ITF Launches On-Line School
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The News Bulletin of the International Tennis Federation www.itftennis.com ITF launches On-Line School The ITF today announced the launch of its new ITF Junior Tennis School website: www.itfjuniortennisschool.com. This comprehensive website will target young players throughout the world through a series of 17 ‘e-learning’ modules, designed to educate players in all areas of the game. The modules will include a wide variety of topics affecting young tennis players, including advice on physical training and diet, injury prevention, rules and regulations, career management and media training. The on-line school is an extension of the ITF Junior Tennis School that has previously taken the form of educational forums staged by the ITF during ITF junior team championships, 25 February 2008 Issue 8 25 February regional championships and Junior Wimbledon. These forums have featured distinguished speakers from all areas of the sport, including leading professional players Albert Costa, Alex Junior Tennis School poster Corretja and Jiri Novak. The school’s expansion into e-learning will build on the success of the forums, while at the same time offering many additional benefits. The material can be accessed by a far greater number of players, with the ITF looking to sign up thousands of juniors in the first year. The school will also be more accessible in terms of language, with all 17 modules already available in English, French and Spanish, with other languages, including Chinese and Russian, to be added in the future. Spanish and French versions of the website will go live on 17 March. Luca Santilli, ITF Manager of Junior Tennis, said: “The on-line school is an major step towards increasing awareness of very important subjects affecting the careers of junior tennis players, such as injury prevention, anti-doping, player protection and the role of the agent. There is even a module dedicated to parents and to the important role of looking after talented children.” With e-learning, players have a choice of how they study, whether downloading the modules on an iPod, following a PowerPoint presentation with a voiceover, or printing the information out to study at their leisure. After progressing through each module, players will need to answer a series of questions correctly to move on to the next module. Players and their national associations will be able to track their progress through the school until they graduate after completing all 17 modules. Recent forum in Reggio Emilia Santilli added: “When we embarked on the project two years ago, the ITF wanted (Photo: Ray Giubilo) to help parents, coaches and national associations in their important task of developing healthy, skilful and happy young athletes, whether they end up at the highest levels of the game or following other interests. We are sure that the national associations and their coaches will make good use of the new ITF Junior Tennis School website, ensuring a large participation from all junior players around the world.” Inside Davis Cup Quarterfinal venues Winter Cups conclude Rankings World Junior Tennis Pre-qualifying ITWA’s new guidelines Results Obituary - Nicole Angat News In Brief This Week Next The News Bulletin of the International Tennis Federation www.itftennis.com Davis Cup Quarterfinal venues announced The venues for the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas World Group quarterfinals to be held the weekend of 11-13 April are now known. The USTA announced Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, as the site for the quarterfinal between USA and France. The tie will be played on an indoor hard court, with a capacity of 14,500 spectators. The venue was last used for the 2007 quarterfinal tie, where USA defeated Spain 4-1. The Russian Tennis Federation confirmed that the Small Sport Arena “Luzhniki” in Moscow will host its tie against Czech Republic on clay. The two nations have not met since the first round in 2003. Estadio Parque Roca will be the venue for the quarterfinal between Argentina and Sweden with the Argentine Tennis Association electing to play the tie on clay. Argentina is looking to avenge its 4-1 quarterfinal defeat by Sweden in 2007. Germany will face Spain, for the first time since 1997, at the AWD Dome in Bremen. For further information, visit www.daviscup.com. Russia v Czech Rep Small Sports Arena “Luzhniki”, Moscow RUS Clay - indoors Argentina v Sweden Estadio Parque Roca, Buenos Aires ARG Clay - outdoors 25 February 2008 Issue 8 25 February Germany v Spain AWD Dome, Bremen GER tbc - indoors USA v France Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem USA Hard - indoors Guatemala triumphs at the World Junior Tennis Pre-Qualifying The boys’ and girls’ teams from Guatemala repeated last year’s feat and won the North/Central America & Caribbean pre-qualifying event for the 14 & under World Junior Tennis Competition in El Salvador on last week. Both teams advance to the North/Central America & Caribbean final qualifying event, which will be held in Montreal, Canada on 2-4 May. Eleven boys’ teams and ten girls’ teams from 12 nations participated. In the boys’ event, second seed Guatemala dominated its round-robin group, before going on to The Guatemala team (Photo: Anthony Jeremiah) defeat Aruba in the semifinals and third seed Panama 2-1 in the final. In the girls’ competition top seed Guatemala also dominated its round-robin group in similar fashion, before overcoming Honduras 2-1 in the semifinal and then third seed Costa Rica 2-1 in the final. ITF Junior Team Competition action moves on to Kuching, Malaysia this week where the Asia/Oceania Pre-Qualifying event for the Junior Davis Cup & Junior Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, as well as the World Junior Tennis boys’ got underway on Sunday. In the 16 & under age category, five boys’ teams and four girls’ teams will compete for three and two places respectively in the Asia/Oceania final qualifying in India and Thailand. In the first ever pre-qualifying event in Asia/Oceania for the boys’ event of World Junior Tennis Competition, seven teams will contest the three available spots at the 14 & under final qualifying event in Shenzen, China in April. Full results and pictures from last week’s qualifying event, and detailed results from this week’s event in Malaysia, can be found at http://www.itftennis.com/juniors. Page 2 The News Bulletin of the International Tennis Federation www.itftennis.com Obituary - Nicole Angat 1982-2008 The ITF was saddened to learn that Papua New Guinea’s Nicole Angat, assistant coach at the ITF/OTF Regional Tennis Centre in Fiji, tragically died in a car accident on Saturday 23 February. The 25-year-old had been a coach at the Centre for the past three years after having been a resident as an aspiring junior. She also carried out development work in the region as an OTF/ANZ tennis ambassador. During her playing career Nicole represented Pacific Oceania in Fed Cup in 2000 and 2001. She had a fruitful doubles partnership with Abigail Tere-Apisah with whom she won a doubles silver medal in the South Pacific Games last year, and gold at the Mini Games in 2005. Nicole was captain of the Pacific Oceania Junior Fed Cup team in 2007 and had been reappointed for 2008. ITF Development Officer and Head of the ITF/OTF Regional Tennis Centre Dan O’ Connell expressed the sentiment of all the Centre’s residents when he said: “I feel I have lost a daughter, our younger players have lost a mother, our older players have lost a sister, and everyone understands we have lost a most charming and highly respected friend.” 25 February 2008 Issue 8 25 February Winter Cups conclude The 2008 Tennis Europe Winter Cups by HEAD concluded this month following a busy weekend of final round action. The event gives Europe’s best junior players the opportunity to compete in a top level team competition in indoor conditions. Russia was crowned 14 & under girls’ team champion following its win over Great Britain in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. Belgium and Hungary emerged victorious in the 14 & under and 16 & under boys’ events, which took place in Pruhonice, Czech Republic, respectively. In the 16 & under girls’ competition in Ronchin, France, Czech Republic defeated Italy to secure their second Winter Cup in three years. Further information including full draws, results, team information and photo galleries can be found at www.TennisEurope.org ITWA publishes new guidelines The International Tennis Writers Association (ITWA), the only global association of tennis reporters, has published its ‘Guidelines for the use of Media Working Areas’. The guide is two pages of helpful notes about best practice in press seats and press conferences, and what constitutes good practice in general. It is intended to promote a situation in which media areas are respected by all who use them, and for everyone to get what they need from an often crowded working environment. ITWA’s president Neil Harman said: “These guidelines are primarily a service to people new to our sport who may not know the nuances that the experienced reporters take for granted. But in the current climate of the sport needing to tackle a few integrity issues, it’s important that the tennis media is clear about its own behavioural responsibilities.” Page 3 The News Bulletin of the International Tennis Federation www.itftennis.com NEWS IN BRIEF Obituaries The ITF was saddened to learn of the deaths of Geoff Paish, Francesco Costantino and Gloria Kramer. Mr Paish died on 3 February at the age of 86. A 18-29 February: ITF/OS Regional Level 2 competitor at Wimbledon for 17 successive years Coaches Course - South Africa from 1946-1962, Paish represented Great Britain 7-10 March: ITF Play & Stay Course - Korea in Davis Cup from 1947-55, and went on to captain 7-15 March: ITF Level 1 Coaches Course - Chile the team twice in 1957 and 1958.