The new year started off very special for tennis-loving twin girls Alina and Marisa: Alina, or rather her dad Mirko, had won the New Year's camp at the PMTR Tennis Academy in Mülheim an der Ruhr . So, the whole family of four traveled to the Ruhr region on New Year's Day. Mirko wrote us a fantastic travel report – we're delighted! And of course, we're most pleased that the family had wonderful days of tennis at PMTR and the B&B Hotel Mülheim ! But read for yourselves:
On New Year's Day afternoon, we set off towards Mülheim an der Ruhr and, apart from a bit of traffic in Baden-Württemberg, made good time and arrived at the hotel around 7 pm. Check-in at the B&B Hotel Mülheim was very friendly, and we were able to quickly settle into our two double rooms on the 4th floor. The hotel also has family rooms available, if desired.
The next morning, the tennis camp was scheduled to begin at 8:15 a.m. So, I quickly grabbed a hearty breakfast of cold cuts, cheese, jam, fresh rolls, an egg, and yogurt to fuel me up. The buffet offered a wider selection of breads, fruit salad, fruit juices, and of course, coffee. Afterward, I grabbed the tennis bag I'd packed the night before and headed off to PMTR. The drive between the hotel and the training grounds takes just under 10 minutes.
On-site, athletes will find a very large facility with 16 outdoor courts (13 clay, 3 hard courts) including a practice wall. A hockey club is located in the immediate vicinity, and PMTR uses its artificial turf for athletic training. The building also houses a fitness and wellness club as well as a restaurant (more on that later). The tennis hall is modern and features four carpet courts. The entire complex is situated directly on the Ruhr River, and a pleasant riverside path invites visitors to take a stroll or go for a run.
In addition to coaching sessions, tournament coaching and camps, PMTR also offers tennis shoes and clothing, a stringing service, racket advice and sports nutrition in its shop.
Mr. Schumann welcomed the participants and their parents, introduced the coaching team, announced the theme of the four-day camp (game situations from movement), and outlined the group assignments and the general daily schedule. He emphasized the following points: punctuality, packing and carrying one's own tennis bag, and healthy eating, especially without soft drinks (mineral water or apple spritzer are preferable). He also encouraged participants to approach their assigned coaches directly with any important issues or concerns to find a solution. Mr. Schumann himself was, of course, also available as a contact person if needed. During our stay, he also asked us directly how the children and we were enjoying ourselves.
After the opening remarks and a joint warm-up, Alina and Marisa immediately began their stroke training with their respective groups and coaches Birgit "Ro(b)be" and Romanus (the tennis coaches were supplemented by Dominic for additional participants). Other groups went outside for their first athletics session with Alex and Max. In the second round of activities that morning, the groups switched locations before the children all had lunch together at the FAIR1-HEIM. The restaurant places great emphasis on organic and locally sourced food and provided exemplary service to the children. Advice on conscious and sustainable eating and lifestyle is also available on-site. As parents, we ate there twice and praised the team for the quality of the food.
Cool Fair1heim with delicious food and a nice atmosphere
While Alina participated in the tennis and athletics sessions in the afternoon, Marisa wanted to explore the area with us. Mr. Schumann had kindly sent us some tips during our preliminary discussion. These included the Camera Obscura , the Saarner shopping street and the Rhein-Ruhr Center in Mülheim, and the huge Centro shopping mall in Oberhausen. We also visited the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Essen. During the school holidays, they have an outdoor ice rink there, which was very busy that day despite the rain.
Ice rink at the Zollverein Coal Mine
Duisburg offers a fantastic zoo, the Landschaftspark Nord (North Landscape Park), and Tiger & Turtle , a walk-through roller coaster sculpture. Illuminated at night, it's a truly unique experience with a great view.
The walk-through roller coaster at Tiger&Turtle Park is simply brilliant
So the time passed quickly for us parents as well.
When asked about their impressions of the camp, our daughters unanimously replied, "We had a lot of fun training with the other children" and "It was cool to practice other sports such as baseball in addition to different game situations in tennis.".
Where might there be opportunities for improvement? There's a half-hour break between the athletics and tennis sessions. Some children were using smartphones or game consoles. Alina, for example, would rather play a match or practice serves and returns...
Many thanks to Susanne from TennisTraveller and Claus Schumann, and of course to the coaching team, for the fantastic four days. We all had a great time!
And if you're now interested in a tennis camp at the PMTR Tennis Academy, you can choose the right camp for you from the 2019 camp program
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