Sam Aliassime has had an ambitious project for years: to give back through tennis what Canada has given him since he first set foot there 23 years ago. That is why he plans to open a high-level development center in Africa within five years.
“My goal is to change people’s lives through sport,” Félix’s father said in an interview with the Journal.
The ultimate goal is not just to develop champions, explains Mr. Aliassime. But he wants to give chances to the young people of his native continent thanks to this tennis, which he values.
For example, enable them to get a degree from a good university.
“If we can help them develop a good work ethic and values through tennis, I will be happy,” he explains.
Sam Aliassime’s idea first came to him during a trip to his native Togo a few years ago. The coach then noted that little had changed since his departure.
have something to do
Then, a year ago, Mr Aliassime and his son realized how rare it was for talented players to leave the African continent.
“I said to myself that I have to do something to help, from an economic and sporting point of view,” he explains.
“With the success that Félix is experiencing and all the work that has been done [avec Tennis Canada et son centre d’entraînement], I said to myself: why not do a copy and paste adapted to African reality to bring players to this level? »
So last October, Mr. Aliassime returned to Africa to host a talent recognition camp called Team Aliassime Africa.
Photo provided by Sam Aliassime
Sam Aliassime mentored young tennis players during a talent recognition camp held in Abidjan last October.
Players from 20 countries
Players from around twenty countries took part. Six of them were aged 12 and 13, and the coach saw potential in them.
While waiting for the academy to be formed, he invited her to spend six months at his academy in Quebec in 2023 to hone her tennis. It’s not finished yet, he says, but the visa applications have been sent.
“In that camp I saw players who were hungry, in the sense that they wanted to be successful, to get out of that poverty and make a living through the sport. »
“It’s not logical [que peu de joueurs africains émergent], he continues. Everything is there: sun, human warmth, land. I realized that they need a structure, a development plan. »
Mr. Aliassime’s goal is not to get these athletes out of Africa. But they have to play tournaments abroad, compete against the best, to develop, he says.
“By the time they’re 12, they’re maybe playing a tournament a year. At that age we were around twenty with Félix,” illustrates the father of the sixth in the world.
Photo provided by Sam Aliassime
A team project
Sam Aliassime makes it clear: This project is a team, a family project.
His son, who is already committed to educational development in Togo with his #FAAPointsForChange mission, helps him financially.
His daughter Malika takes care of the administrative part. Tennis Canada is also ready to help.
And coaches at Quebec’s Aliassime Tennis Academy will be spending time on courts in Africa working with the recruited players. Their dedication warms his heart, he says.
“At the Quebec academy, we have coaches from five or six nationalities,” emphasizes Mr. Aliassime. When they arrived I said to them: I will help you settle in, develop yourself. But then again, one day I will need you so that we can give something back to Togo. »
On the Ivory Coast
The training center will eventually be based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, a central location on the continent that already has infrastructure available for rent.
But before that, Sam Aliassime will set up mini tennis schools to nurture future talent.
To that end, he will return to Togo and Ivory Coast this winter, but would later like to set up in more than five countries.
In the next year alone, Mr. Aliassime wants to hire 1,000 young people aged 6 to 8, but also coaches with the same ethics as those of his academy in Quebec.
“This project is tough,” he said. But if you create certain structures, fewer people will leave Africa. Because nobody really wants to leave their country to get away from their family. »
” [Le centre] will help keep people there, make them happy and give them the opportunity to thrive, he adds. It has a human dimension, it also gives something back to Africa. »
“And I’m also a winner because I’ve always told myself one thing: If I get to a point in my life where I can give something back, it will be great wealth. I’m happy because I got there. »
FAA supports young people coming to Quebec
Photo from Instagram account @felixaliassime
Félix Auger-Aliassime shreds with a Togolese lady during his visit to Togo in December where he was supposed to see the progress of his #FAAPointsForChange project.
Like his father, Félix Auger-Aliassime started a project to help Africa and Togo in particular. The Quebec player launched #FAAPointsForChange in 2020 to help educate children in the country.
For every point Félix wins in a game, he donates $5 to the foundation. To this their partner, the French bank BNP Paribas, adds $15 each time.
Passing through Togo
The sixth in the world was also in Togo with Sam Aliassime in early December to see the progress made since the inception of his foundation, which has raised around $340,000 to date.
But that doesn’t stop “FAA” from supporting his father with his academy project. Especially financially.
“Child selection [faite en octobre]it cost me about 8000 euros [11 500 $ CA]. I can’t afford it, so he helped me,” explains Mr. Aliassime.
It was also Félix who signed the letters sent to the Canadian Embassy to ensure he would support the young people recruited by Sam Aliassime.
And both his coach, Frédéric Fontang, and his fitness trainer, Nicolas Perrotte, will travel to Africa in due course to hold conferences for the local players and coaches who are being recruited.
Mr. Aliassime is also pleased that his son’s sponsors, but also those of his academy in Quebec, are involved in the project.
Old clothes
An initiative where Papa Aliassime wants to limit waste: thus the balls used last October were those of the Aliassime Academy.
And the clothes worn by Team Aliassime Africa coaches will be old Adidas collections worn by the four ATP title holder.
“We complement each other well,” says Sam Aliassime happily, because Félix really likes the educational side and I really like the sporting side. »