Gorin Academy courts only elite players

Local Tennis, by Jeffrey Weidel, Gold Country News ServiceTennis racquets have been put down, the balls rounded up and all that remains of this morning practice session is the dreaded running.The extra conditioning requires some prodding by instructor Jamie Morgan, which frankly, is understandable. As the noon hour approaches, the temperature is heating these five well-manicured courts like an oven. A bit reluctantly, the work gets done and the talk quickly turns to a more pleasant topic. What?s up for lunch?This is the daily summer ritual at the Gorin Tennis Academy. This is not a tennis facility that caters excessively to its students. Looking for a fun program that caresses your kid? Look elsewhere.The workload is heavy at this tennis school and it better get done, whether that means hitting balls for several hours or doing the sprint work to conclude a practice. Five hours of work is the standard right now.Vitaly Gorin has put his name and reputation on what used to be called the Granite Bay Racquet Club. Mediocre players need not apply. This is geared toward the elite, which is why only 32 students (they currently have 20) is the maximum amount.?It?s a lot of work when you commit to coming here,? Gorin said. ?It?s tough. If you don?t really want it, you?re not going to last.?There is no disguising the ultimate goal. No one gets accepted who doesn?t have at least Division I college program aspirations. The second step, the much more elusive goal, is becoming a professional. It becomes a huge commitment for any kid, not to mention a sizable investment by parents. Molly Sullens of Redding became one of the school?s live-in players this summer and plans on staying. Leaving mom and dad behind, she started school Monday as a junior at Granite Bay High.?I?m here because I want to get a college scholarship,? Sullens states matter-of-factly.Here means on the well-kept grounds, where there are five tennis courts, a swimming pool, weight room and Jacuzzi. A large white house serves as a dormitory of sorts, where five players and two instructors currently live full time.Russian Arten Petushkov is another full-time student. It?s a hefty price his parents dole out financially and emotionally. They pay $23,000 a year and have not seen their 16-year-old son in nearly two years. This sizable investment is paying dividends. He?s currently ranked No. 4 among Northern California 18-under boys.Making the commitment to the academy has been a big adjustment for both Petushkov and even Morgan, who previously was an instructor at Johnson Ranch. Although Morgan still tries to keep tennis fun, which he has a nice knack of doing, providing entertaining instruction is no longer a high priority.?I?m working with more high caliber kids now, it?s much more serious than at Johnson Ranch,? said Morgan, an instructor for 10 years, three of them at Johnson Ranch. ?Over there, you wanted everyone to learn and have a good time. Here the main thing is making them better.?That was the goal for Granite Bay?s Kim Mangiantini, who brought son Michael for summer lessons. Although only 12, the younger Mangiantini had lost some enthusiasm for the game. That problem no longer exists.?Michael was sinking fast, he was losing interest,? Kim said. ? ?Now he is on fire out there. Vitaly is the best coach I?ve ever seen. How he explains things to kids is great; it?s short, sweet and precise.?Besides the coaching, what has also motivated Michael is the true tennis environment. ?There are a lot of experienced players who are really good,? said Mangiantini, who enters the seventh grade this year at Olympus School. ?Just watching them I can learn a lot.?The most celebrated student in the Gorin classroom is Dimitry Tursunov, who will soon turn 20. Like his younger friend Petushkov, Tursunov is also Russian and has been under Gorin?s tutelage for a while. Last year he played the pro tour and did quite well, getting ranked 89th.An injury has Tursunov back in Granite Bay, rehabilitating and trying to get his game back in top shape. The two Russians frequently hit together and recently played a match, with Tursunov prevailing in three sets.The loss did not bother the younger Russian. ?He?s where I want to be,? Petushkov said.In a perfect world, Gorin would attract gifted players like the two Russians. Although tennis is in a down mode right now overall, that is not the case in California. Gorin would not mind becoming the next Vic Braden, a famed tennis guru.Born in the Ukraine, Gorin and his family migrated to the United States in 1978 and eventually settled in Southern California, where he became enamored with tennis. He was a fine junior player, had a college career and became an instructor nine years ago.While teaching in Napa two years ago, Gorin decided to buy his current facility from Robert Clausen, who ran a similar program for several years.?I wanted to have a place like this in Napa, but was having permit problems,? said Gorin, 32. ?I thought this was the perfect little place. It fits my needs.?His needs are being met. Now if he can just do the same for his dedicated students.