COCOPLUM
Living AUGUST 2017
A Social Newsletter Exclusively For The Residents of Cocoplum, Islands of Cocoplum & Tahiti Beach
CONGRATULATIONS TO
EMILY
MARTINEZ-LANZA
ON HER RECENT
ENGAGEMENT!
meet cocoplum's rising tennis star
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Game, set, match: Valentina Rossi has recently won in the Girl’s 11 Sectionals for the “Little Mo” Tennis Tournament, making her a qualifying player for the Eastern Regionals. Though she is only 11-years old, Rossi aims to become a professional tennis player and it seems she is well on her way to achieving that goal with her recent success. Her parents support her vision entirely. “We’re so proud of her. She has a dedication to her training and she enjoys the game. Whatever you do in life you need to enjoy it, so we’re glad she’s happy,” her father Patricio beams.
The Cocoplum family first saw tennis as a fun activity to bond, but soon, Rossi’s natural talent could not be ignored, and she decided to play competitively. “She puts so much heart into it that sooner or later I knew in the back of my mind that she was gonna make it. I didn’t know when or how, but I knew that she was on the right path,” her mother Yury relates on Rossi’s pivotal victory. The “Little Mo” Tournament is not only a premier challenge for young players, but it is an event founded on behalf of a player whose story greatly inspires the Rossi’s. Valentina attends Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls school, so “Little Mo” is important to her as a female legend in tennis. Maureen “Little Mo” Connolly was the first woman to win the Grand Slam of tennis in 1953 by winning the Australian Championships, the French Championships, Wimbledon, and the United States Championships. Having only been eighteen years old when she won the title, another first, “Little Mo” gained a great following and shared her love for the game by creating the Maureen Connolly Brinker Tennis Foundation in 1968. Many all-time Tennis greats have taken part and won in the “Little Mo” tournaments. Valentina aspires to follow in those footsteps. Before the recent tournament, she had played in KTown, Key Biscayne, and Coral Gables Tournaments and earned 1st place in all three of them. Last year, she won first place in the USTA Junior Tennis Competition in Midtown Athletic Club in Weston, Florida for Girls 10 and under Singles. Rossi has had numerous coaches that help with all aspects of her game, from fitness to training, and her father also plays with her regularly. When asked if he takes it easy on her, Rossi’s quick to shake her head and laugh. Rossi’s training process is highly advanced for a player her age. Every day after school at Carrollton, Rossi hits the courts for a couple of hours to warm up and play a couple of practice matches. During that practice, she takes an observational approach by studying her game and working on what she needs to correct, even if it takes days to improve. “When I see I’m off, I stop and work on it,” Rossi says. Something she wants to focus on before the regionals is her double faults, but she’s confident in her forehand crosscourt and backhand.
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Rather than focusing on sheer force, Rossi’s game is to maintain control and set the pace on the court. “For my game I have found that it’s better to hit with more control than power. That’s what I like about my favorite player Roger Federer.” This control of the game transitions to her sportsmanship, as she says that she likes to keep a cool head. “I think it’s okay to lose a point because there’s going to be so many other games and matches that you’ll play, so it doesn’t change anything.” Her father influenced her mental game, always reminding her to, “Stay strong and go for your shots.” Ana Ivanović, Serena Williams, and her favorite tennis player, Roger Federer, have also inspired her game. “They put their heart in the sport and really commit. Heart and mental game are their biggest strengths,” Rossi says on the professionals. On the big day, Rossi couldn’t help but be a bit nervous for her first momentous match. Each match has two sets, and Valentina won her first two matches 6-0, 6-0, and 6-1, 6-0. Advancing to the finals, Valentina faced the number 1 ranked player in the tournament. Her nerves began to dissipate as soon as the match began. “Once I started playing the nerves wore off and I was able to just focus, concentrate on my game, and go for my shots,” Rossi admits. She ended up winning the match 7-2, 7-6 with a tie breaker of 6-3. “It was definitely the toughest opponent I have played against, so I’m thankful that I ended up winning,” the 11-year old realizes as she prepares for the East Regionals in September. “I feel like I can actually win the regionals if I really train hard in these three months. One aspect of my game that I am working on now is putting more of a topspin on my serve.” Four winners of the Eastern Regionals will move on to the ESPN televised Nationals and Rossi is ready for the challenge. Her mother is very excited for the upcoming tournament, saying, “That’s all she does: lives and breathes tennis. She’s very committed at such a young age to the game and the sport.” In 5 years, Valentina Rossi sees herself training to become a professional tennis player. She wants to start at 18 years old to give herself more time to really learn the game while balancing school first. Cocoplum Living is proud to support Valentina Rossi and we are rooting for her to make her first debut on ESPN later this year! Good luck in the Eastern Regionals Valentina!
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I feel like I can actually win the regionals if I really train hard in these three months. I’m adjusting to put more of a topspin in my serve.”
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