Interview with tennis emigrant John Lambrecht - "Mallorca - we're staying!"

What prompted Berlin tennis coach John Lambrecht to emigrate to Mallorca with his small family at the beginning of the year? And what does the family do when, shortly after emigrating, the corona pandemic throws all their plans overboard? How is John today? What does his (working) everyday life look like? And what plans do he and his wife have for 2021? I was very interested in all of this - these are interesting tennis stories away from the tennis court. John answered my questions really well - in detail, honestly and openly. But it's best to read for yourself and immerse yourself a little bit in the world of the tennis emigrant, which shows what power and what integration opportunities our tennis sport can offer.

 How long have you been living and where exactly on Mallorca?

I moved to Mallorca in March this year with my wife and my 4-year-old son. We live in El Molinar, about 5 minutes by car from Palma. El Molinar is a former fishing district, with a few small town beaches and a beautiful promenade. This leads parallel to the sea westwards to Palma and eastwards to Arenal. Perfect for jogging and cycling. The small town still has a lot of Mallorcan charm and we like that very much.

 Where did you live before and what did you do for work?

I was born and grew up on the island of Sylt.
After my compulsory military service, I completed a three-year traineeship at a local television station in Reutlingen (Baden-Württemberg) in 1999. I worked as a sports reporter and mainly reported on the football, handball, basketball and tennis national leagues. I moved to Berlin in 2003. I worked there for many years as a freelance TV editor/director for various television production companies. Since 2015, I have focused more on building my tennis existence.

 What importance does tennis have for you?

I got my first tennis racket when I was 2 years old. Since then I haven't put the racket down. My father was a tennis player and he patiently spent many hours with me on the tennis court. I gained my first experiences as a tennis coach on Sylt and, as a teenager, supported our club coach in the summer months. When I worked for television, I continued to spend regular summers on Sylt and gave tennis training.

12 years ago I completed my tennis coaching license exam. I was always very involved in the clubs where I played. 5 years ago I began to want to turn my passion into a career. In Berlin I worked as a trainer for the “Courtfighter Tennis Academy”. I was always interested in the mental aspect of tennis. In order to further my training in this area, I completed a two-year training course to become a sports mental coach in 2016. Improving mental strength is a central focus of my training work.

  How did you come up with the idea of ​​emigrating to Mallorca?

When I returned to Germany in 2006 from a six-month trip around the world, it was clear to me that one day I would live where the sun shines all year round. I'm not a fan of winter time. The cold and the darkness really get to me.

Luckily my wife feels the same way. She also loves the sun and is very cosmopolitan. When our son was born in 2015, it was clear to us that emigration had to happen before he started school. Ibiza, Australia and Bali were also on the list, but Mallorca is the overall package. The connection to Germany is uncomplicated, family and friends are within reach, the climate is good, there are great schools, the island offers a lot of variety, Spanish is an interesting language and the job conditions are suitable for my wife (yoga and meditation teacher) and me are attractive.

 What expectations and plans did you have when you came to the island?

We had no expectations. Expectations carry the risk of being disappointed. However, we had/have clear goals in mind that we would like to achieve both privately and professionally. We were also very keen on the change and had a lot of confidence that the right doors would open. We have prepared well for this adventure.

We've been to the island several times over the past two years and looked at different areas to get a feel for where we like it best.
We were on the island at different times of the year and worked very intensively with the kindergartens and schools. At the same time, I checked the job situation and made my first contacts with the local tennis scene. In Germany I had been talking to Sunball Reisen for a long time. One of the largest German-speaking tennis travel providers in Europe. I was promised that I could take over the tennis base at the Maritim Galatzo Hotel in Paguera.

So the plans were - arrive, settle in, earn some money and get a feel for how I can position myself even better professionally.

 How did the first period go (the period up to the Corona crisis)?

We arrived in Mallorca on March 4th. The first few days we were mostly busy setting up our apartment, unpacking and exploring the area. Nobody could have guessed that the complete lockdown, including a strict curfew, would be declared in Spain just 12 days later - especially not for such a long period of time (almost 3 months).

 And then Corona came… what has the situation been like for you since March?

March 16th (the day the lockdown began) was actually the starting signal for our “Mallorca everyday life”.
Our son would have had his first day at daycare, I would have given my first booked coaching lessons in the hotel and my wife would have had her first yoga class - instead we had a lot of time to get to know our apartment. The curfew was in effect on Mallorca for almost 3 months. Only going to the supermarket or doctor was allowed. Now we were very lucky that our apartment has 2 terraces and so we were able to “get out” and enjoy the sun. I own a lot of sports equipment and quickly converted our roof terrace into a fitness studio. I played tennis and soccer with my son in the underground car park and we used the community pool exclusively because there were no neighbors. So my son learned to swim during this time.

The positive thing about the lockdown was that there were no distractions and no appointments.
I had a few half-baked job ideas in my head that I could work on at my leisure. This gave rise to, among other things, the idea of ​​further developing ZENNIS - a combination of the philosophy of Zen and tennis. It combines yoga, mediation and tennis. I also created tennis concepts with my coaching colleagues at the Courtfighter Academy in Berlin via Zoom calls, offered online mental coaching, optimized my website and contacted possible cooperation partners. Looking back, the “Corona forced break” was very productive.

Since we arrived with a small financial cushion and our fixed costs are manageable, we didn't initially worry too much about the lack of income. We had intensive family time within our own four walls. My son enjoyed playing with us for hours every day and my wife and I didn't get on each other's nerves either - we still love each other... ;)

 What exactly does your everyday life look like at the moment?

Our son is usually at daycare from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. I give my coaching lessons from Monday to Saturday and have already built up a small customer base with permanent residents. I'm mainly deployed in Arenal, Palma and Paguera, i.e. in the southwest of the island. I am also trying to expand my network with hotels on Mallorca and establish cooperation with tennis clubs and trainers in Germany. It's similar with my wife, who is gradually establishing herself as a yoga and mediation teacher here and is already offering well-booked courses.

Because there were almost 80% fewer tourists on the island this year, I had a lot of time to play tennis. After a short time, I am already quite well connected in the Mallorcan tennis scene and have enough playing partners here. There are also many tennis tournaments in Mallorca. I was at the start of some of them and didn't do too badly. I won an ITF tournament with Rafa Nadal at the facility in Manacor and won the Mallorca Championship in September and the Balearic Singles Championship in November, both in the AK35+.

When I'm not on the tennis court, I'm enjoying the beautiful weather, learning Spanish, exploring the island and planning my projects for 2021.

 How do you experience (family) life and work in Spain?

For us, life on Mallorca is definitely a quality gain. Of course, this year is special due to Corona. But this affects everyone in the world. Everyone has their own personal Corona story to tell. My wife and I are positive people. The situation is/was what it is and we have to make the best of it. Of course, things didn't go as well as hoped economically, but millions of other people unfortunately suffered much worse from the "Corona situation" and so we don't want to complain. It is dramatic to see how many livelihoods are at stake and unfortunately also fail. Especially a region like Mallorca, where tourism is the main source of income, will feel this crisis for a longer period of time.

But even in this situation it is important for us to see the positive.
Our son has settled in really well and we already have a large circle of friends. The people who live here inevitably have more free time this year and so people meet on the beach more often and get to know each other better. The exchange is more intensive than in the “normal” hectic everyday life of the season. I find the Spanish to be very helpful and friendly. I found open doors in most tennis clubs, which makes working much easier.

 How does working as a trainer in Spain differ from Germany?

I'm not a person who needs a weekly work routine. I've been freelancing for almost 20 years and no two working weeks are the same. As a classic club coach in Germany, I personally would run the risk of falling into a rut. As a club coach, you usually have the same daily routine, or the same groups and students on the same tennis court, pretty much every week. And that's where I'm having trouble.

I really enjoy training in Mallorca with my regular customers, but I also enjoy having new tennis students on the court on a regular basis. Working with holidaymakers is a very pleasant job. Holidaymakers are relaxed when they come to play tennis. They are neither rushed from work nor are they at home with their thoughts on everyday worries. The atmosphere on the pitch is much more relaxed. And learning is easier in a positive atmosphere. I get great joy when the customer leaves the court in a good mood after the lesson and I was able to help him improve his tennis and give him new input.

I also really enjoy being with the international audience in Mallorca. This year I had customers from Sweden, England, the USA and Israel, among others. Interesting people with whom I enjoy exchanging ideas. I am also booked by a concierge service. These are usually wealthier guests who live in a finca with a private tennis court and want to do tennis training there. And I'm really looking forward to organizing training camps for teams and supporting them as a coach. So overall, for me as a tennis coach, working here is more varied than in Germany and the conditions are very good. The fantastic climate is a huge plus. At the beginning of December I started training at 9 a.m. at 15 degrees, and the desire to exercise automatically increases.

 Continue or Plan B? What are your plans for 2021?

Unfortunately, it is already becoming apparent that normal travel tourism will not be possible in 2021 either. Speculating when things will start again is unnecessary mental stress because we have no control over it or cannot influence it.

Nevertheless, I am fully convinced that I can continue to establish myself here as a tennis coach. So there are clear goals for 2021. The first ZENNIS retreat that I am organizing together with my wife will take place in October 2021 in Mallorca. This year I unfortunately had to cancel it in October because of Corona. We rented a great finca with a private clay tennis court. A private chef would have ensured the culinary well-being of a maximum of 8 participants. More information about this exclusive 7-day tennis holiday can be found on your and my website.

Then of course I am happy about every holidaymaker who comes to Mallorca and wants to train with me. Especially in the southwest (Arenal – Paguera) I serve a few hotels and use the courts of the local tennis clubs. There are some beautiful facilities in this region.

I would also like to work more closely with tennis clubs from Germany and support them in taking tennis trips to Mallorca and coaching the teams here on site. However, my main target group remains the international permanent residents who live on Mallorca for a large part of the year. After all, there are hardly any holidaymakers on the island from November to April.

 What do you love about living in Mallorca?

As a native of the island (Sylt), I of course love the sea on my doorstep. It takes me 2 minutes from home with my son and we are at the beach. I often feel reminded of my childhood. I enjoy the short distances and the relaxed traffic (at least in the off-season). And a huge quality improvement is the weather. When I jog along the beach at 7 a.m. and the sun is shining, it's the perfect start to the day. I can play tennis outside all year round when it's not raining. Which was rare in 2020.

I'm happy for my son that he's growing up speaking English and Spanish in kindergarten. He learns the languages ​​on the side and languages ​​are simply a great door opener later in life.

After 8 months in Mallorca, the conclusion is only positive... I earn money with my passion, I can do sports all day, the sun is shining (mostly), I can spend a lot of time with my family and everyone is healthy. If friends and family can visit us again next year, then we will have everything we need to be happy. My wife and I regularly tell each other that taking this step was the best decision.

Want to get to know something new?

Then a ZENNIS retreat with John and his partner Nina-Gyana would definitely be right for you. The combination is exciting and will not only help you advance in terms of tennis. Plus a wonderful holiday ambience on a Mallorcan private finca.

ZENNIS retreat is planned October 2021 .

TO THE ZENNIS RETREAT