A week of tennis vacation at the Vitality Hotel Punta on the Croatian island of Lošinj is behind us. During the holiday week, Tom completed a 5-day intensive camp at the Ljubicic Tennis Academy , which we accompanied with daily blog posts in our camp diary. So you probably got a good impression of how an intensive camp like this works.
But what shouldn't be missing after your return is a conclusion and an assessment of the camp, the academy and of course the tennis hotel. With this review we are writing the final chapter of the Camp Diaries. The diary is now closed, unforgettable impressions will remain. But it's best to read for yourself!
Tom was integrated into the "normal" Academy program, meaning he trained in the same "system" as the kids and teens who constantly train at the Ljubicic Tennis Academy. The training schedule was as follows:
The training week runs Monday to Saturday, with no training taking place on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. The intensity of a week like this is very high, but it was easily manageable for Tom.
During the camp week, many, many rhythm exercises done, especially from the baseline, whereby they were not stupid cross or longline exercises, but certain changes of direction were practiced. But it was really long and demanding. It was also noticeable that serves were made and points were played (tiebreak or set) in almost every training session. There was also passing from the basket, but very rarely. Technical corrections were limited to a few key points. If something was technically noticeable, this point was focused on again and again. For example, with Tom, he should stand still when hitting and not always jump. I didn't see any exercises on the tennis court that were completely new to me, but that doesn't have to be the case. Rather, simple things were practiced over and over again.
As a rule, two players per pitch train with one coach . Sometimes there were three people training, and there were even two coaches on the pitch. As soon as the training starts, there is only one thing: full concentration and high intensity. Clear announcements of the exercises in advance. There are many corrections during the exercises, with the same announcements sometimes being repeated like a prayer wheel. But this is anything but annoying; in my opinion, it is extremely efficient. This means things fit much quicker. If points are played, there are many tactical tips . 1:1 discussions are always held here. Moves are analyzed briefly and to the point and suggestions for improvement are made.
I have rarely seen trainers who work so specifically and are motivated to the core. Every day they were enthusiastic about getting the best out of the boys and girls. And no distinction was made as to which player it was. This shows that many of the coaches have worked with professionals (Jannik Sinner, Marin Cilic etc.) or are still doing so. The coaches get along very well with each other. And the speech to the kids is direct and clear, although there is always a joke. A good mix that I thought was just right for the kids.
The sessions with fitness coach Oskar Amančić were one of the highlights for Tom. Intense but not overwhelming, the exercises and orientation varied. Despite the many fitness sessions, Tom's muscle soreness was limited, even though he is absolutely not used to this level of training. But “recovery” was always done in the fitness sessions, which is certainly one reason. I also thought it was great that emphasis was placed on executing the exercises. Better to do it cleanly and with a few fewer repetitions than sloppily and quickly.
The tennis facility is in top condition and beautifully landscaped. The nine sand courts are spread across different terraces, with each court almost on its own. The pitches are watered and maintained immediately after training. The four covered hardcourt indoor courts are also great and can be freed from the “bubble” in summer.
The roofing ensures that training can always take place. Here the Academy also has the “privilege” over all other players or groups playing on the facility. The clubhouse with bar and beautiful terrace makes watching pleasant. A fairly new addition to the tennis facility is a track and field track with a tartan surface, where the afternoon warm-up takes place.
The Academy's fitness room is equipped with everything that is needed in modern athletic training today. Most of the Academy players still had a physio session . There is a separate room for the Academy in the hotel's Vitality Spa.
The Academy employees all work hard to ensure that everything is to your complete satisfaction. Starting with the booking process, where all questions were answered quickly and informatively, through the daily information via the Academy WhatsApp group to the hospitality manager or the social media manager, who repeatedly took photos and videos of the facility. After we returned, Tom received a nice memory: a video from the Academy that included video sequences of him. Great!
Our camp hotel, the Vitality Hotel Punta . We had a beautiful room with a large balcony and sea view. Absolutely big enough for four. Since the hotel is quite large and consists of different buildings, we took many, many steps every day. The furnishings of the rooms and the hotel itself are bright and quite modern.
The breakfast buffet leaves nothing to be desired: there are freshly prepared egg dishes upon request, a large selection of breads and rolls, cereals, lots of fresh fruit, various juices, yoghurts, sausages and cheeses of all kinds. My absolute favorite was the morning chia pudding the Vitality Corner . In the evening there was a varied buffet with lots of fresh fish and regional meat dishes. We enjoyed the salad buffet every evening. Perhaps the starters and desserts would have benefited from a little more variety. The cheese counter was also nice, as it was a nice alternative to the sweet desserts. The quality of the food was always very good. The service in the restaurant, as in the entire hotel, was good and very friendly. On some days the restaurant was almost full, so it was quite loud. But that simply cannot be avoided given the size of the hotel.
We used the sauna area , which is not too big but is very stylish and elegant. It was never overcrowded, but this is also prevented by the fact that the sauna area is only accessible with a separate chip that can be picked up at the spa reception. It is also possible to reserve in advance for use of the sauna. The indoor pool is filled with salt water and is quite large. We didn't use the outdoor pools because it was just too cold for us.
An absolute highlight in the hotel is the gym , which is equipped with the most modern fitness equipment. There are always 1-2 trainers on site who will introduce you to the equipment or answer questions. With a view of the sea, you can sweat on the cardio machines!
The bar and lounge area is also very nice, where we ended each camp day with board games and a nightcap.
Before the camp, I sent some video sequences of Tom to the Academy at their request so that they could assess Tom's playing strength. However, there was no initial or final interview. That certainly wouldn't be a bad thing and, as I've been told, it's usually done. It certainly wouldn't have been a problem to ask for feedback, but Tom was so happy with the input that I didn't insist on it. To be honest, it would have just been the icing on the cake.
Some of our friends have already been to Lošinj and everyone was completely enthusiastic about the island. And that's what we all were. Despite the not exactly easy journey, the green island immediately captivates you. The hotel and especially the Academy are a great and wonderfully located vacation spot for us TennisTraveller . You just have to feel comfortable here. And the Academy doesn’t just offer camps for ambitious kids and teens. Hobby players also train here according to the same principles and to the same quality. Be Your Best - this applies to all TennisTraveller !
We will definitely go to the island again. Tom thought the camp was simply AMAZING. And the rest of the family enjoyed the hotel and its surroundings to the fullest. And next time we might have a little more luck with the temperatures and be able to use the brilliant infinity pool. And explore the island even more by bike and on foot. See you soon or see you soon!
If you want to take a look at the Academy's various camp offerings, you can find out more about them in our camp listing. Because here at the Academy, tennis courses are offered for all age groups and levels:
to the tennis courses at the Ljubicic Tennis Academy
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