Almost a year after its official launch JaSports Fitness – the fitness arm of JaSports Multimedia Company Ltd, whose mantra is to improve the overall fitness and performance levels of local athletes, has made significant strides since.

Currently, separate and apart from personal training forcivilians, JaSports Fitness with its professional fitness trainer Chris Paul, is making a significant impact with TennisJamaicathrough its professional fitness programme. 

One month ago the non – profit organization decided to employ Paul as their fitness trainer to improve the physical condition of threeof the very best junior tennis prospects in Jamaica – Monique Hanson, Shantal Blackwood and Sicquena Sinclair

ShantalBlackwood (left), Sicquena Sinclair (middle), Monique Hanson (right) at the Jasports Campfor Speed Sports Specific Training held last year (August 25th– 29) at the Barbican Football Field. (PHOTO: JaSports)

All three are in the Under 16 category and were presentat the inaugural Jasports Campfor Speed Sports Specific Training held last year (August 25^th– 29), which sparked the Tennis Jamaica’s interest in getting involved with the36 year old trainer.

t-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif">“We were firstintroduced to JaSports Fitness when a few of our players went to the camp lastyear and the reports were very good as the players were quite excited andpleased about what took place at the camp,” said Technical Director of TennisJamaica Douglas Burke to JaSports.net.

Burke, a former professional player, disclosed that following the good reports hewas very interested in getting Paul involved with Tennis Jamaica and even contactedPaul overseas before he relocated to Jamaica in January 2009.

Burke noted that he decided to get involved because hefirmly believed that the service can distinctly help to enhance the fitness aspect of the localprogramme.

“As it relates to high performance athletes, especiallyhigh performance tennis players, there is definitely a need for that kind of fitnessrelated development here in Jamaica,” Burke informed while adding that the non –profit association not instituting a professional programme such as this upuntil now was not totally due to a lack of funds.

“We have worked at specific times with persons fortraining camps but we haven’t been able to find trainers or training programsthat is this aware of what is required to train high performance tennis players.

JaSports Fitness Trainer Chris Paul monitoring Monique Hanson at one of the JaSports Fitness/Tennis Jamaica's recent training sessions at the Eric Bell Centre.(PHOTO:JaSports)

Sure there are jims and a variety of training programsand some facilities locally but we want a programme on a sustainable basis thatis geared towards tennis specifically and the fitness aspects that go alongwith the sport because we want to start grooming our kids from an earlier ageto give them an understanding of what it takes to get and stay fit.”

Injury prevention

It is a widely known fact that physical fitness plays apivotal role in an athlete’s performance as well as their ability to compete.

Burke declared that perhaps the main reason for implementing the programme isto curtail the alarming amount of injuries Jamaican tennis players have been incurringin recent years.

“Injury prevention, we have discovered is an importantaspect where we need to start including more and more in our program so thatour athletes themselves know what they need to do to prevent injuries,” saidBurke.

He continued, “Many of our athletes who gainscholarships for overseas colleges develop injuries over there which forcesthem to sit out for periods of time due to injuries.

Douglas Burke tutoring Simon Ho - On in one of his recent afternoon lessons at the Eric Bell Centre (PHOTO:JaSports)

When they go overseas theygo into a high intensity programme of training, competing, travelling, studyingall at the same time, to which they unaccustomed. It’s a lot of stress on the body and a lot of thembreak down.”

Burke noted that it would be in vain to have aburgeoning tennis scholarship programme and continue to have the players’ developmentimpeded by injuries incurred due to low fitness levels and thus was ‘happy toknow that a major part of Paul’s programme is geared towards injury prevention.’

Expand JaSports Fitness programme

Burke unequivocally expressed his overall happiness with theobjective of the JaSports Fitness programme and its positive impact so far.

“Initially we intended to do it for two months on a trialbasis but we will extend the period because we have seen where the training hasbrought about significant improvements in the girls’ game and physicalcondition: such as their explosiveness, stop and start movement, acceleration,bounding (push off) and even their physical appearance.”

NOT EVEN THE RAIN IMPEDES Paul's sessions as he (left) motivates the three girls - Blackwood (second left), Sinclair (middle) and Hanson (far right) as well as two male participants as they tackle one of his tough fitness excercises under shelter at the Eric Bell Centre recently. (PHOTO: JaSports)

I see where it entails: Explosive training – which is very important in tennis because youneed explosive movements – short quick bursts and to be able to accelerate inshort distances very fast and do it repeatedly over a course of a ouple hours.

Strengthtraining specific to tennis – which works on the quore muscles  – abdominals, hips, lower back, shoulders,ankles.

Tennis is a lot of wear and tear on your cores and if you are notcareful you can get injuries because tennis players locally play a lot on hard surfacesand it puts a lot of physical stress on the younger athletes.

Burke also disclosed that Paul’s services will beneeded to help to prepare the national tennis team for the upcoming Davis Cuptournament which starts this July.