Junior Tennis Players Flock to Crandon Park

Crandon Park is more than just the home of the Miami Masters, the showcase of professional tennis that has been held in Key Biscayne since 1987.

Sure the best players in the world, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal and the Williams' Sisters have all had historic moments at Crandon Park, but it's quite possible that the tennis stars of tomorrow are at this very moment, training each and every day at Crandon Park.

You see, when the Miami Masters is not on site, the Crandon Park Tennis Center is a Miami-Dade County park that is open to the public year-round. Cliff Drysdale Tennis is right at the tennis center and offers year-round clinics, camps, private lessons, and an elite high performance academy for junior players led by Frederico Goncalves.

In an age where young American tennis players aren't getting the basics and instruction they need, Goncalves goes over and above for his kids.

"My junior programs such as Summer Camp and High Performance Training, which are held at Crandon Park, draws juniors from all over the world," explains Goncalves. "These juniors directly benefit from having professional players practicing in my facility and using my methodology. I train all of my junior players through the Defensive Fighting method, and have seen many players make great improvements in their games because of it. Some of them include: Alex Knight, Jemina Rodriquez, Richard Torres, and Sophia Morales. It is my passion to continue to coach the Defensive Fighting style of play to American juniors and help bring American tennis back to the top of the game."

Goncalves is innovative and inventive with his approach to the sport of tennis, but he says mastering the basics is where it all starts.

"It appears that the U.S. is not successfully developing the same caliber of players like they did in the early 1990s like Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, or Jim Courier. These players were powerful at a time when tennis was not used to it. As players have gotten used to powerful styles of play and with the continuation evolution of racquet technology, it is no longer unique. Players today need both powerful play with consistency, endurance, stamina, and mental toughness."

In his sessions at Crandon Park, he teaches all that, and more, based on how he was taught.

"At the beginning of every practice, we were partnered up and expected to have a 100-ball rally. It didn’t matter how long it took us to get there, the task needed to be completed before moving on with the practice. This type of practice not only trains players physically, but mentally as well. I coach my players that focus is a muscle, and that you must constantly stay engaged in the task at hand in order to improve focus."

Goncalves wants the public to know that he doesn't just train the pros, although the pros come through Crandon Park at various times of the year.

"I believe that my Defensive Fighting method gives my players the edge when "crunch time" comes. Joao Sousa, current 44 ATP, and Gastao Elias, 152 ATP, are both Portuguese Davis Cup players that have made vast improvements and made significant jumps in their rankings after implementing my Defensive Fighting method of play. I train them while they are in Miami preparing for the hard court season. I am looking forward to have them at Crandon Park Tennis Center to practice in July and August prior the US Open. Juan del Potro, Andy Murray, Caroline Wozniacki and the Williams' Sisters are some of the champions that also enjoy coming to my club during the summer to train for the hard court season."

Goncalves wants you to know that you can come too. He can train you and your kids to be better tennis players, but he doesn't stop there; he teaches life lessons that go beyond the tennis court.

See more information at http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/crandon-tennis.asp as Crandon Park is located at 7300 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, FL.