Why Thanksgiving week is worth training through
- School is out. Many schools close for all or part of the week, which makes it the first real chance since the school year began to string together full training days without missing class.
- Northern players escape the cold. By late November, juniors across much of the country have moved indoors for the winter. A week of outdoor play in South Florida, in sun and wind, is training they cannot get at home.
- It sets up the winter tournament stretch. December and early January are busy on the junior calendar. A training block at the end of November leaves several weeks to absorb the work before those events, instead of cramming it into the week before a draw.
What Saviano's Thanksgiving Program looks like
The Thanksgiving Program is not a separate camp group. Visiting and local players train inside the full-time developmental group, alongside the academy's year-round players, at a maximum 4:1 player-to-coach ratio on lighted Har-Tru clay and hard courts. Nick Saviano — a former world No. 48 and the author of Maximum Tennis — directs the program each day. In his words:
I personally design and direct every aspect of our training program, and I am typically on court daily working with all of our players.
Nick Saviano, founder and head coach
| Schedule | Time | Block |
|---|---|---|
| Full days (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) | 7:30–9:45 | Session 1 |
| Full days (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) | 9:45–11:45 | Break |
| Full days (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) | 12:00–2:00 | Session 2 |
| Full days (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) | 2:15–3:15 | Performance training |
| 12-and-under half day | 9:45–11:45 | Half day |
| Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) | 8:00–10:00 | Tennis only |
| Thanksgiving Day (Thursday) | 11:30–1:30 | Tennis only — no fitness |
Spaces are limited and tuition is paid in advance. Current rates are on the Thanksgiving Program page.
Two details help with planning. The two-hour break between sessions needs food and rest built into it. And Thanksgiving Day ends at 1:30 with no fitness block, so the afternoon stays free for the family's holiday.
Who the week suits
- Local juniors on school break. A South Florida player who trains after school all fall gets something different from this week: full days, more volume, and match play against players they have not faced before.
- Visiting players. Northern and international juniors can bank a week of outdoor training before their winter season. Three international airports are within 50 minutes of the academy — Fort Lauderdale is about 15 minutes away and Miami about 25.
- Families testing the academy before a bigger decision. A holiday week shows you the real coaching, group and culture, and shows the coaches your player, before anyone commits to a season. Families who want a formal read can follow it with the Saviano Evaluation, a one-to-one assessment by Nick Saviano of the player's level, development opportunities and career path.
Because the week runs inside the full-time group, it suits players who already train and compete regularly; younger players can take the 12-and-under half day. If you are unsure whether your player fits, ask before booking — a program that asks about level is grouping its players properly. What separates a real training week from a recreational camp is covered in our guide to high performance tennis camps.
How to get the most out of one week
- Send results ahead. Share the player's recent results, ranking or UTR when you book, so the coaches know the player's level before Monday morning rather than spending the first day finding out.
- Agree on one or two priorities early. A week is long enough to sharpen a pattern or a habit, not to rebuild a stroke. Ask the coaches on day one what they want the player to work on, and again on Friday what to keep working on at home.
- Protect sleep and food. Full days that start at 7:30 are a step up for many visiting players. Early nights and a real breakfast do more for the week than any drill.
- Leave room after the week. Avoid entering a tournament the weekend straight after a full training week. The work needs a few days to settle before it shows up in matches.
Planning the week
- Reserve early. Spaces are limited and tuition is paid in advance. Check current rates on the Thanksgiving Program page, or call (954) 603-8812.
- Arrive by Sunday. Thanksgiving week is a heavy travel week, so book flights early. The first session starts at 7:30 on Monday morning.
- Arrange accommodation. Saviano is a day academy, not a boarding school, so visiting families stay nearby and treat the week as a family trip — the beaches are 15 minutes away.
- Pack for late November. Early mornings can be cool enough for a warm-up layer, and middays are usually warm with strong sun. Bring sunscreen, a hat, a large water bottle, more shirts than seems necessary, and shoes suited to both clay and hard courts.
- Plan Thursday around the courts. Sessions run 8:00–10:00 and 11:30–1:30 on Thanksgiving Day. A late-afternoon dinner lets the player train and the family celebrate.
The next block: the Winter Program
For players who want a second block, the Winter Program runs over winter break in four-day weeks, Monday to Thursday, with the same 7:30–3:15 day and the same 12-and-under half day, 9:45–11:45. The academy is closed on Friday, December 25 and Friday, January 1. A Thanksgiving week and a winter week about a month apart give a player one block of work, time to apply it, and a second block to build on it. Our guide to winter and holiday tennis camps in Florida covers the December weeks in more detail.