South Florida Youths Excel With Tennis

In a world that stresses competition and winning above all else, this month’s issue features two young tennis prodigies that have taken a different approach in becoming among the best young tennis players in the world.

Meet twelve year-old Steven Rosz and eleven year-old Luzaan Rens….  Two seemingly ordinary South Florida youths who are anything but ordinary… Aside from both being “Straight-A” students in school, Steven and Luzaan are in a class by themselves on the tennis court with their picture-perfect tennis form and extraordinary talent.

Although Steven or Luzaan are still too young to compete in major tennis events, they have already risen to become among the most talented and respected players in their age groups; nationwide.  One reason is because their coach Andrew Rosz of South Florida Professional Tennis Instruction (www.professionaltennisinstruction.com) places primary emphasis on mastering proper tennis form and technique and much less of an emphasis on actual competition.  In coach Andrew’s own words… “Of primary importance for a developing young player is the complete and total mastery of proper tennis form and technique.  Because only once this is accomplished is the young player justified in adding the element of power to their game.”  Coach Andrew further adds… “Many young players are prematurely pressured by their coaches and parents into hitting the ball hard before they are emotionally and/or physically ready.  This only results in frustration to the player, an abundance of unforced errors, and the inability to sustain a consistent level of high performance play.”  And this is precisely what sets Steven and Luzaan apart from the rest… From day one, they both have adopted a commitment to technical perfection and unyielding consistency.  And now after years of training, they are both capable of hitting the ball harder than, more consistent than, and more accurate than most adult tournament players twice their age.

In the special case of Steven and Luzaan, both players have been trained “from the ground up” by tennis expert and author Andrew Rosz in the Youth Excellence Tennis Program; an elite tennis program for a select few exceptionally talented South Florida youths aspiring to become among the best tennis players in the world.  In the Youth Excellence Tennis Program, players are taught both the mental and physical aspects of world class “professional” tennis and learn the skills necessary to compete successfully at the adult level once they become only twelve years old.  It’s truly an excellence program which involves in depth discussions on virtually every area of both the mental and physical aspects of world class professional tennis.  Few players qualify for this program as coach Andrew limits his enrollment to just four students and works with only two students at a time.  Since parental participation is mandatory at each and every lesson, the parent is able to learn right alongside the child.  So when the time comes for Steven and Luzaan to showcase their skills in world class tournament competition, they will do so having already mastered the elements of world class tournament play.  “High level tournament tennis is simply not appropriate for young players under age twelve” stresses coach Andrew.  He also adds… “I’ve seen many otherwise promising young players have their chances at stardom completely destroyed by over-eager coaches and parents who see only dollar signs in their eyes and pressure their young students into competition before they are technically and/or emotionally ready.  It takes years of training to turn a young tennis hopeful into world class competitor and a total dedication on behalf of the coach to insure that every shot is technically correct.  Because if the player practices the wrong thing or learns an incorrect stroke or grip that goes uncorrected, the bad habits that result will be virtually impossible to break once the player enters the teenage years.”

And indeed when you watch Steven and Luzaan hit the ball, it becomes clearly evident they both seem to be doing everything right with their blasting groundstrokes into the corners… with their powerful and accurate serves… and with their lightning fast reflexes and footwork in returning even the most challenging shots.  When asked what they like best about tennis, Steven replies… “It’s a great way for me to exercise and to make new friends.  I’m also able to meet the kind of people who can add to my life… Not just with tennis but with everything else that I do.”  Luzaan replies… “I just like to hit the ball hard!  I also like to train with Steven because he’s so good and helps me to become a better player.”

As mentioned previously, Steven and Luzaan are both Straight-A students.  While Steven recently finished seventh grade at Olsen Middle School with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average, fifth grader Luzaan finished among the top three in her entire school academically earning President’s Honor Roll in every quarter and achieved the highest FCAT score possible in her fifth grade class.  Even off the court, Steven and Luzaan enjoy each others’ company by attending movies together and helping younger players to learn the basics of proper tennis.

While Luzaan does not yet play competitively, Steven recently completed a successful season of tournament tennis as a member of the Adult Men’s Tennis League at West Wind Park in Lauderhill.  Routinely competing against accomplished tournament players from the tri-county area, Steven has enjoyed many impressive wins over players more than twice his age.  And even when he losing a match, Steven always seems to maintain his composure and compliments his opponent on a match well played.  “I try to learn from my losses,” says Steven.  “Once I see what my opponent can do better than me in competitive situations, it gives me direction on where I need to improve.”

Indeed, both Steven and Luzaan are exceptional South Florida youths with bright and aspiring futures ahead of them; not just with tennis but with academics as well.  Aside from tennis, Steven plans to become a CPA while Luzaan aspires to become the #1 tennis player in the world.  So good luck to you both in the years ahead, and may your dedication and success bring inspiration to others!