As we begin Term 3 at BISP, we are fortunate to welcome Coach Miguel to the BISP Tennis Academy. Miguel is originally from Venezuela but has spent the last few years in Hong Kong as the Head of Player Development at Bruguera Tennis Academy. His qualifications include RPT Tennis Director level 4, USPTA Tennis Professional, LTA level 3, International Coaches Institute Professional Tennis Director and Kovacs Institute Serve Specialist. He retired from Professional tennis in 2011 to follow his passion for journalism and coaching. Since 2011 he has coached the Venezuelan Tennis Federation, along with multiple different clubs in the UK.  

We are excited about the passion and experience he brings to the program. He is joined by his wife and their young daughter. Let’s take some time to get to know Coach Miguel a little bit more…

Coach Miguel was ranked among the world’s top 100 as a junior player before achieving rankings of 671 in the ATP singles and 636 doubles as a professional. He also won several titles that earned him the right to represent Venezuela at the Davis Cup. 

After an early retirement aged 22, Miguel devoted himself to his studies and coaching career, gaining a degree in journalism while concurrently serving as a High-Performance Director at the Venezuelan Tennis Federation. He then moved to London to complete a master’s in Sports Journalism at the prestigious St Mary’s University. In addition, he worked as a head coach in the renowned Roehampton Tennis Club and Love Tennis Academy and studied for several high-level coaching qualifications to further his teaching skills. 

After his endeavour in Europe, Miguel was summoned by The Bruguera Academy Hong Kong to act as Head of Development and High-Performance coach. He successfully coached all player standards for three years, including professional players, top 100 ITF juniors, and developing players of all ages who wished to excel.

What is your role as Performance coach and how do you anticipate BISP students and parents will connect with you? 

My role as head of performance is to closely monitor core aspects of the programme such as training and competition activity, quality attention for every player within the programme, athlete support, and development of team culture and the daily training environment. To ensure that key objectives are being met for the desired impact: building great competitors and excellent human beings. Covering all aspects of an individual will naturally connect me with my players and their families. 

What do you enjoy most about working in education?

Having the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives. 

What attracted you to BISP?

What most attracted me was that BISP is a school where high-performance sports are a priority. It’s a place where my commitment to the sport is valued and where the school will provide all the possible means to make sure the tennis programme rises to the next level. So I saw it as a fantastic opportunity to build one of the best tennis academies in Thailand. 

What’s a professional skill, or area of interest, that you’re keen on developing at BISP?

As I’ve never worked within a school environment, I’m curious to understand a school ecosystem and how it works. And BISP being such a prestigious and well-known school, gives me an excellent opportunity to learn and understand how a well-managed school is handled. 

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

Besides spending time with my wife and my one-year-old daughter Margarita, as a Venezuelan native, I’m a massive fan of our number one sport: baseball.

What behaviour or personality trait do you most attribute your success to, and why?

I believe the word consistency is the key to life. If you’re consistent with good habits and keep working day by day, little by little, in the long run, you will be successful. Life is a marathon; it’s not a sprint. It’s a matter of being consistent in everything you do that will allow you to achieve your ultimate goals. 

What advice would you give to your teenage self?

I always tell my players that if I could go back and talk to my young self, I would say: Please be careful with what you eat and make sure you’re being coached by someone who believes in you.