| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Boarding School, Camp, Sports Camps |
| Founded | 1978 |
| Headquarters | Bradenton, Florida |
| Key people | Nick Bollettieri, President & Founder; Sam Zussman, Managing Director |
| Website | www.imgacademies.com |
IMG Academies is a world-class training facility for athletic, academic and personal development. For more than 30 years, the Academy's training methods have helped youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes improve in sport and life. Consisting of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy, IMG Madden Football Academy, IMG Baseball Academy, IMG Basketball Academy, IMG Lacrosse Academy, IMG Soccer Academy, and the IMG Performance Institute, the Bradenton, Florida - based Academy attracts more than 12,000 athletes from approximately 80 countries every year.
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In 1978, tennis coach Nick Bollettieri brought his vision of the ideal training center for the serious tennis player to life in the form of the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. From the start, using Bollettieri's unique teaching methods and commitment to developing the total athlete on and off the court, the Academy produced numerous champions. A decade later, sports and entertainment company IMG purchased the Academy. Over the years, IMG has expanded the campus in both size and offerings. Sitting at 400-acre (1.6 km2) acres, the campus now is home to the IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy, IMG Madden Football Academy, IMG Baseball Academy, IMG Basketball Academy, IMG Lacrosse Academy, IMG Soccer Academy, and the IMG Performance Institute.
Each year, thousands of students from over 80 countries attend weekly camp programs or are enrolled in full-time programs. Full-time students attend the IMG Pendleton school on campus for their academic studies. Apart from its work with youth, IMG Academies famously provides a state of the art training destination for professional athletes to improve their game.
IMG Academies is a gated, 350-acre (1.4 km2) campus featuring state of the art facilities.
IMG Performance Institute
IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy
IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy
IMG Madden Football Academy
IMG Soccer Academy
IMG Baseball Academy
IMG Basketball Academy
IMG Lacrosse Academy
In 1978 the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy pioneered the concept of a “tennis training academy” and has set the standard for the industry ever since. The formula was created with total development of the player in mind – one who can perform technically, tactically, physically and mentally.
The coaching staff utilizes the “Bollettieri Method” – a periodized approach to the game that has been perfected over the last 30 years. During that time Bollettieri coaches have worked with many of the world's best athletes – Maria Sharapova, Tommy Haas, Andre Agassi –and have helped a countless number of students maximize their own potential. High school and middle school students at the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy learn to compete against players of different ages and abilities while also competing in a variety of formats, from in-house Grand Prix tournaments to USTA, ITF, and WTA/ATP events. In 2009 alone, IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy students won the Junior Australian Open Boy's Title, the Junior US Open Girls' Title, and the NCAA Men's and Women's Singles Titles. The Academy also produced the #1 ranked junior player in the world.
No program in the world has won as many junior tournaments, generated as many college scholarships, or placed as many players on professional tours as the IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy. Past and current IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy students include: Paula Creamer, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Casey Wittenberg, David Frost, Charles Howell III, Ernie Els, David Gossett, Se Ri Pak, Julieta Granada, Michael Campbell, and countless other PGA, LPGA and European Tour players.
Led by PGA and LPGA pro coach David Whelan and his superior team of certified Leadbetter instructors, help students reach their full potential by developing sound fundamentals, techniques, and tactical game elements. In the past decade-plus, the Academy has produced more than 130 AJGA All-Americans, 8 AJGA Players of the Year, two Junior Scholastic All-Americans, three Nancy Lopez Award winners, two AJGA Sportsmanship Award winners, two U.S. Amateur champions, and two U.S. Girls' Junior champions.
Guided by the principles of Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee John Madden and directed by Heisman Trophy/National Championship winner Chris Weinke, the IMG Madden Football Academy provides the ultimate training ground for every position on the field.
Crucial to the IMG Football Academy's success is the selection and training of its coaches. All coaches are handpicked, certified, and have a complete understanding of the IMG Football Academy's coaching philosophy.
Camp head coach John Robinson boasts an impressive resume of college and pro football coaching experience. As head coach at USC, he compiled a career record of 94-35-4. In the pros, he led the Los Angeles Rams to two different NFC title games (1985, 1989). Robinson is flanked by a long list of renowned coaches including former NFL coaches/players George Sefcik, Tom Pratt, Terry Shea, Jim Hanifan, Ricky Proehl, Steve Hagen, Tom Nutten, Dan Morgan, Michael Hawthorne, and Brandon Kornblue.
Since its inception, the IMG Soccer Academy has developed into one of the nation's elite soccer clubs and programs. The Academy has produced more than 40 professional players over the last decade-plus, many of whom have gone on to represent their respective national teams. A quick glance at many Major League Soccer, United States League, European club, college soccer rosters, and the current U.S. Men's National Team, will show a direct line from the IMG Soccer Academy.
All of the coaches under Director Scott Dean have played/coached at all levels of the game on U.S. and world stage. The Academy is the host of the U.S. U-17 National team and has continual success placing players with excellent scholarships at top universities throughout the country.
The IMG Baseball Academy Program includes players from nearly 30 states and 11 foreign countries. The baseball staff, under the direction of former MLB coach Ken Bolek, consists of coaches who have taught at every level of the game including the major leagues, and who are dedicated to a long-term athletic development program that can bring students to elite status.
Each summer, the IMG Wood Bat Leagues offer the most unique middle school and high school leagues in the country, with a couple hundred of select prep players competing throughout the summer in seven weeks of intense training and baseball. Players reach their potential by developing in a comprehensive environment (proven ratio of games to training sessions is 50:50) that includes games, practices, and strength/speed workouts. The physical and mental training takes place at the IMG Performance Institute and helps players gain strength and speed, while increasing confidence and mental toughness.
The IMG Baseball Academy has a true international flavor and over the years it has helped produce superstars here and abroad including: first-round picks Aaron Sele, Nomar Garciaparra, Gary Sheffield, Adam Dunn, Vernon Wells, Ben Sheets, Pat Burrell, Michael Cuddyer, and Jerry Hairston, Jr.
The same coaching specialists that work on the floor with NBA All-Stars and WNBA pros also work with all IMG Basketball Academy players.
The National Team Program and Developmental Team Program (for high school and middle school students) operates on a semester or year-long schedule (September–May) for boys and girls to focus on basketball and overall athletic development of the player. Each athlete is placed on a team for competitive purposes, but the focus remains on the individual player's development under a comprehensive training curriculum. The IMG Basketball Academy provides players with the techniques and tactics that will allow them to compete at the highest level of basketball possible.
In the past year alone, the IMG Basketball Academy has helped develop prep players like Kyryl Natyazhko (sophomore at the University of Arizona), Dwight Powell (committed to Stanford) and worked with college and NBA players like Earl Clark (No. 14 pick in NBA Draft), Jrue Holiday (No. 17 pick), Kevin Martin (20.6 points per game in 2010) and others. Others who have trained at the IMG Basketball Academy include Chauncey Billups, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Derrick Caracter, Shawne Williams, Joakim Noah and others. Satnam Singh Bhamara is a promising student from India who arrived in 2010 and may one day use his impressive height and training to play in the NBA.[1]
IMG Academy alum and Duke graduate Andy Borman heads the IMG Basketball Academy. Borman was a four-year letterman for the Duke men's basketball team that won an NCAA championship in 2001, and a three-year starter for the men's soccer team. He later became the Director of Basketball Operations at San Jose State University and the Director of Player Development at University of California at Berkeley. Borman is also the nephew of Duke University men's basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski.
The IMG Lacrosse Academy is led by Bill Shatz. Shatz has been involved in lacrosse programs and activities for more than 30 years as a player, coach, leader, and business executive. Growing up on Long Island, he played at Sachem High School, and was a four-year starter at attack for Ithaca College, where he graduated as one of the all-time top-10 leading scorers in school history. He was also a highly regarded hockey player and was a two-year captain and two-time All-County selection.traight NCAA championships. Josephs finished 2nd on the NCAA women's lacrosse all-time NCAA Championship scoring list with 37 goals
While numerous camps are offered through the Academy, the cornerstone is the full-time Academy Program, in which students learn, live, and train in the ultimate lacrosse paradise. The academic and athletic programs are designed to allow flexibility and balance in every player's schedule. Training occurs five days a week with competition on the weekends.
The IMG Lacrosse Academy is both a combination club and varsity program. Participating in the country's most prestigious and competitive tournaments in the fall is balanced with being part of the Florida High School Athletic Association in the spring.
The IMG Performance Institute (IPI) is a pioneer in the field of athletic performance and character development. From the sideline to the boardroom, IPI Director Trevor Moawad has received worldwide acclaim for his involvement in the field of mental conditioning and peak performance education. With a focus on total athletic and personal development, IPI consists of eight disciplines: Physical Conditioning, Mental Conditioning, Communication, Nutrition, Vision, College Advantage, Life Skills and Athletic Regeneration.
IMG Performance Institute experts led by Dr. Angus Mugford, in conjunction with Under Armour, developed the revolutionary Combine360 program, which sets a new global measurement standard for comprehensive athletic assessment and improved sports performance, health and fitness. By measuring and recording sport-specific physical ability, mental aptitude, nutrition level, communicative skill and a variety of other key athletic traits, Combine360 provides a platform for comparison to other athletes from around the world by age, sport and position, and helps develop a plan for overall athletic advancement.
Jeff Dillman, head of physical conditioning, previously served as the Director of Strength & Conditioning at Appalachian State University, as well as the Strength & Conditioning Coach at LSU and University of Louisiana-Monroe. Dillman oversees sport-specific strength, power, movement, speed, agility, flexibility, and conditioning programs for youth and pro athletes.
Communication expert Steve Shenbaum created game on, a unique communication skill-building program for athletes of all levels. His list of clients includes Carmelo Anthony, Greg Oden, Paula Creamer, Sidney Crosby, Pete Sampras and many more.