Tennis - Damien Laporte joins Justine Henin Academy |28 September 2016
Young local tennis prodigy Damien Laporte leaves the country tomorrow for Brussels, Belgium, where he will join up with some of the world’s top tennis prospects at the famed Justine Henin Academy.
Laporte has had the chance to visit the academy in the past, but as of Thursday, he will be a full-time academy member, where he can learn to perfect his game in the years to come.
“I am very happy and looking forward to the challenge,” Laporte told Sports NATION, before adding: “I know that it’s going to take a lot of hard work since training will be more intense and I will have to balance it with school as well.”
Laporte, who usually trained for about one hour per day locally, will now face six hours of training per day at the Justine Henin Academy.
He also revealed that he will be attending school online while there, which will be another test for him.
“I will try and cope with all the training plans and facilities available over there, while also try to make new friends,” said Laporte who hopes to be able to shine at the academy and achieve success.
The youngster will be leaving behind his parents as he embarks on this new journey and speaking to Sports NATION, his father Mervyn Laporte said: “Well, I’m very proud of him as he has worked very hard for this in the last seven years and he deserves this opportunity, but of course we are going to miss him.”
Laporte has asked all young sportsmen and women in the country to keep striving and working hard so that they may also benefit from such opportunities in the future.
He has also thanked all sponsors, adding that he remains open to further sponsorship.
The Justine Henin tennis academy in Belgium was created in 2007 by former world number one female tennis player Justine Henin. After her remarkable career as a tennis player, she wants to support a range of concepts built and lived during her long experience and aims to convey a range of values of sports training like courage, fighting spirit, respect, and discipline.
To carry out her academy project she built a magnificent infrastructure, the Club Justine Henin and she is surrounded by an experienced team that shares her know-being and knowledge.
The philosophy of Justine Henin Tennis Academy is based on the fact that the performance should not be seen as an end in itself. The result of an activity is essentially the result from a state of mind.
For the player and his entourage, this mind-set is to do everything possible to get the best of himself in any circumstance, be it during a school class, a physical workout, a tennis workout or a match. This mode of operation will continue and will impact positively in all activities inside and outside the court.
S. N.