Valentina Mottl

Message from Coach Kim Grant

This Website is customized for you. We will keep track on your progress and your goals. We will share knowledge information and update your status and make sure you can become the best of tennis player of your ability. We will become your partner in improving your tennis. Remember we can only help you as much as you let us and you have to try your best to keep to your assignments and try really hard to follow the coaches advice. Let's do this!

Good Luck and thank you for letting us help you.
Kim Grant Tennis Academy Team

Be The Exception!

Age: 8 years old (2012)
Ball Color: Orange Ball
Date: 09/05/2012

Physical Fitness/Growth Spurt Issues

Complex Coordination
Agility and balance
Running, jumping, throwing and catching
Body awareness and control
Footwork & movement
Speed
Quickness
Core & Shoulder stability
Other Complementary Sports
Reaction Response Time
Nutrition/hydration
Testing & tracking

Goals for Player:
Technical Goal:

Run and Hit
Break steps
Timing loops
Weight shift and rhythm
Balance (upper and lower body)
Split step
Set Step
(Happy Zone Footwork)
All different types of footwork (Lateral set step, Linear Set Step, 2 step, 180 forward rotation and 180 reserve rotation

SERVE

3 fingers on the left hand under the racket
Rhythm with the step (PIN POINT STEP)
Close the racket face, coming on edge and then opening the face (pronating)
Jumping over the line with the left foot
Left hand going back and behind
Perfect the toss to make it more consistent

Short Term Goal

Play tournament, matches, rally 20 times without an error
Shape on the ball
Low contact and high contact point Mid Term Goal

Mid Term Goal

To move up to green ball and play USTA tournaments
To be a top junior in Nor Cal
To be a top junior Nationally

Long Term Goal

Play D1 tennis

Dream:

Play junior grand slams
Play D1 college tennis
Play pro tennis

Physical and Fitness

Tactical & Game/Match Play
(Junior Court)

Understanding singles game situations:serve, return, baseline, approaching and at the net
Doubles
Basic ready position
Ability to move opponent using width and length of court

Offense and defense in all game situations
High percentage play

Mental & Emotional

Fun and enjoyment of tennis
Quality effort in practice and competition
Solving problems
Decision-making
Fostering independence
Developing goal-setting
Developing self-dicipline
Concentration
Eye Control
Body Control
Developing decision-making
Developing pride in performance

Coaches Corner
Date: 01/28/2021
Coach: Valeria Wells, Elvira Juravliova, KGTA Team

Tournaments /Competion

Jr. Team Tennis
Club Competition
UTR Tournaments (Green Ball)
USTA local, Sectional and National Tournaments (Orange & Green Ball)
UTR Invitational
Little Mo

Upcoming Tournament
Date:
Level: Invitationals (Match Play/Training)

Equipment

Racket
(25" size racket, low compression ball graduating to regular ball)

Racket company: Wilson
Weight:
Balance:

Strings

Tention
Crosses
Mains

Shoes

Asics

Practice and Deadlines

Forehand- close the racket face on the backseing
Forehand - elbow on the back swing
Forehand - timing loop with proper take back

Date-2 weeks-

Technical

Basic Stroke patterns in both offense and defense
Quality footwork
Ball control for serve, groudstrokes and volley
Good positioning and recovery on baseline
Sound technique on lob, overhead, etc
Developing use of spin
Preparation for the next shot, especially after the serve
Apporiate footwork patterns
Shot placement to move opponent
Developing sense of shot selection

Areas Of Development

Participation

Can stay focused for 60 min classes
Listens and follows instructions quickly
Comfortable talking to the coach
Behaves safely with equipment and swings racquet only when appropriate
Able to explain the theme of the clinic and the tecnique learned at the end of each class

Scoring and Tennis Etiquette

Understands the boundaries of the court and can name each line
Understands game and set scoring (love, 15, 30, 40, deuce, advantage)
Can keep track of the score and call it before points
Serves and returns from proper court positions
Identifies shots hit out

Footwork

Ready position with FH grip and off-hand supporting the throat
Split Step
Turns to the side before swinging
Move to the ball laterally, forward, backwards, or diagonally, set step, swing
Recovers to the middle before the next shot

Approach

Comfortable moving forward into the court
Able to execute a series of shots from different locations on the court
Can observe ball across the net to prepare for incoming volley
Split step and change grip

Agility, Balance, Coordination

Able to throw underhand and overhand over the net with control of height and distance
Can catch most bouncing balls with 2 hands
Differentiates between forehand and backhand side of body and can alternate quickly
Can jump, run, change direction, balance on one leg without falling
Can tap the ball up or down to themselves with a racquet 10+ times

Forehand

Semi-western grip
Unit turn
Timing loop with the proper take back
Consistent contact point
Weight transfer
Finish shoulder level with closed racquet face

Taps/Slice

Can differentiate between continental and semi-western grip
Can tap over the net with FH and BH
Able to hit with back spin and drop shot opponents (!!??)

Lob and Overhead

Understands trajectory and can lift a ball higher over a net player with an open racquet face
Recognizes high incoming shots and, in preparation for overhead, turns, takes racquet to back-scratcher position, and points to ball with off-hand
Swings high to low without losing balance

Teamwork and Competition

Addresses Coach and other players respectfully
Helps clean up tennis balls with the group
Willing to try new challenges without getting frustrated
Excited to learn and try new games
Waits patiently for a turn
Gives best effort in competitions

Backhand

Changes grip from ready position to BH grip
Timing loop with proper take back
Weight transfer
Consistent contact point
Finish shoulder level with both hands

Volleys

Continental grip
Keeps tip of racquet above wrist
Turns to the side
Steps with the proper foot
Contacts the ball in front without swinging
Can switch between FH and BH volley

Serve

Continental grip
Can toss the ball above head and serve diagonally over the net from the junior baseline with abbrevated/full service motion
Can aim serve to both sides of the service box

Game Development

Weekly Schedule

Time	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Fitness Theme	Rest Day	Endurance	Power	Speed	Agility	Exlosive	Balance/Coordination
Theme	Rest Day	Target Training	Running & Hit	Serve	Tournament PREP	-	Mental
7 a.m.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
8 a.m.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 a.m.	School 8.30am-3pm	School 8.30am-3pm	School 8.30am-3pm	School 8.30am-3pm	School	-	Violin
10 a.m.	School	School	School	School	-	Orange Ball Invitational	Violin
11 a.m.	School	School	School	School	-	Orange Ball Invitational	-
12 p.m.	School	School	School	School	Private Lesson	-	-
1:30 p.m.	School	School	School	School	Private Lesson	-	-
2:30 p.m.	School	School	School	School	-	-	-
3:30 p.m.	School	Violin	Maths	Violin	-	-	-
4 p.m.	Tennis 4-4.30pm-	-	Math	-	-	-	-
5 p.m.	-	Piano		Piano	-	-	-
6 p.m.	Piano	-	Violin	Tennis with Dad	-	-	-
7 p.m.	Violin	-		Piano	-	-	-
8 p.m.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
9 p.m.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Reports from Kim Grant Tennis Academy

12/3/2020
Elvira
We continued working on keeping the stop sign and not opening up the racket, she needs to be reminded of making the contact with the first string. She is doing much better on the serve, has to keep working on the serve explosiveness, and contact point.

01/03/2021
Elvira
Melanie had a semi-private with Rento Yamashita. Melanie: she does a Russian swing and then drops the racket right away, she needs to pick up her elbow and do the stop sign smoothly. Rento: He does roof over the head, he needs to start using his left arm more and not to twist his wrist. Topic of the lesson was FH angles (CC and inside out)

01/05/2021
Valeria
Worked on Melanie's FH. Coach Kim noted that her FH looks "very funny" when she tries to bring her elbow up, her racket drops too early. I think she is a very good player for her age, however, her elbow on her FH doesn't go back all the way!!! That causes the racket to drop down too early!!! So, we worked on shoulder turn to try to extend her elbow higher and further.
01/15/21
Valeria
Had a short lesson with Melanie. Worked on valley, FH and BH. She holds continental grip, however, it slips to eastern everytime she hits FH valley. And all ball goes to the left from her. So we worked on standing 45 degrees and holding the racqaute in front of her by facing 45 degrees as well. Hit and freeze was the way to go for her to understand better with the aiming part.

Images

Images of Top Players

Melanie's open Racket Face