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Race attends coaches conference
The CNMI’s Jeff Race, third left, poses with fellow Oceania coaches who attended the 19th ITF Southern and East Asian Regional Coaches Conference at the Hong Kong Sports Institute from Oct. 29 to 31. (Oceania Tennis federation)
Northern Mariana Islands Tennis Association official Jeff Race represented the CNMI in the 19th ITF Southern and East Asian Regional Coaches Conference held in Hong Kong late last month.
“There were both lectures and on court presentations with experts and top coaches from Europe, Asia, and Australia,” said Race when asked about the highlights of the conference held at the Hong Sports Institute from Oct. 29 to 31.
Race joined 261 other coaches in the three-day conference where he picked up important points from two coaches and these would be beneficial to the CNMI tennis program.
“One is to get new ideas on high level training to keep things fresh and challenging for our rising juniors. My favorite speaker in this regard was Jofre Porta of Spain. He’s worked with Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya, who both managed to get the No. 1 rankings in the world. He really pushes the boundaries of conventional coaching thought and that encourages me to try new things,” the CNMI Sports Hall of Famer said.
“The other coach who I felt made a big impact was Dave Miley, former director of development for the International Tennis Federation. Dave is practical and straightforward. We have very similar coaching style and he confirms my coaching methodology,” Race added.
Meanwhile, with the cancelation of the 2018 TanHoldings Tennis Classic and the uncertainties on the availabilities of the tennis courts on Saipan, Race said they may have to recheck the schedule of the tournaments for the 2018-2019 season.
