In the month of July, the French tennis federation holds a series of tournaments in Normandy (northern France). This year, I was lucky enough to be able to play in the junior French circuit for 3 weeks (thanks to my parents who supported my trip and Inventure Academy to allow me stay away from school and make up for my missed school work on return). It was an amazing experience!
Some highlights-I learnt to keep score in French (quinze etc!), sweep the courts after every match, buy the defeated opponent a drink and yell ‘Allez!’ which is French for ‘come on’!
I am happy to report that I performed quite well-in the first tournament at Houlgate I got knocked out in the 2nd round but thereafter I made it to one quarterfinal (Deauville) and one semi-final (Villiers sur mer). The highpoint was when I reached the finals (once at Cabourg and the following week at Luc ser mer)
Apart from all the great tennis, the experience of being in France with a tennis team was great! We were 10 kids in our group, from France, Indonesia, Russia and of course me from India. We all stayed together with our coaches Alvaro and Madeleine, in a lovely villa in the farm country near the town of Honfleur. Trying different foods was also great!
For the first time I ate tomatoes and actually enjoyed it!
Madeline the coach there told me that the tennis racquet I was using was too heavy and so she switched my racquet from a K-factor to a Head-youtek. This has given me more power and better control of the shots I hit. I came back to India more mature and ready for more tennis!
ADIL KALYANPUR
CLASS 5A
Some highlights-I learnt to keep score in French (quinze etc!), sweep the courts after every match, buy the defeated opponent a drink and yell ‘Allez!’ which is French for ‘come on’!
I am happy to report that I performed quite well-in the first tournament at Houlgate I got knocked out in the 2nd round but thereafter I made it to one quarterfinal (Deauville) and one semi-final (Villiers sur mer). The highpoint was when I reached the finals (once at Cabourg and the following week at Luc ser mer)
Apart from all the great tennis, the experience of being in France with a tennis team was great! We were 10 kids in our group, from France, Indonesia, Russia and of course me from India. We all stayed together with our coaches Alvaro and Madeleine, in a lovely villa in the farm country near the town of Honfleur. Trying different foods was also great!
For the first time I ate tomatoes and actually enjoyed it!
Madeline the coach there told me that the tennis racquet I was using was too heavy and so she switched my racquet from a K-factor to a Head-youtek. This has given me more power and better control of the shots I hit. I came back to India more mature and ready for more tennis!
ADIL KALYANPUR
CLASS 5A
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