Both Rafa Nadal and Carlos Moyá deliver an inspiring message to the center’s students after finishing their training in Manacor.
In an emotional ceremony, a total of 52 young students graduated this Wednesday from the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, thus ending their academic and tennis stage at the Campus located in Manacor. As is tradition, Rafa Nadal presided over the ceremony and addressed the families, teachers and young students with an inspiring message:
“A few months ago I had the opportunity to visit the Italian dolomites with a good friend and rival, Roger Federer. And there on the mountain we had a very interesting conversation about a word that seems very important to me: Legacy.
Both Roger and I agreed on something that seemed extremely important to us. How do we want to be remembered in a few years? How do we want future generations to see us? And we were both very clear about the answer. Yes, it is very good that they recognize our successes, our titles and our records. But that is something temporary since, throughout history, it is likely that others will arrive and surpass it.
The important thing is what remains forever in the memory. And that’s why both Roger and I agree that we would like to be remembered as good people. We live in a society that emphasizes WHAT and NOW above all else. But I want to emphasize the importance of HOW. When you are at university or on the tennis courts, ask yourself from time to time, how would I like to be remembered by my classmates? For my teachers? For my friends? Now that the word is very fashionable, I could tell you to try to be INFLUENCERS in your environment, but I like the term REFERENTS better. May the people who are next to you see you as someone to imitate for your values.”
The former world number 1, Roland Garros champion in 1998 and winner of 20 ATP titles Carlos Moyà was the godfather of a very special event for young tennis players, in which he took over the baton from Pau Gasol, David Ferrer, Ona Carbonell, Ricky Rubio and Iga Swiatek, who accompanied Rafa at graduations in recent years (Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova did so electronically in 2020). Moyá did not want to miss the opportunity to highlight Rafa’s own personality and values: “When I started working with Rafa, one of my concerns was what our relationship was going to be like, I have known him since he was 11 years old and I have seen him grow until now although in different situations. We have experienced countless situations together both on and off the court, he has been a training partner, a party partner (we have and had the right to have fun), a friend, Davis Cup winners together in what is probably my most beautiful memory on a court of tennis, rivals, doubles partners, all that and more but never in the role of working with him, demanding him at some moments, listening to him at others, living together, traveling, winning, losing, having a hard time in times of injuries, and I have to To say that I have never in my life felt a lack of respect towards myself or towards any member of the team, and that is something almost impossible to see today. If you watch games on television you will realize what I am saying.”
The 52 students thus end their time at the Rafa Nadal School, a mixed Anglo-American international education school for children between 3 and 18 years old located at the Rafa Nadal Academy. Although the original concept of the school was designed with the objective that the tennis players of the Academy could make tennis training compatible with academic training, Rafa wanted from the first moment to open the doors to all the young people of Mallorca, whether they were tennis players or not, to so that everyone could benefit from the facilities and the academic program. This allows the academy’s tennis players to coexist in the classrooms with other students, which enhances enriching exchanges and educational and cultural experiences. The Rafa Nadal School has modern, technological, sports and comfortable facilities that constitute an ideal setting for teaching.
One of the great objectives of the academy is to provide its students with the opportunity to access a University in the United States or any other part of the world, with a tennis and/or academic scholarship. To date, 100% of the tennis students who have graduated and planned to go to the US to study have been accepted and have received scholarships at American universities.
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2024-06-12 19:50:24
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