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Friday, March 29, 2024

Mac’s Crankit Tennis Academy: Bringing PH tennis to higher level

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Coach Pat, as he she is fondly called by peers and her students, was born in Manila and migrated to Australia before she reached her teens. 

She was doing well as a junior tennis player but her calling was actually to become maker of champion. She pursued her talent for teaching until she became one of the few elite Level 3 coaches from the Australian Tennis Professional Coach Association (ATPCA). 

For all her accomplishments, her heart still belongs to her native country. 

“We want to help our talented (Filipino) kids reach their full potential,” said coach Patricia Albano-Concon-Puzon. 

In 2012, coach Pat put up Mac’s Crankit Tennis Academy in Australia, primarily to help disadvantaged youth and aspiring coaches. 

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She discovered her love and interest of coaching after completing her ATPCA coach training from the Graduate Pro entry level accreditation to the highest Master Pro Level 3. 

Frances Angelica Santiago is one of the products of MAC Crankit’s tennis program

Being on the level of a Master Pro Level 3, Puzon can certify coaches internationally, realizing that her true calling was tennis coaching and mentoring. 

“My priority is to actually help the community by sponsoring children who have potential in making it to the Big Open,” Puzon said, sharing that a solid and a successful coaching career in Australia made her realize to bring the standards of professional coaching training to her native land. 

Puzon believes that the ATPCA Coach Training will provide opportunities for coaches and children in disadvantaged communities and will pave a way forward to people who look for career options, both national and international, in tennis. 

“We all know that half of the class of athletes being sponsored from the Philippines to travel and create their dreams under the International Tennis Federation (ITF) is very scarce,” said Puzon. 

With Lebanese expat Fadi El Soury, coach Pat found a perfect ally and together they put up Mac’s Crank it Philippines. 

Fadi, owner of Fadi lines of tennis apparel and equipment, has made the Philippines is home and for him, the best way to give back is to help “develop world-class Filipino tennis players who can compete in top level international events.” 

Fadi is well aware of the politics currently engulfing Philippine tennis and he is quick to clarify that “we are not against or for anyone. We just want to help any kid who cannot even buy proper uniform and equipment. Any kid who has potential can be sponsored by MAC’s Crankit.” 

Officials of MAC’sCrankit Philippines (From left) chairman Fadi El-Soury, player Frances Angelica Santiago, founder/vice President and coach Patricia Albano-Concon-Puzon, president Georgina Ramos, corporate secretary Johanna Patricia Ramos. 

For a couple of years now, they have been sponsoring exchange students from Australia and the Philippines. 

Just recently, they brought young players with Filipino blood and others with foreign descent to play in an age-group tournament in General Santos City. 

One of their best products is Frances Angelica Santiago, currently no. 8 in the women’s national pool. 

The 16-year-old trained for three months in Australia and joined competitions. She won the 2016 New Southwales Age Group tournament and two more. Her feats allowed her to improve her rankings from 600 to 6,000 in the senior women’s players in Australia. 

The secret, according to coach Pat, is “to teach the coaches first before teaching out the kids. We want to teach coaches to become certified professional coaches and she is doing it in the Philippines “almost for free.” 

With Fadi and coach Pat in their mission are Georgina Ramos, president and Johanna Patricia Ramos, corporate secretary, and treasure Dalia Puzon. 

“Our mission is to standardized competencies in the sport of tennis for every level,” Mac’sCrankit president Georgina Ramos said, mentioning to achieve the aim of the organization in the country so that everybody is on the same page in the sport of tennis. 

Aside from establishing a tennis academy in the Philippines, Ramos shared that they also envision togive aspiring coaches a chance to have a career within the world of tennis. “We also aim to give community services by reaching out to the marginalized and the disadvantaged few,” added Ramos. 

MAC’s Crankit focuses on inspiring and developing tennis players, regardless of their financial background.  “This is basically what we are here for. We also aim to let others know that MAC’sCrankit is here permanently,” Ramos ended.

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