When is the time to go full time? By John Cavill
Noah Wimbledon wins 2014 Junior Wimbledon I was inspired to write this article after a conversation with a parent last month who was asking about the pathway of a player and when is the best time for a junior to play full time. I have had many debates with many coaches including those who have produced world class players, but what is interesting about this debate is that there is no definitive answer. Like with many things in tennis and life, it depends on the person and their individual needs. In this article I wanted to cover some options and how others have done it, along with my personal opinion having seen players follow various pathways over the years. At the Global Tennis Team academy in Mallorca which is ran by Jofre Porter, technical coach to Nadal and coach to Moya, they have a very flexible system. Players from all over the world visit there but those who live on the Island and play full time will get special dispensation from the school to go to the academy and...