Ecuador has produced a number of international players in its time such as Andrés Gómez who won the French Open back in 1990. However, only a handful of Ecuadorians have been successful on the world stage and there still remains a lack of opportunities for grassroots development of its youth players. The good news is that a number of tennis initiatives and tennis centres have been set up in Ecuador to combat this issue. The result being that tennis has now seen a growth in popularity among Ecuadorian youth in the last few years.

 

You will work at tennis centres in the capital city, Quito. These tennis academies have been established to create more playing and training opportunities for all tennis players in Ecuador. The young players you will work with are typically aged between 4 and 18 years old and come from a variety of backgrounds.

 

The academies have two key goals. The first is to train and develop some of Ecuador’s most promising players into international competitors. The second is to simply give newcomers the chance to learn tennis in a fun and structured environment, hopefully identifying one or two players that might go on to represent Ecuador at a higher level. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of this development and help the players and their coaches fulfill their dream of finding the next Ecuadorian international.

 

This placement will see you assisting professional tennis coaches at one of the top tennis academies in Ecuador. This exclusive club in Quito boasts 16 clay courts (4 of which are inside), a swimming pool, gym and squash courts. The young players who attend the club are typically aged between 4 and 18 and are of a good playing ability. They attend the club after school each day and receive quality tuition from local coaches and former players.

 

Your role will be to work alongside the local tennis coaches in Ecuador, helping to organise training sessions and competitive matches for the players. You will be able to assist the coaches in a variety of ways, for example, by taking smaller groups for warm-ups and fitness work, supervising specific training drills to improve certain shots and strokes, and also organising competitive games and group matches. You will also be able to work with some players on an individual basis, honing certain aspects of their game, be it serving, backhand/forehand strokes or general movement around the court.

 

For younger age groups, you will help to run fun coaching sessions to introduce them to the sport, while for other youngsters, who already have a good grasp of the basics, your role will be to encourage a deeper technical understanding of the game. Coaching sessions take place in the afternoons once the school day has finished and last between 3-4 hours. There are also competitions and tournaments at weekends which you may be able to help organise and supervise. During the summer, the academy runs a summer camp in order to encourage more people into the sport.

 

Quito is a city at altitude and therefore provides an excellent and challenging place to coach and play tennis. Not only will you provide more access to sport for young people, you are guaranteed to leave Ecuador with a much deeper appreciation for its culture and especially the importance sport plays in the so many of its communities. And if you want to keep your own game sharp, simply have a knock around with some of the top players at the academy – they will certainly keep you on your toes. And who knows, you might even get to play against one of Ecuador’s next international players?!

 

Coaching and playing tennis on a tennis gap year is fantastic way to experience a tennis gap year abroad. A tennis gap year will let you enjoy gap year travel in Ecuador while sharing your passion for tennis with other gap year sports volunteers.