Valeria Nikolayev
Posted October 22nd, 2011
14 year old Valeria Nikolayev trains within the ITC – Haifa’s High Performance Tennis Program. Immigrating to Israel from Russia with her family at the age of three, Valeria is currently ranked number one nationally amongst her age group and she dreams of being a Grand Slam champion.
When Valeria arrived in Israel with her family, they lived on a Kibbutz for a year before deciding to settle in Haifa. In 2005, when Valeria was 7, ITC coaches came to her school to find children who wanted to learn tennis. Little Valeria thought it was a great idea and so she begged her parents to take her. Her first ITC practice session kindled her passion for tennis.
For the past seven years, Valeria has not stopped improving and developing her tennis skills. “The ITC is a second home for me and it is thanks to them that I am currently ranked number one in my age group in Israel”, Valeria says, “I train around three hours a day in a program which includes tennis, fitness and mental training. It is difficult to describe how much the ITC and tennis both have changed my life. All I know is that I cannot imagine what my life would have been like if I those coaches from the ITC wouldn’t have come to my school that day”.
Aside from attending her own practice sessions, Valeria is also involved in a special project at the ITC – Haifa. The aim is to allow older participants of the High Performance Program to become mentors and assistant coaches for younger children. Coach Shlomi Ben Ami: “Valeria is so great with the younger kids and she supports them on and off the court. She helps them with their tennis technique, fitness training and even with their homework”.
Tennis has allowed this talented young girl to compete in many tournaments and visit many countries such France, the Czech Republic, Turkey, the United States, Estonia, Canada and Belarus.it is no surprise that when asked about her future, Valeria answers: “My dream is to become a professional and famous tennis player”.
About The Israel Tennis Centers Foundation (“ITC”):
The ITC is a non-profit organization (formerly known as The Israel Children’s Centers is a 501 (c)) that works to enhance the social, psychological and physical development of Israeli children through the medium of sport. We provide a healthy and structured environment for children from all walks of life, teaching values of cooperation, persistence and tolerance. Thirty-five years after the inauguration of the first Israel Tennis Center in Ramat Hasharon, the ITC has expanded throughout Israel and has nurtured and empowered more children and adults than the original founders could have ever dreamed. Currently one of the largest social-service agencies for children in Israel, the ITC operates 14 Centers throughout Israel’s periphery within socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Centers are complete with cutting edge facilities and tennis courts that serve over 20,000 children. For additional background please visit: http://www.israeltenniscenters.org
