Thursday, January 03, 2008 Fil-Am wants to help local tennis
AS TWO Filipino Americans carry the country’s colors in international tennis, a son of US-based Cebuanos wants to help local tennis.
The Philippines has stamped its class in the Davis Cup, Southeast Asian Games and Asian Games due to balikbayans Cecil Mamiit and Eric Taino, who in just two years, lifted RP tennis to greater heights.
Adrian Dan Ang, the son of US-based Cebuanos Danny and Edith, wants to join in the act but eyes to help young players improve, rather than competing for the country.
Ang, who played tennis for 18 years after first holding a racket at the age of three, used to be a top 80 junior player in California and top nine player in the doubles ranking. He was also the team captain of the Oxford Academy tennis high school varsity.
He is currently serving as a trainer in the West Coast Tennis Services in Long Beach, California. On top of the private and group lessons and community trainings that he conducts, he has under him four nationally-ranked junior tennis players in America.
Ang first learned how to handle a racket from his father Danny, who was an active and competitive player. He then spent 10 years training under Dan Mainzer, who is a top trainer in California. Mainzer is now his boss as he works as the staff pro and program coordinator, while Ang finishes his college degree.
Experience
With the knowledge gained from Ang’s training experience, the 21-year-old Psychology major of University of California said he can also make a difference and can contribute to the country’s tennis scene by helping the younger players.
“Mamiit and Taino are big names who can help tennis gain recognition in the Philippines, but instructors and trainers like myself are just as important in helping the sport flourish,” said Ang during his brief vacation during the holidays.
Ang said that he is very much willing to share his knowledge and skills with the tennis competitors in the Philippines.
From past visits, Ang got a chance to see top junior players perform and even played against some of them.
Same names
“I have noticed that it is the same names who dominate the different age group. The Philippines definitely has talent with their tennis players, but I have yet to see a large wave of different competitors in the scene,” he said.
“I would be more than happy to share my knowledge and tennis skills with them in the Philippines. I have seen the style of play evolve and improve in the Philippines, with the junior players adopting the American style of play, which is power and speed rather than the old Filipino style of play, which is underspin and lobs,” Ang said, adding that he deals more with strategies than drills.
“My specialty, when instructing my top students deal with match play strategies and mental toughness, I stress match play experience rather than on court drills all day long,” he said.
Ang also said a huge factor that would help young players improve is a good playing venue and for the local government to strengthen the grassroots program and go into the barangays.
“One way to improve tennis in the Philippines deals with the facilities. There are definitely courts available, but there should be facilities that should cater directly to junior players. This could be made possible with a partnership and communication between schools and the tennis facilities. Also, lessons offered by the city to the different barangays and schools would also help the sport of tennis in the Philippines,” he said. (MCB)
