Strength - Understanding of the Long Term Athletic Development Model (LTAD)

  • Create relationships with key leaders in the community.  These leaders attract kids to our programs.
  • Dallas Drake - Detroit red Wings / Doug Mirabelli - Boston Red Sox
  • Local golf clubs, Pirates Cove, retailers donate rounds of golf, coupons, free gear to kids involved in the sports academy
  • Ability to get on same page with other leaders/directors 
  • Parents appreciative of not having to spend money on a 12-week sport that their child will not like (One day at Sports academy)
  • Tennis +1 Sports Academy (Tennis every day plus one additional sport)
  • Focuses on the first "window" of athletic development (agility-balance-coordination) by playing all of the sports
  • Leaders present their sports at no charge to the sports academy.
  • In return, we promote their sport and direct parents on where they can go to get more information on a particular sport.
  • Prizes for kids at end of summer who accumulate tickets through activity and playing sports at home.
  • Follow-up with players on choices for tennis in all areas of Traverse City
  • All parties involved part of a winning environment (players, parents, pros, directors, resort, retailers...)

Ability to create relationships and work together with other leaders in the community,
creating innovative programs that create opportunities for growth.

Team tennis and Sports Academy Summary

The Grand Traverse Team tennis and Sports Academy is a two-week tennis and sports camp that runs Mon-Thurs from 8 am until 12 noon.

Tennis every day from 8:30 -10:00 followed by ​a 1/2 hour  Fit Kids Curriculum.  An expert coach from a second sport will introduce their sport from 10:30-12 Noon.

The academy is endorsed by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and is active with “Let’s Get Moving Northern Michigan,” Promoting all-around health and exercise in our youth.

The goal is to help youth build skills by playing all of the sports, instead of trying to specialize in any particular sport too early.  Studies

show that this can cause burnout, injury and actually underdeveloped certain areas that may be useful in the sport you eventually choose to play.

After time spent researching athletic development in young kids, it was found that early development in agility, balance and coordination (The ABC’s of Athleticism) are important to develop before the age of 10 (when the “window” starts to close on these skills; just like a language). Multiple sports are one of the best, if not the best way to develop these skills and it's a lot of fun!

After a 2010 pilot program and discussions with community leaders in eight other sports, we all agreed that as “educators” it is important that we encourage kids to play all the sports in order to develop fully as athletes.


This would prevent injury and promote physical activity in our youth. Because of this, the Team Tennis and Sports Academy was created.

  • GREAT COVERAGE - The local radio station loved the idea so much that they gave us 25 minutes of commercial free air time to promote the Team Tennis and Sports Academy.
  • There were eight coaches in the studio all talking about the benefits of their sport (win-win)
  • TO HEAR THE ACTUAL RADIO INTERVIEW JUST CLICK THE MICROPHONE ON THE RIGHT
    (Gives a great overview of the concept and you get to hear all of the other coaches too).

Dr. Dan Gould -Concept of Sports Academy


The video on the left explains the overall concepts of the Sports Academy.

​The video on the right is an endorsement from Dr. Pat Friedli who specializes
in childhood obesity

​

Dr. Pat Friedli Endorsement

National Campus Result 

  • Create relationships with key leaders in the community
  • Will promote tennis to kids who don't even know they like tennis yet.
  • More activity on campus
  • Builds trust with the parents because we are promoting overall athletic development
  • Once they play tennis, most will continue because of their experience on campus
  • Content for marketing purposes and online instruction
  • Content for live streaming (create more local awareness)
  • Players will want to return to the campus