Celsius Tennis Academy founder, Cary Cohenour, started playing tennis at a very young age in Bradenton, Florida where he excelled. In fact Cary was in the first group of players in the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy when it started in 1978. The group also included Kathleen Horvath, Jimmy Arias, Carling Bassett, Anne White and Pam Casale. They pioneered a new way to learn, train and bring tennis to the next level.
Cary Cohenour and company with Nick Bollettieri in 1978. The inaugural group of junior tennis players to attend the now world-famous academy.
Cary went on to excel as a junior, collegiate and professional level player. Eventually he moved into coaching and opening his own academy. But what Cary learned though out his journey is how closely the game of tennis paralleled life. And more specifically, how most junior tennis players transitioned to life to become with fewer challenges than many other of their peers.
Tennis gives kids a great opportunity to excel in a sport. You do not have to be a great athlete to be a very good tennis player. Discipline, hard work and desire contribute greatly and will take you a very long way. In tennis, unlike other sports, the player with the most athletic ability and greatest skill set doesn’t necessarily with the most. Having a good strategy and learning from their experiences, being confident and calm is a great recipe for success.
Again, all skills that will take you a long way in life.
Cary believed that if you work hard, stay grounded and respected yourself and others around you the rest would always follow. Cary viewed success throughout his coaching career was achieved equally both on and off the court.
He always took great pride in the lives of his long long list students and how they were able to follow their dreams when they started devoting more time to other endeavors as they matured.
In short, here is the short list of some of the most valuable skills that tennis offers junior tennis players both on and off the court equally. Cary called it his “recipe for success”.
Discipline and responsibility: The commitment required for practice, following rules, a strong sense of discipline and personal responsibility that carries over into completing schoolwork, managing chores, and developing a solid work ethic and always showing up.
Emotional regulation: In match situations, players learn to manage their excitement, frustration, and nervousness. This experience fosters emotional stability and provides valuable coping mechanisms for navigating life’s ups and downs.
Confidence and self-esteem: As young players master skills and reach new milestones, their self-confidence and self-esteem grow. The feeling of accomplishment from improving their game empowers them to take on challenges in other aspects of their lives.
Focus and concentration: Tennis demands intense concentration to track the ball and anticipate an opponent’s moves. This enhanced ability to stay focused and ignore distractions is valuable for academic success and staying on task in professional settings.
Sportsmanship and social skills: While an individual sport, doubles matches and group lessons foster communication, teamwork, and good sportsmanship. Learning to respect opponents and interact with peers helps build lasting friendships and crucial social skills.
You can take the game of tennis as far as you want, even to the collegiate level to help contribute to your college education which is a primary focus of the Celsius Tennis Academy like so many of young athletes achieve. An while few go on to pursue a true “professional” career, they all transfer the skills they have learned through tennis to a successful and fulfilling life as productive citizens.
Cary also believed and fostered the fact that tennis players tend to form an alliance. Friends through tennis and most have an almost invisible alliance. This is because they can all relate to the different experiences and great stories on, around and off the tennis court. This has bonded them in a way that no other sport can.
The individual aspect of the game tends to separate us when competing, yet brings us together when we are not on the court opposing each other.
Tennis teaches you that a game is a game, there are other things in life that are more important than winning the game. We highly recommend that kids experience this great sport and through our foundation we are committed to preserving both the legacy and values that Cary was so dedicated to pass on to generations that follow.
“Do what you love and love what you do. Work hard. Respect yourself and others. The rest will follow.” ~ Cary Cohenour
For more information, to volunteer or contribute please contact:
Contact: Fay Cohenour
+1 (828) 712-3056
-or-
Germán López Montoya, Director of Tennis
+1 (941) 447-3759
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties
Tel: 941-366-3911
https://bgcsdc.org
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties has been a leader in youth development since 1970, providing enriching out-of-school time and summer programs to thousands of youth, ages 6 to 18, in Sarasota, Venice, North Port and Arcadia.
