Meet Claudio Adolfssen | Professional Tennis Coach, founder of ESS, mentorship program for athletes

We had the good fortune of connecting with Claudio Adolfssen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claudio, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind my success is the hard work. Hard working people will be always rewarded , I am not talking about working hard for 1 day, 2 months or for a year, the consistency of hard working, positiveness during the tough times, and wanting to succeed.
Sometimes you can work hard and will not see any rewards in the short term, then is when you need to stay strong and be consistent, to do that you need to love what you do. Enjoying the process without looking only at the results, the key is to feed ourselves with as much information from the experience, from others and learn from the mistakes that we make or others make.
I call it staying “awake” once you find what you love to do, then is easier to do all this things, I said easier NOT easy, it will never be easy and success is not free. You need to be willing to stay up late, work extra hours, wake up early, ear, sleep and breath whatever you do at the moment, like some people say, you need to run the extra mile.
Running the extra mile doesn’t mean you will succeed the next day or next year, but it will put you ahead from others that are not willing to put the effort, is not only about competition to others, it is about how much information you are able to collect and learn during the time you are working hard to reach your goals.
Do not be afraid to imitate the good things, is not about not being original it is about learning from others, having mentors, pretty much everything is invented and usually every successful person has something you can take, learn and put into your tool box, I call stealing from others in a good way, steal as much as you can but give it your taste, your style and transfer that to your field.
I like reading, podcasts and surrounding myself with experienced people on their field, doesn’t matter if they do what I do that is tennis, it is all about learning from others that are passionate about what they do. Usually people that works hard and is successful loved to share their experiences, be willing to listen and to ask questions, take it to your field and enjoy the fact that you can use that tool tomorrow.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am in the tennis field. I am a certified PTR Professional tennis coach with over 10 years of experience. I have been playing tennis since I can remember. My dad introduced me to the sport and I never looked back.
As I described earlier, running the extra mile is key to success. Separating from the rest or from the average is about hard work, consistency, loving what you do and surrounding yourself with the right people, family, mentors, friends that could provide a positive atmosphere, people that shares similar goals and mentors that can share with you their experience and give you access to the right information.
I stepped into the tennis road in a very early age, I am not sure if the dream was to become a professional tennis player, maybe it was at the beginning, you know, once you are a kid you have idols and want to be like them. I see this more about, what are you capable to do in order to follow your passion and to follow your dreams. My dream is been always about tennis, helping others to get better, to think better, to be positive and to work hard weather they want to do it for fun, as a hobby or professionally. I have very strict tennis formation and I believe that whatever you do you have to do it with passion, with love and with energy. I do not believe on doing things just for doing them or doing it halfway, when I am interested in someone I go for it.
I came to the US in 2014, I was recruited for a school in Kentucky, It was my first time in the US and I did not speak any english. I was literally unable to order food in a restaurant and unable to understand or have a conversation with coaches or professors. I went through good times at the beginning, everything was new and of course I had my goals very clear, I wanted to play tennis competitively and I wanted to graduate from Business.
After a couple of months things that were new and easy started to get a little more challenging, I wasn’t progressing with my english as I was expecting, and I didn’t really have all the support I would’ve liked because I decided to stay quiet and do not share my concerns or fears to anyone.
I will not say that I didn’t think about going back home, but it was just not an option. Tennis showed me that no matter how bad things can get, you need to stay on the game and fight until the end. To me winning this match was not about being #1 in the class or being the #1 player of the nation, it was about staying in the game, learn english, pass my classes, get into the culture and keep pushing.
One day I shared what was happening to my dad, uncle and friends. It helped me to taking it out of my chest, and feeling their support. Thats when I realized that being vulnerable is not a bad thing, it is actually a great thing when you have the right people around you that can take that vulnerability and feed you good advice.
I guess that I knew I was in a tough spot but I needed to come up with my people skills, sports skills and positive energy to push myself and go out there meet people, make friends and speak my broken English.
Without getting into major details I was able to meet friends that until today I speak to, I was able to learn from others and quickly I realized that going through difficult time’s doesn’t mean you are on the wrong track, it is right the opposite. When you are on the right time, you have to go through hard times, that’s what’s is all about, the earlier you experience uncomfortable situations, the more experience you will get regardless your age, the younger the better for the future.
On 2015 I was recruited to play for Belhaven University (Jackson, Ms) with a tennis scholarship. I transferred there after I got enough school credits and my English got good enough. I was able to play for the blazers, meet amazing people and also I graduated there in 2017. After I transferred, I learned that the US has over 2,000 schools and that most of them offer an opportunity for athletes to play for them and get a scholarship. That is when I started ESS, education, sports, scholarships. It all started with me helping some tennis friends to transfer to one school to another or to come to the US as freshman. Then I was able to help people from other countries, and students that needed hell to reach their dreams. I was able to help several tennis players, volleyball players, soccer players and swimmers. It was kinds of my side hustle in addition to the tennis lessons that I was teaching at the time I was a student athlete. I was a full time student, full time tennis player (for the blazers) part time tennis coach and also providing University placement services for athletes.
2017 I have reached my goal, I was of course fluent in english way earlier, but I made it to the end of my college career, I got my College degree in Business.
Being in another country reaching your goals it is not easy, however by this time I knew I wanted to experience more and I traded my comfort zone in Chile (my hometown) for another year in the US following my dream of making a living by playing tennis.
I moved to Atlanta Georgia and got a part time job as a tennis professional in a country club. I was able to do what I loved and at the same time to make a living. ESS kept being part of my life, always as my way to give back to the community.
After few months in Georgia I was hired full time and after 6 months I was offered the Director of Racquets position.
Georgia highlights:
– built a junior program from scratch to 40 + kids
– I was able to build my own team and have great people around me as tennis staff, positive atmosphere and great love for the game of tennis
– adult program with over 200 members actively playing tennis and competing
– managed over 8 Alta / USTA teams
– created a 10 & Under program, 25 + kids
– I ran several events and tournaments
– Participation in Local tournaments, tennis exhibition matches and Atlanta city champion in singles & doubles
– PTR certifications as Professional
– NAIA National Champion Coach with Georgia Gwinnett College, Men’s & Women’s

As of today I am located in Boca Raton Florida, working in a private Racquet club, mentoring kids and training them to succeed at the collegiate level. As well I am coaching adults and leading a successful tennis program in South Florida. I keep working on myself to improve my personal, mental, physical and tennis skills every day to be able to offer to my customers the best version of myself, and help them to find and create the best version of themselves.

I love what I do, I will always be thankful for what tennis has given to me and I would like to keep sharing my experience to many tennis players in order to give them the tools to experience what I experienced or better. Part of my future plans for ess are to keep developing the junior program and to give opportunities to underserved kids to get into tennis, providing them proper professional coaching and helping them to reach their goals. I will organize and run Charity events in order to raise money to pay for coaching expenses, local tournaments expenses and also equipment for kids that might not have the opportunity to afford our sport.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well if I would have to give you an itinerary, step by step or plan by plan I will tell you the first plan is to come to my place. I love hosting people at my house, hanging out with them and grilling for everyone. I guess that goes first on the list.

I will definitely take them to the beach in Boca Raton/ Delray area Then drinks and nice food around Atlantic Avenue.

I would then take them to Miami Area, Brickell area, restaurants, bars, etc.

We will have tickets to see the Heats, I love going yo their games, great vibes, and positive energy. One of the best plans in Miami.

Most of my friends are tennis players so of course if they come in march I would take them to the Miami open at the Hard rock stadium and then stop by the casino for some drinks.

Food, there are many restaurants, I am not sure if I am allowed to give you any names lol. I will throw one in there, is a family business located at the Polo Club Shops in Boca Raton, Fl, it is called “Los Olivos Bistro” it is argentinian/spanish food, great people, it is ran by the owners, they serve great food, have great prices and the best service. I love feeling welcomed so I go there all the time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
In the first question I spoke a little bit about having a mentor, learning from others and taking as much information as you can take. I was lucky being a kid because I had my parents support, they definitely deserve credits and I will be always very thankful for everything they have done for me, I am blessed to keep having their support and also to be able to share with them my career, success, wins and looses. I have few mentors that I would love to mention:
First I need to speak about my uncle Gustavo Adolfssen, he supported me since I was a kid, I always admired him for his hard work and successful career as a doctor. Even though I didn’t want to be a doctor, I was able to learn from him and still some of his habits, such as working extra hours, helping the community, sharing his success, training hard, he was very into sports, so he supported me and coached me to build the necessary mental toughness and physical strength needed to be able to get into the sports field. I remember calling him every time I was going through bad times and he will tell me: get up, take a cold shower and keep going because one day all this bad stuff you are going through will be worth it, it will make you stronger and you will be able to face the worst situations with the best attitude. Unfortunately he left us a year ago, this hit me extremely hard and losing him felt like I lost my forever supporter, biggest fan and my dad. Uncle Gustavo was like a second dad to me, he was my dad’s brother, do not get me wrong, I have a great relationship with my dad, it is just that uncle Gustavo was not only my mentor but my best friend.
Another person that helped me a lot and showed me how hard sports and life can be was my former coach Robinson Gamonal. Robinson gave me the opportunity to join his high performance tennis academy back in 2008, in Santiago Chile, now called “Sports Academy”. I was a 15 year old kid full of dreams and huge love and passion for the game of tennis, however at that time I was very inexperienced and a little behind tennis wise from the top players. Robinson saw that I was starving to learn more and he knew I would do whatever it takes to succeed and reach my goals. I appreciate he was straightforward to me and gave his feedback without lie’s or any unreal promises. He gave me the chance and put me to work hard as the rest of the team. Gamonal, was very passionate and would do anything for one of his students, however he was super strict to us, he had to, he was dealing with many teenagers, different personalities, everyone away from home and sharing the same dream, the dream of becoming successful in the sport of tennis.
Today I am still in touch with him, I ask him questions and I take his advises. He is one of my big mentors and I am lucky to have him in my life. I will never forget how strict he was to me and I would never change anything, his methodology made me stronger, built my confidence and personality. I keep great memories from every single practice session, meeting, trip and every single argument. He took me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to come to the US to play college tennis, learn a new language and fight for my dreams.
The last person I would like to mention in this interview is Chase Hodges. I met Chase in my time in Atlanta Georgia, he coached Georgia Gwinnett College for many years, built a very successful program and won several NAIA National Championships with the Grizzlies. Chase shared with me his experience and success, he gave me the opportunity to coach at the collegiate level by his side and to learn how to run a successful program/business and how to create community and bring people together. Chase is my example of positive leader and winner mentality, he is able to transfer that to his players and to his co workers, I learned a lot from him and I will always be thankful for the opportunity he gave me. We won together the 2022 NAIA National Championship with Ggc, this one was very special because that was his last one before he took the challenging job as a UTR Vice President (Universal Tennis Rating). Chase shared with me his passion for the game of tennis and helped me to understand the importance of being a good leader. I witnessed the respect that each player, co worker and opponents had for Chase, I was able to put in practice many of his ideas, techniques and values.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/tennisplustenis?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudio-adolfssen-1919b0236

Other: You can book a lesson with me sending a dm on my instagram account @tennisplustenis You can also see me soon teaching online at www.SportsEdTv.com

Image Credits
Pictures Credits to: SportsEdTv & Georgia Gwinnett Tennis Team.