Tennis Europe is delighted to announce Minerva’s Virtual Academy, an award-winning online school from London for athletes aged 12-18, as its official online school partner.
The need for a flexible education is crucial within the sport of tennis. Minerva's Virtual Academy provides a holistic, all-encompassing education that can be accessed anywhere in the world and can adapt to training and tournament schedules.
Young tennis players have often felt the need to choose between their tennis careers and their education, with many dropping out of school at an early age. The partnership aims to show that within the sport, a dual pathway is possible, so young athletes do not have to sacrifice education and qualifications.
As part of this partnership, Minerva's Virtual Academy will also be offering a significant number of scholarships to European players from economically less developed nations to support them in achieving their athletic and academic goals.
Elite Athlete Education Officer Fabian Spiess said, 'Tennis is probably the most prevalent sport in which we see players struggling to manage their education alongside their sport. It is a pleasure for us at MVA to be working with such a prestigious organisation as Tennis Europe to help as many young tennis players as possible receive a quality education that fits around them.”
“As with many sports performed at a high level, Tennis requires a significant amount of training time and travel overseas which just isn't manageable alongside a traditional school. We are able to offer a flexible timetable, a reduced number of hours in the classroom, and the ability to take your entire school with you, wherever you are in the world.”
Students learn the International Curriculum at GCSE and A Level from a faculty of top teaching staff and are welcomed into a thriving, global community of young athletes and performers. Young tennis players in particular are assisted by a unique mentoring programme which is supported by the school’s fortnightly High-Performance Club, run by 2 former professional athletes, which focuses on topics such as Performance, Identity and Values, Mindfulness, Scholarships, Banned Substances, and Nutrition.
Thomas Hammerl, CEO of Tennis Europe said, “Education is a crucial component of our strategy. As the governing body of junior tennis in Europe, we believe that it is our responsibility to ensure that our youngest players receive the best possible support in terms of education. With this new partnership with Minerva our juniors from all European Member Nations can earn their high school diploma online and focus on their tennis career at the same time.”
For more information, visit https://tennis.minervavirtual.com/