his knowledge and his willingness to learn. Tristan, as all twelve year olds at this age are still learning so much about the game. How to prepare, the fundamentals of training and how to give effort are all areas at a young age we work very hard on and the tour was an important step in laying those foundations. His performance on an off the court was very encouraging and we will continue to provide an environment at the National Academy and opportunity through future tours for him to grow and pursue his game”.
How important is it for the players at this young age to have a balance between tennis and being a kid?
“At 12 it is very important. Every athlete is different and as the leader of these young people it is important to strike a balance between performance on the court and the overall development of the person. The tours are a great way for us as coaches to provide so many teachable moments away from the court and this is crucial. One of the most rewarding experiences for Alex and myself was seeing the kids dealing with the adversity of everyday life in a foreign country- Language barriers, travel to different cities, meeting new people and experiencing different cultures. At the end of the day its not the wins and losses that these players will remember it’s the lessons they learnt about themselves and others that they will take with them in the future”.
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