Tennis Pro-Coaching in Italy at the Mutti & Bartolucci Tennis Academy
Italian tennis is back on the world stage with a host of rising stars. Energy Travel had the opportunity to meet Mirko Mutti, director of the "Mutti & Bartolucci Tennis Clinic" Academy, located near Lake Garda, and he took us behind the scenes of his exciting tennis project.
Mirko, can you tell us your tennis history and about the academy?
Like all Italian children I used to play football, but one day, at the age of 11, I watched a Yannick Noah tennis match at Roland Garros and I was immediately fascinated by this fantastic sport. I started playing immediately and after just a year I was spotted by a tennis school that invited me to join their club. I played in various competitions up to the age of 19 and although I played a little less during my time at university, I started to understand the dynamics behind the organisational aspects of a tennis club.
So, at 26 I completed all the courses set up by the Italian Tennis Federation and became a tennis instructor. In doing so I visited various Italian clubs and met a number of coaches. The first real turning point came in 2003 when I met Francesca Schiavone (the 2010 Roland Garros Winner), gradually I became part of her technical and organizational team. I started traveling the world and for 3 years I went to ATP and Grand Slam tournaments. I met and learnt from all the main coaches of the world as I travelled the world tennis circuit from event to event.
On tour, in your spare time you have the opportunity to meet all these different, top level coaches. So, after these 3 years in Francesca’s technical staff, the second turning point came when I decided to create my own academy, somewhere I could train my own staff and my own players. I started from scratch with 2 tennis courts and just 3 players, but 3 became 30, and 30 became the 300 boys and girls that I have today, all aged from 9 to 20 competing on a national and continental level.
Over the years I have invested in both the facilities and my staff so that the academy has become a first-rate national academy. Today the action takes place in 2 locations with 7 tennis courts including 5 indoor courts plus a club house, changing rooms, video analysis room, gym, athletics track all supervised by a team of experts consisting of 7 technicians (2 national coaches and 5 instructors), 1 nutritionist, 1 mental coach, 2 conditioners, as well as the maintenance and club staff.
What methodology and philosophy does your academy adopt?
The players are trained through a specific methodology, acquired through experience and discussion with my colleagues at the highest level of tennis. In the years I spent on the world circuit following Francesca Schiavone I learnt what it means to play tennis, in the true sense. The players and coaches all talked about the same thing using the same language, that tennis is a game but that you have to understand it and this is where I learnt certain things such as that there is not much difference between a high-level businessman and a top-quality tennis coach. You have to be precise, attentive and determined, always aiming to improve yourself.
This is the mentality I look for in tennis players who come to my academy. The philosophy I adopt is enforced by assigning one coach to a player for the duration of their time at the academy, in order to monitor the player throughout their entire development. The important thing is the journey the player takes, not simply the rankings of an individual player, rather we look to get the most out of each player, to develop their qualities and characteristics.
At the academy, the first thing we look at is discipline because without this the kids cannot be part of our team. The technical and tactical ability must then be combined with other qualities to develop a true tennis talent. The key thing is that in the 12-14 age group the focus is on learning technique, then in the following years learning how to train and develop their ability.
Can you tell us something about Italian tennis?
Italian tennis is reaping the rewards of 20 years of hard work through knowledge and discussion with top-level experts and successful federations. Federation managers and coaches brought information, together with knowledge of the best conditions in which to create the Italy system.
It starts from the bottom by increasing the number of players, having tennis schools with well-trained instructors who provide precise, technical instruction on processes and procedures. In this way, results have followed and I can assure you that more Italian boys and girls will reach a high level in the years to come. The federation deserves credit for putting their faith in great Italian coaches such as Riccardo Piatti, Danilo Pittorno and Massimo Sartori, colleagues who I still talk to and remain points of reference. Italian tennis is experiencing a golden age, among other things in 2021 it will host important events such as the NextGen and the ATP Finals, as well as the ATP 1000 in Rome.
How do you think the experience of the Energy Travel groups will be organized at the Mutti & Bartolucci Tennis Clinic?
We will offer them the opportunity to play tennis using our philosophy and way of understanding the game, treating them as athletes, sportsmen and competitive players. Based on their ability, we will identify a bespoke programme that we will deliver during their stay in Italy. Basically we will welcome them and treat them as if they were our academy players. I’m really looking forward to creating contacts and relationships with other foreign schools and clubs.
Interview with Mirko Mutti - https://www.mbtennisclinic.com/