A Tennis Academy That Inspires

Summary

Carley and Marcin Rozpedski share the philosophy and operations of Inspiration Tennis Academy, a nonprofit, Christian faith-based academy in South Florida. Marcin — a former ATP player (~300 world ranking) from Poland who trained with the Vandermeers, played at College of the Desert under Guy Fritz (Taylor Fritz’s father), and at UCLA — brings extensive coaching experience with WTA players (Azarenka, Ivanovic, Bouchard). The academy emphasizes character and heart as the foundation of its development pyramid, maintains a 4:1 student-to-coach ratio, and integrates mentorship, academics, and tennis in a small, family-oriented environment. The episode also announces a contest for one boy and one girl to win a free week of training.

Guest Background

• Marcin Rozpedski: Polish-born, came to the US at 14 alone with no English; trained at Dennis Vandermeer’s academy; qualified for Polish Davis Cup; won Polish Nationals 1994; reached ~ATP 300 before malaria in Nigeria derailed his career; played at College of the Desert (under Guy Fritz) and UCLA; coached Azarenka, Ivanovic, Bouchard, and worked with Sven Groeneveld
• Carley Rozpedski: Business operations; social media marketing background; manages boarding, scheduling, parent communication, and mentorship programs; married into tennis (“I married him”)
• Academy: Inspiration Tennis Academy, South Florida; nonprofit; 8 courts; 4:1 athlete-to-coach ratio; players from UTR 1-2 up to UTR 13; ages 9 to 23 (including pro players)

Key Topics

Development Pyramid (Bottom to Top)

1. Character and heart (foundation) — “If you have a good character, that’s half the battle”
2. Athletic ability — Create athletes first, tennis skills come easier after
3. Mental toughness — How to fight personal demons and the opponent
4. Technique and footwork
5. Overload training — Tennis has become intensely physical
6. Strategy and tactics
7. Tournament scheduling and planning

Daily Structure

• 7:00-7:20 AM: Warm-up (varies daily: jump rope, dumbbells, speed ladder, med ball)
• 7:30-9:30 AM: Tennis hitting (patterns, live ball, consistency, themed sessions)
• 9:30-10:15 AM: Gym/strength
• 10:15 AM - 3:00 PM: School (online, in-person, or flex)
• 3:00-4:00 PM: On-court fitness (bungee cords, BlazePod, plyometrics, agility)
• 4:00-5:45 PM: Tennis (strategy, tactics, ball machine, point situations)
• Philosophy: 4 hours of tennis per day

Weekly Periodization

• Monday: Speed focus; some players rest after weekend tournaments
• Tuesday/Thursday: Individual focus — 1 coach, 2 players, intense 2-hour sessions; also mental toughness sessions
• Wednesday: Toughest day — overload training (1-mile run, 5K, sprints, hill runs, beach runs); simulates tournament fatigue; “Don’t visit on Wednesday”
• Thursday: Slower pace, stretching, point situations
• Friday: Morning only; UTR match play; afternoon off for travel/rest/schoolwork
• Monday/Friday: Mentorship sessions

Nonprofit Model & Funding

• Part of a larger 250-student school (baseball, lacrosse, dance, performing arts — not tennis-only)
• Revenue: School tuition, tennis family donations, alumni donations, grants, family payments (sliding scale)
• Cost-sharing for tournament travel (e.g., planning group trips to ITF events in Jamaica)
• Ambassadorship program: players promote academy via SwingVision video sharing and earn free private lessons
• Can issue student visas for international players through the school

Boarding & Parent Integration

• No boarding for younger students (need adult supervision); postgrads can board
• Younger boarders placed with coach families, grouped by gender and age division
• Development plans updated every 3-4 months by coaches
• Family meetings every 2-3 months (pasta dinners) to discuss academy updates, nutrition, tournament planning
• Parents’ role: logistics, sleep schedules, equipment management, emotional support — “not the coaches”

Mentorship Program

• 6 students to 2 mentors (gender-matched)
• 1-1.5 hour sessions with crafts, coloring, or activities as conversation catalysts
• Students open up about peer pressure, grades, home issues
• “A lot of times when they are acting up on the court, it has nothing to do with tennis”
• Also covers life skills: business basics, values, identity beyond tennis
• Professional players (Leah Karazhancheva, Dian Nedev from Bulgaria) serve as on-court role models

Discipline Philosophy

• Consequences for bad attitude (including picking weeds)
• “Only takes one kid to ruin the environment”
• Kids who consistently violate values are asked to leave
• Discipline applied “with love” — root cause investigation first

Actionable Advice for Families

1. Character and heart should be the foundation, not an afterthought — it enables everything else
2. Rest and recovery are essential: professional players take days off; junior players should too
3. Individualized coaching sessions (1:2 ratio) are where technique problems get fixed — group sessions alone aren’t enough
4. Overload training builds the grit and willpower needed for late-match situations
5. Parents should handle logistics and emotional support; let coaches handle technique and strategy
6. A mentorship program beyond tennis helps identify and address non-tennis issues affecting performance
7. Look for academy environments that will discipline your child appropriately — it’s a sign they care

INTENNSE Relevance

• Nonprofit academy model: Rare structure in tennis — combines school, faith-based values, sliding scale payments, and SwingVision-powered ambassadorship; potential case study for alternative academy economics
• Vandermeer/Fritz connection: Marcin’s pathway through Dennis Vandermeer to Guy Fritz (Taylor Fritz’s father) at College of the Desert illustrates the interconnected coaching network
• WTA coaching pedigree: Marcin’s experience with Azarenka, Ivanovic, Bouchard, and Sven Groeneveld gives credibility to the development pyramid approach
• Mentorship as differentiator: The structured mentorship program distinguishing Inspiration from larger academies is a model worth studying
• SwingVision integration: Using match recording technology as both a development tool and a marketing/ambassadorship channel

Notable Quotes

“Character, heart is on the bottom of our pyramid. That’s our base. That’s our foundation.” — Marcin Rozpedski

“They’re not just a number to us. They’re not just someone else’s kids. We care like it’s our own kid because our kid is there.” — Marcin Rozpedski

“A lot of times when they are acting up on the court, it has nothing to do with tennis. It could be something else. The last thing they need is someone screaming and yelling at them.” — Carley Rozpedski