Tubod, Lanao del Norte – A three-day training for tennis coaches was organized by the provincial government starting last March 8 to 10, 2011 at the Mindanao Civic Center Tennis Court, Sagadan, Tubod, this province.

Dubbed as Recreational Coaches Workshop, the training was facilitated by American Ted Sayrahder, a Pro 1 Workshop Instructor of the United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA).

The participating coaches who were also classified as Class A players came from the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Pagadian, Ozamiz, and Iligan. Some of the participants were Physical Education instructors from the Lanao del Norte Division of DepEd.

The event was also made possible thru the efforts of Jean Henri Lhuillier, CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier, who is an avid supporter of the sport.

The provincial government headed by Governor Khalid Dimaporo sponsored the highly anticipated tennis workshop to further promote the sport in the province.

Tennis is one of the most popular sports here in the province with numerous tennis tournaments being held in Lanao del Norte every year.

Sayrahder began to play tennis during his early years in the US Air Force. Presently, he is now one of the most effective and  popular tennis coaches in the United States of America.

“A good tennis teacher or coach can ensure a positive first experience and provide a strong foundation for playing the sport. This workshop will help you begin to think like a teacher and develop group management skills but the core message is to have fun and play to learn”, Sayrahder said.he

The first day of the workshop was open to the public with more than 90 coaches attending. During the first day demonstration, different types of warm up activities were taught.

According to Sayrahder, “a good coach talks less but demonstrates more and makes his players feel that it’s fun to play”.

“A good tennis coach must possess patience, perseverance, ample knowledge and skills and knows how to motivate his players to achieve the purpose and objective of the learning process”, Sayrahder added.

Advance tennis techniques and exercises were taught to the participants during succeeding days of the workshop.

Lanao del Norte is becoming the preferred destination of several spectator sports in Mindanao. LAR-PIO/LDN