Loading...
I thought that I would start this one by showing the video. This kid is absolutely amazing. So mature and such great tennis ability. How do you even make a kid like this.
Apparently Jan Silva (pronounced yan), has been playing tennis since he was one. Not only has he been playing for the majority of his life already, but when you play tennis around the time normal kids are beginning to walk and talk, you really have to think. Jan's mother was a tennis pro in Finland, now a coach and his father is an African-American social worker and former college athelete.
Jan and his family transplanted to France to focus on his $140,000/year training. Yes, that's right. That's about $80,000 more than the average US salary on a good year. Many compare the young tennis enthusiast to Andre Agassi and his young passion for tennis.
Jan practices for an hour with Mari (his mother) everyday, attends three hours of school and returns for another two hours of tennis in the afternoon. That's followed by an hour or so of physical training such as soccer or coordination drills. At lunch in the academy's restaurant, he smiles often and pals around with older kids.
Asked about his favorite players, Jan says, "Federer and James Blake."
Why?
"Because they are really good."
Can you really argue with that kind of thinking? :) Although, its a little scary to get a young child so competitively into a sport before he knows how to count to 40 (nevermid calling a score), I wonder what kind of advantages and disadvantages this will cause him in life. Will he burn out at age 15? or will be able to have the stability to take breaks and play and create a balance?
Recent news already reports that his parents are on the road to splittsville. What will that mean for Jan and his siblings? Who knows? Maybe his career is over before it starts.
Jan isn't the only talented little tennis player, Sonya Kenin a 9 year-old Florida native has been showing promising talent since the age of 5. All I want to know is what's in their wheaties?
Another thing is for sure. The parents of child athelete's are the same as show parents. HATE HATE HATE! Calm down people, It is just a game!
Post Comments
Add Your Comment!
» All comments» Comments RSS