Tennis
Campers will participate in a daily 2-hour tennis clinic. As hinted in the camp name, the focus will be to develop "pure" tennis: sound and efficient from a technical viewpoint, as well as smart and planned from a tactical viewpoint.
The camp will be run by two experienced professionals (see bios below) who have between them over 35 years of successful careers in the tennis business. They will provide daily physical conditioning for the campers and will also run a tournament in which the campers will compete. In addition, some recreational sports will also be available to campers.
At the end of the 2 weeks, every participant will depart with a detailed report card, relating the improvements in the camper's game and goals and recommendations for future progress.
Fred Bonal
Passionate about tennis since he was a child, Fred managed and developed the Tennis Club du Haillan in Bordeaux, France for 15 years. For 8 years, Fred taught Adrien Puget the technical foundations of his game (Adrien is currently the number 1 junior in France and a member of the French national team).
He also coached Nathalie Jarlan all the way to the WTA pro tour, and, later on, coached the legend Ronald Agenor on the men's ATP pro tour, and also Michael Lammer, Kamil Capkovic, Sergiy Stakhovsky, Serguei Demekhine.
Fred currently resides in Florida where, after working alongside the former champion Tarik Benhabiles, he now trains nationally ranked and professional players in his tennis academy: "Pure Tennis USA." Thanks to his technical knowledge, his communication skills and his empathy, Fred is a coach who takes a special interest in each player, and his special focus is developing players' mental strength, moral values and a positive attitude on the court.
Certified by the French National Tennis Federation, as well as a graduate of the University of Bordeaux in sports conditioning, Fred is on a constant lookout for new teaching methods. With the help of his university professors, he regularly tests his players to evaluate their fitness level and progress. .
Marc Slama
Authentic globe-trotter, born of an American mother and French father, Marc is immersed in both cultures, and he will relay as much as possible of the American culture to the European teenagers who come to discover Florida.
Despite a master's degree in engineering, Marc's unrelenting passion for tennis has led him to choose a career as a teaching pro and club manager. With coaching experience on both sides of the Atlantic, Marc has an international track record and has successfully managed country clubs in the USA. He has had the opportunity to coach many elite players (nationally ranked and aspiring pros), and has also proven himself in event management including managing a high-profile exhibition featuring the Bryan Brothers (#1 doubles team in the world). He has also developed summer camps in foreign countries.
Based on the philosophy that player development cannot be only technical and strategic, but has to be integrated within the whole human dimension, Marc uses his listening and comprehension skills with each player in order to help that player reach maximum potential as an athlete. This is one of the foundations of the pure tennis concept.
Marc is certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association and the United States Professional Tennis Registry (the chief US tennis teaching organizations) and is also a Nationally Certified coach from the French Tennis Federation).