Vancouver International Tennis Academy (VITA)

A young, ambitious high performance base on Canada’s west coast

If you ask families around Vancouver where promising juniors train through the winter rain, the Vancouver International Tennis Academy is usually on the shortlist. Opened in 2018, VITA was conceived with a simple idea that still defines it today: create a serious training base for juniors and dedicated adults, but keep the doors open to the wider community. Situated inside The River Club complex in Richmond, the academy has grown into a year round home for players who want structure, repetition, and competitive purpose without the formality of a private club.

VITA’s appeal lies in its balance. It is compact yet complete, focused yet inclusive, and ambitious without losing sight of practical realities like school schedules, commuting, and cost. For many families in Metro Vancouver, that combination is exactly what makes long term development possible.

Where it is, and why that matters

Richmond sits just south of downtown Vancouver and a few minutes from Vancouver International Airport. The academy’s location on Horseshoe Way puts it within quick reach of major arterials, which means less time in traffic and more time on court. Parents appreciate the straightforward parking, and traveling players can fly in for assessments or camp weeks with minimal hassle.

Climate is the other big factor. Greater Vancouver is famous for long, wet winters and shoulder seasons that can derail outdoor training. VITA’s four heated indoor hard courts remove weather from the equation. Consistent weekly volume is a competitive advantage, especially for juniors who need a high number of quality contacts to build timing, confidence, and match toughness. In practical terms, you do not have to plan around rainouts or cold snaps. You can plan to practice.

Facilities: compact, complete, and connected

VITA operates within a larger multi sport environment, and that setting gives the tennis program an edge. The tennis footprint includes four indoor hard courts with bright, even lighting and year round scheduling. Courts are maintained to keep footing predictable in all seasons, which is vital when younger athletes are refining movement patterns.

Beyond the baselines, players have access to a well equipped gym for strength, mobility, and injury prevention work. Coaches can run prehab circuits, body weight progressions, and age appropriate lifting sessions without leaving the building. The complex also includes a pool that supports low impact recovery days, squash courts for cross training footwork and coordination, and casual spaces where families can decompress between sessions. Having these resources under one roof reduces the friction that often undermines good intentions. When a rainy evening arrives, training does not scatter. It stays on track.

A few smaller touches matter too. Rackets can be strung on site or coordinated quickly, recovery tools are available when needed, and players can grab a bite nearby without derailing the afternoon’s plan. For growing athletes with busy school calendars, the layout encourages an efficient rhythm: hit, lift, recover, study, repeat.

Technology and feedback

While VITA is not a gadget heavy lab, coaches integrate practical tools that support learning. Video is used to compare before and after positions, radar or ball tracking can quantify serve progress, and live ball constraints are adjusted in real time to guide intention. The emphasis is on feedback that players can apply immediately rather than tech for its own sake.

Coaching staff and the way they teach

VITA’s coaching team leans on international experience and a development first mindset. Director and head coach Sandeep Singh Rai brings more than two decades on court and a background working with national level athletes. That breadth shows up in his priority on adaptability, fundamentals, and habits that translate under pressure.

Head coach Lev Gabuzyan is detail oriented in the best way for technique refinement and tactical rehearsal. High performance coach Kris Santoso adds credibility for Canadian juniors who aspire to collegiate tennis, drawing on his own experience across national junior events and NCAA Division I competition. Together, the staff’s public stance is clear: athletes learn in different ways, and great coaching adapts to the learner.

The communication style is straightforward. Players receive clear goals for each training block, not vague instructions. Parents hear honest assessments and suggested next steps. The philosophy is to build a durable base of skills first, then layer on speed and power when the movement and contact quality can support it.

Programs offered

VITA’s calendar revolves around three pillars that serve different stages of the pathway:

• High performance groups for juniors who compete regularly and target provincial, national, or collegiate pathways.
• A junior development pathway that introduces red, orange, and green ball concepts in age appropriate groups and moves players toward full court play with clean grips and reliable contact.
• Adult programming for players who prefer structured practices over casual bookings, including clinics, live ball sessions, and match play.

Seasonal camps add concentrated volume during school breaks. The academy also runs an International High Performance Group designed for advanced athletes who need more demanding blocks that combine technical refinement, conditioning, mental skills, and match play. Assessments determine fit so that groups remain purposeful and peers push each other at the right level.

Scheduling and flow

Because training is indoors year round, VITA encourages steady weekly habits rather than bursts of activity followed by inactivity. Coaches help families build calendars that account for school exams, league schedules, and tournament travel. Consistency is guarded, not left to chance.

The development approach: technical, tactical, physical, mental, educational

VITA’s coaches are methodical about how skills are layered. The approach is simple to explain but demanding to execute:

• Technical: Players learn repeatable swing shapes and contact points before chasing speed. Expect tempo control exercises, constraint led drills that simplify decision making, and a heavy emphasis on serve and return. Those two phases decide a large percentage of points in junior tennis. Coaches reduce false urgency and prioritize stable fundamentals as the foundation for power.

• Tactical: Live ball patterns mirror common match situations for Canadian juniors. Training blocks rehearse defending high, heavy balls, changing direction off the backhand, holding serve under scoreboard pressure, and closing at net when opportunity appears. Players are given measurable goals and then asked to track whether these changes show up in weekend scoring patterns and average rally length.

• Physical: Movement quality precedes load. Younger athletes build coordination and stability before resistance is added. Strength blocks address core control, hip and ankle mobility, and simple lifting patterns. The pool supports recovery days, and mobility sessions are easiest to schedule because they are built into the weekly rhythm inside the same complex.

• Mental: VITA keeps sports psychology practical. Players develop routines between points, use checklists on changeovers, and maintain practice journals. Coaches talk about controllables, and pressure is simulated in set play rather than only in sterile drills.

• Educational: Tournament calendars are planned early with school workload in mind. Coaches and parents agree on realistic minimum training hours for exam periods and travel weeks. The goal is to protect volume when outdoor options disappear and to build momentum when schedules open up.

Match play and competition pipeline

Local and regional events provide steady testing. Players build Universal Tennis ratings and compete across Tennis BC circuits as appropriate. The academy encourages smart scheduling: a mix of lower stress events to test new habits and higher stakes events to learn how skills hold under pressure. Coaches review match data alongside training notes so that the next block is targeted rather than generic.

Alumni and outcomes

VITA is not a decades old boarding academy with a wall of famous names. It is a focused regional training base that has been operating since 2018 and is building its track record through British Columbia’s junior pipeline and college placement conversations. The staff’s credibility comes from experience in national junior competition, international exposure, and NCAA tennis. Families who value steady, evidence based progress will find that the academy’s messaging matches what shows up on court.

If you are comparing different models, it can be helpful to look at established benchmarks such as the Junior Tennis Champions Center or the scale of Florida based programs like the IMG Academy Tennis program. For a Canadian reference point outside British Columbia, the International Tennis Academy Canada offers another lens on how high performance pathways are framed nationally. These comparisons give useful context for VITA’s compact, locally anchored model.

Culture and community

Because VITA sits inside a multi sport complex, it feels busy in a good way. Tennis players share spaces with squash athletes, swimmers, and gym members. That energy keeps younger players engaged between sessions and gives siblings something to do on site. The academy positions itself as open to the public for court bookings while still running membership style programs, which keeps the environment inclusive rather than gated.

Local coaches and groups also use the indoor courts, adding to the flow of sparring partners and helping maintain ball speed in winter. For families, this means a wider network of players and styles to hit against without crossing the region in the rain. Coaches foster a culture of accountability and friendliness. Athletes are expected to arrive early, start warm ups on their own, and support teammates during competitive blocks. Parents are welcomed as partners in the process and kept informed about goals and progress.

Costs, access, and practicalities

VITA does not publish a full public price sheet for every program. Families should contact the academy directly for current rates, seasonal camp pricing, and any membership or drop in options that can reduce the cost of extra practice hours. Because the facility is heated and open year round, plan for consistent weekly commitments rather than a start stop rhythm dictated by weather.

Boarding is not part of the model. Most juniors live at home in Metro Vancouver, and visiting families arrange short term accommodation as needed. The proximity to the airport simplifies fly in assessments and weekend tournament travel. If you are considering multi year plans, ask specific questions about long term facility updates and any capital improvements that might affect scheduling.

When budgeting, expect to allocate funds for group sessions, private lessons as needed, stringing, fitness sessions, and tournament travel. Families who plan well often combine group training with targeted privates during technical transition periods, then shift to more match play and tactical sessions in the competitive season.

What sets VITA apart

• Reliable indoor volume: Four heated indoor courts ensure that juniors can maintain repetitions in all seasons. Consistency is the heart of development.
• A complete complex: Gym, pool, squash, and casual spaces in the same building reduce logistics and enable coaches to plan holistic training days.
• Coaching perspective: A staff with international coaching and playing backgrounds, including NCAA experience, offers credible guidance on pathways from provincial competition to college tennis.
• An attainable entry point: Because VITA welcomes the public and runs both development and competitive tracks, motivated newcomers can start and progress without private club waiting lists.

Future outlook and vision

The academy’s communications emphasize clarity around programming and expectations. The direction is straightforward: structured high performance groups for ambitious juniors, a well designed development ladder for younger players, and adult programs that value purposeful practice. As the facility evolves over time, families should expect the academy to keep prioritizing the same core elements that have driven growth so far: consistent indoor access, thoughtful coaching, and a supportive community setting.

On court, the vision is to keep refining how technical changes are sequenced and how match play pressure is introduced. Off court, the priority is supporting academics, travel logistics, and injury prevention so that players can sustain year round training without burnout.

How VITA compares to other models

Every academy sits on a spectrum from massive campus to boutique program. VITA leans toward the boutique end: fewer courts, tighter groups, faster feedback loops, and coaches who know athletes by name and by habit. Large scale programs can offer broader peer groups and deeper tournament footprints, while compact models often deliver more direct attention. Families should map these tradeoffs against goals, age, personality, and budget. Internal comparisons to programs like the Junior Tennis Champions Center and the IMG Academy Tennis program can help clarify fit, and Canadian families may find a useful reference in the International Tennis Academy Canada.

The bottom line

VITA is not a resort and it is not a boarding school. It is a compact high performance base that pairs serious training with practical amenities and real world accessibility. For families who need dependable indoor hours, a thoughtful development approach, and a central location that fits with school and work schedules, it offers a strong value proposition on Canada’s west coast.

Is it for you

Choose VITA if you want year round indoor training in Greater Vancouver, a coaching staff that adapts to how your child learns, and the convenience of gym, pool, and recovery options under one roof. It suits juniors who already compete and want more structure, as well as committed beginners who respond to clear progressions. If you need on site boarding or a large campus with dozens of courts, this is not the right match. If your priority is consistent repetitions in a serious but friendly environment, within a short drive of Vancouver International Airport, VITA deserves a close look.