Last December 8-9 2018, the Pinoy Tennis Trainers (PTT) spearheaded by Stephan Lhuillier, conducted a free two-day tennis workshop for tennis trainers at the Makati Sports Club.
The latest leg of PTT brings together 40 of the country’s best local tennis trainers, representing schools and clubs all over Metro Manila and Central Luzon. Participants were all top graduates and attendees of 13 PTT legs conducted nationwide since 2016. Spearheading the program is Coach Roland Kraut, the only ITF Level 3 coach in the Philippines, along with Stephan and Sebastien Lhuillier, young tennis enthusiasts and the sons of Cebuana Lhuillier president & CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier and Olympian Bea Lucero-Lhuillier.
Pinoy Tennis Trainers (PTT) started three years ago as a brainchild of Stephan Lhuillier following a chance encounter with a local ball boy who shared that his usual day rate is Php80. Stephan saw the need in providing trainers with the opportunity to earn more by booking more clients with the help of their improved coaching skills. The program also allows trainers the opportunity to further improve their skills by getting international certification by sending these trainers to high-level coaching seminars abroad.
By 2019, Sebastien Lhuillier, younger brother of Stephan will be formally joining the PTT family as Stephan prepares to begin with university studies in the States.
Stephan Lhuillier is formally passing the baton to Sebastien Lhuillier, also a well-known tennis player in the local circuit and who represented the country in various meets abroad.
Sebastien Lhuillier goal is to introduce new level 2 courses, with the help of Coach Roland and also actively pursue international tennis training for PTT’s top graduates.
“I am honored to take over this initiative because I know that it helps a lot of tennis trainers improve their life by empowering them through these trainings enabling them to earn more for their family. I will take this responsibility to heart for the betterment of the program.” – Sebastien Lhuillier
Since it was founded, PTT were able to conduct 13 training sessions across the coutry and produced close to 600 graduates. Armed with their PTT certification, the trainers were able to earn more with the higher level of training they received. Top PTT graduates such as Trudy Amoranto and JR Moreno were also sent to Thailand to participate in the ITF Level 1 Coaches course.
Also, part of the advocacy if the Adopt-A-Racket Program which is an advocacy component of Pinoy Tennis Trainers where Stephan tapped on his close friends, racket companies, tennis enthusiasts and even national players to donate their tennis racket to PTT so that these rackets may be given as incentives to the graduates who perform well in the trainings. So far, 211 rackets have been collected – 188 of which have been given to the trainers already.
Rod Runner 