US NCAA Division I Coaches zero in on young talent at DreamBig Gold Tennis Camp

Manila, Philippines – Junior tennis players who joined the DreamBig Gold Series Tennis Camp at Manila Polo Club, Makati on January 11 and 12, 2020 caught the eye of U.S. NCAA Division I coaches.  

Ezequiel Gils of Rice University, Rob Raines of Cornell University and Jesse Frieder from Boston University were more than pleasantly surprised by the Philippine tennis landscape when they watched the tennis players participate in the extremely intensive tennis training camp.

Twenty young tennis players were given the rare opportunity to be trained by the Division I Tennis coaches and underwent extensive, hands-on training that gave them an insight on of how US colleges run their athletic programs.

“Talent is everywhere. I’ve seen a lot of players who can play at a really high level if they just commit to spending time on the court and practicing. I can’t believe I’ve been missing out on the Philippines in terms of tennis. It’s a place a lot of coaches are missing out on and it’s certainly a place that I’ll keep in mind as I’m recruiting,” added Cornell University Coach Rob Raines.

The coaches were impressed with the campers and their eagerness to learn, with Boston U coach, Jesse Frieder specifically praising the student-athletes for their coachability. “The players here are very coachable, which leads me to believe that if they to end up in any of our teams, we could help them reach for the sky because they’re open to learning and improving.”

The coaches were particularly impressed with several of the country’s up and coming tennis sensations including, the 16-year old son of former Olympian Bea Lucero - Sebastien Lhuillier - who participated in the camp. According to the coaches, almost all the players showed potential to play at the Division I level. 

“Physicality and fitness are so important. It’s so easy to lose to somebody when they hit the ball harder than you because they’re bigger than you are. But if you consistently beat higher-ranked players while winning 3-set matches, you prove to us that you are really tough and gritty. We want to see you in more and more matches because it makes your UTR more accurate and it makes you a tougher tennis player. We want players in our team who are tough; who are not scared of pressure and not scared of the moment.” Coach Frieder said. 

Overall, however, the coaches said it will take more than talent to compete at the world level. With resources becoming readily available, it will take proper mindset, grit, and support from the country for young players to dream big and achieve big.

“It’s more mindset than perhaps even resources. Having someone who is hungry as a child—and I mean hungry to learn— is crucial. We need somebody who wants to be better today than they were yesterday regardless of what their floor is, in terms of talent and athletic ability,” said Rice University Coach Ezequiel Gils

“People who work the hardest, who are disciplined, who go to the gym, who consistently practice buckets of serves, are generally the most confident. You gain confidence from preparation. The more confident the player — the more he or she  is likely to win,” said Coach Jesse Frieder.

“Manila has the facilities, and the weather. You can work on having good fitness. This country surely has the possibility of having a champion someday,” Rice University Coach Ezequiel Gils said.

Akshay Maliwal, Founder and CEO of DreamBig Events said DreamBig is bringing in more camps and tournaments for tennis, golf and soccer this year, to give local junior athletes the opportunity to be discovered by Division I US universities coaches who can help them reach their personal goals and the country’s dream to have Filipino players compete at the international stage.

JUNIOR PH GOLFERS IMPRESS US NCAA DIVISION 1 COACHES

Dasmarinas, Cavite – US NCAA Division 1 Coaches Andrew Larkin of UCLA, Richard Mueller of Columbia University and Christopher Massoleti of UC Berkeley expressed admiration for the 35 young Filipino golfers who joined the DreamBig Gold Series Golf Camp at Orchard Golf & Country Club, Dasmarinas on Dec 16 and 17.

Besides the skills that the junior golfers showed, the coaches said it was their attitude towards the game that impressed them the most.

“Filipino players, compared to other players we’ve conducted the camp with are more eager and willing to learn. They’re more open to instruction and also to criticism. I never had to repeat myself because no one was interrupting. Everybody was eyes on when I was giving a demonstration. There was instantaneous attention to detail and they also asked very intelligent questions. To me, that was very impressive. There’s a lot of talented players that will definitely play high level golf in the U.S.,” said UC Berkeley Coach Chris Massoleti.

Meanwhile, Akshay Maliwal, Founder/CEO of DreamBig Events said, “It was a brilliant opportunity for golfers in the Philippines to get an evaluation about their golfing ability and whether they would have a chance to get recruited to one of these colleges in the future. We have many more events coming to Philippines annually. Stay tuned!”

DreamBig continues its premier camps with the Gold Series Tennis Camp set to open January 2020 at the Manila Polo Club.

US DreamBig Coaches Eager to Scout Promising PH Golfers; Say Golf Talent Abounds in PH

Filipinos have a good chance to make it big in the international sports scene if the country can produce and train more young promising golfers.

Akshay Maliwal, golf champion from the University of California-Berkely, now Founder-CEO of sports events company DreamBig, said US Division I NCAA coaches said this about Filipino golfing talents. Preparations are already underway for The Road To U.S. College Golf, the Gold Series Golf Camp and Tournament that DreamBig Events will stage for junior golfers aged 12 to 18 years old this December.

For the first time US Division I NCAA golf coaches are coming to Manila this December to conduct a 1-day pre-qualifying tournament for the Callaway Future Champions Golf (FCG) World Championship scheduled in July in Rancho Mirage, California and a two-day camp that will expose junior golfers to guided game sessions that will sharpen their practice and pre-tournament skills.

To be flown here directly by DreamBig, the golf coaches – Andrew Larkin from the University of Califiornia – Los Angeles (UCLA), Rich Muller from Columbia University and Mark Anderson from University of Pennsylvania -- will run the two-day golf clinic while actively watching the young golfers participate in the 2-day FCG Golf Tournament.

“The coaches are very eager to meet the young Filipino golfers because they’ve heard a lot about the talented golfers who come from the Philippines. Young Filipino golfers here have the built-in advantage of having beautiful golf courses with good facilities that they can train on. That, plus their innate golfing talent is a powerful mix; the only thing missing is a strong grassroots and junior program so the country can produce many more golf champions in the future. Asian athletes need proper guidance and training to compete on a global scale,” Maliwal noted.

He added that the golf camp and tournament, which participants can take as a package or as individual events, will place them in a good situation to be noticed and possibly recruited by foreign coaches who can steer them into golf scholarship programs in the best schools in the U.S.

“Dream Big is a big believer in the talent of young Filipinos in golf. That is why we took great pains to bring both a pre-qualifying tournament and the Gold Series Camp to Manila. We wanted to provide young golfers and their families the convenience of experiencing both the camp and the tournament here so they can do away with the long travel time and extended stay in a foreign country. It will save them more money and give the young talents better conditions to learn their game. Not only will they be able to interact more deeply with the foreign coaches, they can save costs in travel, inland transportation, board and lodging and miscellaneous expenses. They will save USD 5000 if they join the camp and tournament here instead of availing of it abroad,” Maliwal explained.

The FCG tournament also gives local jungolfers the rare chance of qualifying in the Philippines instead of having to travel to the US to test their chances there.

DreamBig’s “The Road To U.S. College Golf, Gold Series Golf Camp” and the tournament are limited to 30 participants only to enable personalized and customized instruction for each athlete.

Interested Junior Golfers may register here : https://fcg.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/fcg19/event/fcg1993/index.htm

Huge Savings for Junior Golfers joining DreamBig Gold Series Golf Camp in Manila Instead of Travelling Abroad

When the DreamBig Gold Series Golf Camp and Tournament opens at Orchard Golf & Country Club on December 17 and 18, 2019, junior golfers living in the Philippines will not only be able to hone their talents and get the chance to be scouted by world-class coaches. They will also enjoy huge savings and other conveniences of having the golf camps travel to Manila instead of them going abroad to join them.

Headlined as The Road To U.S. College Golf, the Dream Big golf camp will be preceded by the first-ever Future Champions Golf (FCG)-Dream Big Golf Challenger Series on December 16 and 17, a qualifier for the FCG Callaway World Championship. The winner of each age division in the Orchard tournament will qualify for direct entry to the FCG Callaway World Junior Golf Championship 2020 that will take place at Rancho Mirage, California on July 13 to 15, 2020.

Golf Coaches from topmost schools in the US NCAA Division 1 – UCLA (University of California – Los Angeles), Columbia University and UC Berkeley – will run the two-day golf clinic and oversee the 2-day FCG Golf Tournament.

Open to all junior golfers aged 12 to 18 years old, interested junior golfers and their parents have a choice of participating in both the tournament and the golf camp, or just one of the two activities.

“Either way they will be getting a tremendous advantage if they choose to join the tournament and the camp in Manila. The cost of the trip, the tuition and the accommodations abroad is quite prohibitive for players who want to bring their game to a whole new level. But now, Golf Coaches from topmost schools in the US NCAA Division 1 – UCLA (University of California – Los Angeles), Columbia University and UC Berkeley – are coming and will run the two-day golf clinic here. The savings will be tremendous,” said Akshay Maliwal, Founder and CEO of DreamBig Events, who will stage the twin activities.

Maliwal said participants will save over USD 5000 by joining the camp in Manila and enjoy other advantages as well. The expenses abroad for camp tuition, airfare, board and lodging for athlete and chaperone, local transport expenses, and miscellaneous costs will add up to USD 5,900 and the athlete has to set aside seven days for travel and the camp itself.

“In contrast, taking advantage of the Gold Series Golf Camp and Tournament in Manila will cost only USD 870 and will take out just three days from the athletes’ schedule. Airfare and travel costs are eliminated, as well as board and lodging. Over and above that, the Manila camp includes a qualifying tournament in the package – something that the camps abroad do not offer. With just one event, athletes have the opportunity to qualify for the Callaway Junior Tournament – the top tournament for junior golfers – and hone their skills at the camp as well. They have better access and opportunities to interact closely with the US coaches here; whereas interaction with coaches at similar camps in the US, is extremely limited,” Maliwal said.

At the camp, campers will experience guided range and short game sessions that will allow them to sharpen their practice and pre-tournament routines. They will be given instruction that will help them expand their course management skills and prepare them for competition, as well as expose them to US coaching styles and competition at a higher level. The camp is limited to 30 participants only to enable personalized and customized instruction for each athlete.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for young golf talents in the Philippines to put their country in the world map of junior golf. We have worked hard to bring this camp to Asia and the Philippines in particular because we believe in the wealth of talents here,” Maliwal said.

Interested Junior Golfers may register here : https://fcg.bluegolf.com/bluegolf/fcg19/event/fcg1993/index.htm

Big boost for Junior Tennis as Elite US NCAA Division 1 coaches visit Manila at the DreamBig Gold Series Tennis Tournament and Camp in January 2020

Here’s a unique opportunity for junior tennis players to hone their skills and train under top-notch college coaches right here in Manila.

DreamBig Events will stage the “Gold Series College Exposure Tennis Camp”, a two-day tennis camp preceded by a two-day UTR tournament, at the Manila Polo Club on January 9-12, 2020. The sports events company stages tournaments and camp experiences to junior athletes so they can improve their skills and tournament performances.

Touted as the “Road to College Tennis”, the Event will give young athletes in the Philippines the all-important training and opportunity to network with world-class coaches – putting them in a good position to potentially get recruited to top U.S. University/ College tennis teams.

The event aims to provide young tennis players with play level-based competitions with an opportunity to build up their Universal Tennis Rating (UTR). The UTR is the world’s only results–based rating system in tennis that provides an accurate measurement of a player’s level – from newbie to pro to the world’s top tennis players. Armed with a UTR, tennis players get a higher chance of being recruited by top U.S. College coaches who use the rating for their rosters.

Three top collegiate coaches – Alex Wong from Brown University, Rob Raines from Cornell University in New York and Jessie Frieder from Boston University -- will run the camp. They will evaluate each player carefully, with advice and guidance for improvement in specific areas of their game while assessing their readiness to move on to the next level on their journey to possible career as a tennis professional or as a top collegiate tennis player.

Why the need to go through the US collegiate system to excel in tennis? “Because US universities are the gateway to international competition and recognition. The schools are equipped with the newest technology and uphold the highest game standards. Coaches there work extremely hard, not just on individual fitness and skill levels, but also on the athlete’s mental, psychological and competitive outlook to give them the best opportunity to maximize their talents and reach new heights,” said Akshay Maliwal, Founder and CEO of DreamBig.

“Ambitions have to start somewhere – and for many of our participants, their ambition is to study and play their sport in the US. DreamBig Events enables student-athletes to experience the life of a US collegiate that takes them to the edge of world class competition,” Maliwal added.

Previous DreamBig Gold Series Camps have produced top local athletes like Stefan Lhuiller, Nik Gatmaytan, Jerome Romualdez and Tomi Arejola, among others, who have successfully pursued their US collegiate athletic dreams

Interested participants may register now at https://dreambig.events/gold-series-tennnis-camp/

For the First Time, Top-Ranked NCAA Division 1 Golf Coaches in Manila to Scout Junior Golfing Talent

Junior golfers in the Philippines will get a chance this December to showcase their game and talent and possibly get recruited to some of the best universities in the world!

DreamBig Events, a sports events company dedicated to providing a positive, motivating and challenging platform for young athletes living in Asia to improve their sporting skills is bringing world-class golf coaches for the first time in Asia. Its Gold Series Golf Camp, headlined as The Road To U.S. College Golf, is open to junior golfers aged 12 to 18 years old and will be held at the Orchard Golf & Country Club on December 17 and 18, 2019.

Golf Coaches from topmost schools in the US NCAA Division 1 – UCLA (University of California – Los Angeles), Columbia University and UC Berkeley – will run the two-day golf clinic while actively watching the young golfers participate in the 2-day FCG Golf Tournament.

At the camp, campers will experience guided range and short game sessions that will allow them to sharpen their practice and pre-tournament routines. They will be given instruction that will help them expand their course management skills and prepare them for competition, as well as expose them to US coaching styles and competition at a higher level. The camp is limited to 30 participants only to enable personalized and customized instruction for each athlete.

“This is an exceptional opportunity for young golfers to interact with world-class coaches and glimpse the future of how their game can evolve and take them to places they’ve never been before. Learning under these top-calibre coaches is a privilege that only a few can experience, and to have them right here in Manila to train and teach them is a big advantage in terms of savings on time and travel expenses,” said Akshay Maliwal, Founder and CEO of DreamBig Events.

Maliwal explained that the camp opens up the pathway to college golf in the U.S., which in turn will help athletes develop their athleticism and prepare them to compete on the world stage while they become a legitimate part of the US College athletics ecosystem.

“These camps do not just hone young athletes’ skills, they introduce and familiarize athletes with the college recruiting process and lets them experience, even for two days, a day in the life of a college athlete at a top academic and athletic university,” Maliwal added.

DreamBig Events has been working with coaches from top NCAA Division 1 and Division 3 universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, Brown, New York University, Tufts and Carnegie Mellon University, Claremont-Mckenna, Johns Hopkins University, among others, for the last three years.

“Asia, the Philippines in particular, is rich in golfing talent that only needs to be discovered and honed. All young talents need is one big break to change their lives and put this region on the world map of golf. It all begins in camps like these. And because our camps offer a wide array of activities, campers have fun as they learn all the good stuff,” Maliwal said.

Interested participants may register now at https://dreambig.events/gold-series-golf-camp/