Karen Helf continues her five-part series by further highlighting the many aspects of the Rafal Nadal Academy

Getting Serious-The Rafa Nadal Academy

This segment is dedicated to the Rafa Nadal Academy. For clarification, as a visiting adult, I stayed in the Sports Centre accommodation. The Sports Centre suite of rooms along with tennis instruction is open to any visitor, anyone. I must admit, this surprised me. But let’s get serious and look in-depth at the Academy.

The Rafael Nadal Academy is a collaboration with the telecommunications company Movistar, guided by team Nadal. The academy opened its doors in May 2016. The programs are designed to support the growth & development of young people 12 to 18-years of age. That development includes a full-scale education. It may be surprising to hear that the academic program is named the American International School of Mallorca. However, the programs are comprehensive and designed to assure that player-students are academically qualified to enter the American University system and thrive.

The focus on options and choices acknowledge that college level competition[KH1]  and higher education may be the best choice for some players. It is always good to have options. The academy supports players seeking American and International scholarships as well.

My tour guide Natalia explained that while the players on are the road competing, they have iPads. Academy teachers send their assignments and students are required to complete their scholastic lessons. In my tour of the school grounds, I saw a “typical” school environment with classrooms, artwork lining the hallways, a library, and piano.

The American International School

For a player that hails from Spain and specifically Mallorca, an island paradise in the middle of the Mediterranean, an American named school seems a bit odd. But…

The 2nd class of Academy students will be welcomed to the Manacor campus, their new home, September 2017. This new class is comprised of 100 young people from 60 different nations. This student body diversity alone is a unique learning opportunity. The school year runs September thru June. Just like most schools, there is an orientation, a chance for parents to meet teachers, coaches, and for kids to settle in and probably settle nerves as well. I had my own nervous moments upon arrival that were quickly dismissed thanks to a very supportive team.

Team Nadal welcomes kids, some with and others without parents, upon arrival at the Palma-Mallorca airport. Here, the Academy team will meet, greet, and transport the children to their new home. At the heart of the Academy are Toni Nadal’s tennis methods and fundamental objectives. In June 2017, Rafa showed his dedication to project attending the 1st graduation ceremony and handed out diplomas.

Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar Objectives

-Maximize the potential of all players so they have the possibility of becoming professional tennis players as they continue their academic education.
-Combine high-intensity tennis training with academic studies, so those who wish to continue their studies and play sports, after completing the Academy, can obtain the best scholarships in American universities.
-Educate people through sports, focusing positively on students’ development through values, thus making them better individuals.

To be accepted full-time at the Academy, children must be at least 12-years old.

What is the Academy experience?

For starters, all participants follow the same nutritional plan used by the 15-time Grand Slam Champion and current world No. 1.  That is not to say kids can’t have treats from time to time, they do. An ice cream chest is strategically located inside the Sports Café where kids can grab sweets after completing their lesson.

The Academy Describes the Tennis Program in the following way:

The programs are, “based on personalized training focusing on each student’s characteristic and uses the Toni Nadal methodology that has been developed through his experience with Rafa Nadal.”

Rafa’s Signature (Taken from RNA press release)

With this project, Rafa Nadal wants to convey everything he has learned during his training as an individual and as an athlete, as well as share his experience during his professional tennis career. And so, he has transformed his training area into a high-intensity Academy where, with the help of his team, hopes to train future young tennis players.

In a typical week, Academy residents receive the following: 17 hours of tennis training per week, 8 hours of physical training/kinesiology per week, Academic course at the American International School; accommodations at the Monitored Residence of the Academy, all daily meals (breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner), medical care, physical therapy and nutrition, competition coaching, medical checkup and stress test, psychological assistance and mental training, video analysis and recreational activities on the weekends.

The on-site facilities include full-time medical staff, physios, nutritionists you name it. All the kids have access to those services. As a guest, I was still able to see a physio who did wonders for a nagging back issue. I spent 4-months doing physical therapy in the United States with little improvement. While I will not say the experience was pain-free, it was not, the results were amazing. My practitioner made sure I understood the process before we started. After a welcoming introduction he said, now “I’m not here to make friends.” My response, “do what you need to do. That’s why I am here.”

Are there options for younger children & kids who cannot attend full-time?

For children who are not able to leave home to spend an entire year in Mallorca, there are several options. I met children and parents from all parts of the world such as Florida, Manchester, England, and India to name a few. There is a summer program described in by a recent academy press release by Joel Figueras, Tennis Director: “we have received more than 1,000  students during the summer who have enjoyed our Summer Camp and we have Toured with our annual students around the world so they keep up with the rhythm of the competition.” There are weekly programs as well.

First time Western & Southern Open Champion Grigor Dimitrov trained at the academy in July. Grigor had this to say about his experience. When asked what did you find helpful? “Everything, everything… To practice with Rafa on his home turf?…Sometimes when I’m down in the match… if I’m complaining or something, I was like, Would Rafa do that? I don’t think so…the week I spent with him was just pretty amazing. Just to spend time with him, not even on-court. Even off court.…the first half morning, we’re just practicing nonstop…I swear to God, nonstop from the early morning. I was, like, Whoa, can we have at least the afternoon off?”

Grigor described the place stating, “The facility is great. They have done (an) unbelievable job with everything. As soon as I went there, you felt such good vibes. Pretty much just quiet. You know what you’re there for. You can feel also the weight of the place itself. Great gym, great courts (26 in total) … Everybody is just so welcoming and just trying to make sure that everything is done for you. … him (Rafa) and his team have done an unbelievable job with everything around… I was more that thankful for him letting me have that opportunity. You don’t get opportunities like that. I think after today, I’m just going to text him, like. Let’s do that again at some point.  So yeah, I think there is only positive things I can take out of that week with him.”

It seems that Grigor and I agree with Alexander Marcos, Director of the Rafa Nadal Academy. Marcos describes the place as, “a first-class residential complex with 140 students, combining tennis and education, offering youngsters between the ages of 12 and 18 the opportunity to study.”

While I could go on about the extraordinary attention to detail and atmosphere, what sticks with me most is this place is on an island located in the crossroads of Southern Europe and is a place for everyone. No matter your level, your goals and interest, the Rafael Nadal Academy & Sports Centre by design can enable you to reach for your best self. While they have your back, that reach is up to you. It seems right in closing to quote Toni Nadal, “Trust your hard work more than your talent.”

To learn about options for your Tenista go to https://rafanadalacademy.com/en/programs/children/

For adult offerings see www. rnsportscentre.com

To read part-three of Karen's series, visit http://tinyurl.com/yb3apsek.