Porsche Junior Team visiting the Porsche Exclusive Manufactory
The tennis talents from the Porsche Junior Team have developed well in the 2022 season and attracted attention with numerous successes. "We're on the right track," said head national coach Barbara Rittner at the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen, which she visited with her players as part of a training course.
by p.m
last edit: Oct 19, 2022, 04:46 pm
The detour to the Porsche parent plant was one of the items on the program of the one-week course that the players completed at the Porsche-supported German Tennis Association (DTB) national base in Stuttgart-Stammheim. The talents promoted in the Porsche Junior Team are generally under the age of 18, still go to school and should be prepared for a tennis career in a professional environment. As part of the promotion of young talent by Porsche and the DTB, the focus is on the holistic training of talent. In addition to classic training units on the indoor courts, the course also included media training and a social media workshop with presentations by Porsche experts and a photo shoot at the federal base.
During their visit to the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, the players were able to admire very special Porsche vehicles that have been handcrafted according to the individual wishes of customers. And get an impression of how the specialists at Porsche's special request customer service bring the dreams of car lovers to life with their experience and passion. The keen interest of the talents as well as the DTB trainer team was reflected in the various questions about the extraordinary vehicles and the process of their creation. After the tour, there was interview training for the players in the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, led by Eurosport presenter Matthias Stach. Such measures are intended to give the talents the necessary self-confidence for encounters with the media.
"Prepare for what may come your way"
"It is very special for all of us to be here at Porsche and to be able to take a look behind the scenes. Seeing this passion and professionalism is also a good experience for the players. They will take a lot home with them." , said Barbara Rittner, head national coach at the German Tennis Association, which has had a successful partnership with Porsche since 2012. The interview training, which is accompanied by practical exercises, is also important for their further development towards professional tennis: "We want to prepare them for what can come their way, want to sensitize them to dealing with the media, take away their fears of contact and give them a certain security."
Among the players who came to Zuffenhausen with their team supervisors were Julia Stusek, Ella Seidel and Carolina Kuhl, the most successful talents of the Porsche Junior Team this year. Julia Stusek, born in 2008 and thus the youngest in the team, won the "Les Petits As", one of the world's most important U14 youth tournaments, in Tarbes, France. Ella Seidel and Carolina Kuhl caused a stir at the Grand Slam tournaments this season when they reached the US Open junior doubles final together. In addition, they were each in a Grand Slam quarterfinals: Carolina Kuhl at the Australian Open, Ella Seidel at Wimbledon.
"The best young people in the world meet at these tournaments," says Barbara Rittner. "If we are well represented there with our talents, that gives a lot of hope for the future."