PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy at the Mark Dickson Tennis Academy is that each student should be treated fairly, receive the highest level of individual attention and learn professional tour skills in an exciting, positive environment that promotes excellence and creativity. We coach the individual student in a team setting and take a long-term view of developing an athlete to be talented, responsible and independent. We believe in a healthy balance of family, academics, athletics, nutrition and community where becoming a champion should be inevitable.

CULTURE Our Academy offers a culture of excellence in everything we do. We are passionate about improving the tennis abilities of our students and teaching them modern, professional tour skills, a strong base for athletic development and mental toughness. We shape the lives of our students by allowing them to understand the importance of balancing their tennis activities with family, academics, other passions, friendships and community involvement. Our culture is one of: • 100% effort & commitment, positive attitudes, championship habits, High Performance professional tour skills, discipline, training smart, character, sportsmanship, respect, empathy, teamwork, leadership, FUN!!

SYSTEM OF TRAINING
Mark Dickson has achieved coaching and playing success at every level of competition, from junior and collegiate to the ATP professional tour. This experience has given him the opportunity to be associated with some of the most skilled and knowledgeable players and coaches in the world. Through these experiences, he has established an advanced High Performance developmental system that serves as the foundation of our programs. Our comprehensive system of training incorporates many proven teaching principles and international ideas.

Our High Performance system is based on:

• Personal attention to the individual needs of each student
• The champion’s process – talent development through creativity & discovery, experimentation with shots, spins & styles, positive role models
• Incorporation of many diverse international coaching philosophies
• Responsibility and independence
• Pressure and the opportunity to play tennis are privileges that a champion earns
• A clear Developmental Plan towards college/professional tennis
• Competition – games, situational play, point play, match play, team competitions, singles & doubles, variety of opponents from juniors to adults
• Proven drills, team challenges, match play competitions, court movement, and physical & mental conditioning to help students reach their full potential
• A team & games approach to training
• Being willing to do what our opponents are unwilling to do
• Sport science & non-linear periodization
• FUN!! – This is childhood and young adulthood. Becoming a well-rounded champion requires enthusiasm, social interaction & team aspects.

 

PHYSICAL – TENNIS & ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT

High Performance Tennis skills we teach:

• A champion’s positive, professional attitude
• 100% enthusiastic effort – physically, mentally & emotionally
• Modern, professional tour skills
• Technique, all-court strategy and tactics
• Shot selection, shot tolerance and patterns of play
• Tennis-specific footwork, movement & athletic development
• Daily, short-term and long-term performance goal setting
• Big & deceptive 1st and 2nd serve weapons
• Offensive game style development, defense against all types of opponents & game styles, transitioning between offense & defense
• Using the wind & sun as advantages
• Court geometry, high percentage tennis, trajectory, directionals, spins & rhythm
• Match flow momentum and between-point routines
• Opponent scouting & tactics recognition principles
• Positive self-talk & attitudes
• Sportsmanship

High Performance Athletic Development skills we teach:

• Agility, strength, speed, cardiovascular (energy systems) & power training – Etcheberry Certified strength & conditioning, cross training
• Hand/eye/feet coordination with dynamic balance
• Quickness, anticipation, reaction and reception
• Movement patterns – tennis-specific footwork, tracking, court positioning
• Dynamic and static flexibility principles

MENTAL – MENTAL & EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

High Performance Mental & Emotional Conditioning skills we teach:
• Love of adversity - mental toughness training & emotional control
• On-court & off-court mental toughness training, role playing, body language – Jim Loehr/Human Performance Institute & Dan Gould/USTA High Performance techniques
• Strategy and tactics based on individual personality type
• Handling cheating and gamesmanship
• Optimum level of intensity training
• Visualization/imagery, meditation & relaxation breathing
• The power of suggestion & story – what you say to yourself becomes your destiny

 

STUDENT BENEFITS

• Player Code of Conduct to follow
• train with a team of like-minded, ambitious students focused on academic and athletic achievement
• a clear and understandable development path
• flexible, daily match play opportunities with a variety of tough opponents
• independence – learning to think & train like a professional, with or without a coach or academy
• self-confidence earned through 100% effort & concentration
• realistic expectations & understanding the dramatic differences between junior, collegiate and professional tennis
• College Placement options & recruiting skills
• balance of family, academics, social, other interests & tennis