NEWS photo Mike Wakefieid

FACING A tall order, Sonya Jeyaseelan is getting set to turn professional in 1992 — all she needs
to do now is grow. The 14-year-old is on a tennis scholarship at the Nick Bolletieri tennis academy
in Florida, the same program that set Monica Seles and Andre Agassi on the pro circuit.

The motor or the machine?

FOR A month I've heeded the
awise and cost-conscious words of
Gord Moreside, but T can’t wait
any longer.

By Elizabeth, Collings

ews Reporter

A mechanic at Westview Cyele,
NMioreside was giving a bike
maintemnee clinig at Rem An-
drews tevreation centre when the
inevitable question came up: Elow
etfective are the extra goodies that
one can pur on a bike?

Moreside advised the group:
“Its more Npertant to iMprove
the moter than to imprese the
machine.”

Well, after a oimonth of impray-
ing my machine. Peart hold back
any longer, To want those step-in
pedal, my bike deserves better
than what this motar will give it.
Ando afier all, the North Shore
Spring Thathlon (cosponsored: by
the North Shere News and
Wrestiew) is less than io months
away. So after, Saturday's
triathlon cscting clinic, § cuepitu-
lated to bievele Consumerism.

My bike Gs) now ostttine in
Westview Cv watt ta be

mre

»
NORTH SHORE
SPRING TRIATHLON

laden with treasures.

First to come are the aforemen-
tioned pedals. Rather than
cumbersome foe clips, you step
into these pedals like a ski binding
and then bist out, hopefully
without mishap. OF coure. the
tequisite: eveling shoes which tock
into the pedals are abso on order.

Yhe goal of such pedals (and of
ali eveding, according to triathlete
Paul Granger) is to enable the
evelist to spin better.

Spinning is a way of pedalling
where the pressure on the pedals is
continuous and smooth as cach
pedal voes through its full revolu-
tion. Rather than shert.
downward pumps on the pedis.
the eselist should be spinning and
spinning ata constant rate, which
Jeads me to another feature ms
bike fs about fa reeene: a com.
puter.

This small, divital computer ae-
tually Counts and Uben displays the
pedal strokes per minute. With the
COMpPuter., Une Can stay over vi
lant ter thar perie

speed of 90.

The computer will also tell me
my average speed. my fastest
speed, the time and length of my
ride. Ef oaly bt could put it on
auto-pilot, Wd have the eveling
portion of the triathlon licked.

For those who missed the evel
one eyeling clinic, Granger will be
teaching the level two session
April 6-20. This mere advanced
clinic will Tocus on hill climbing,
interval training, group training
rides and race strategies.

And. no doubt, spinning.
TRIENOTES: RecCentre Ron An-
drews is starting a weekly morning
swim oworkout specifically fer
triathletes.

Surting April 6 and continuing
to June 29, the swim will rian 7-8
aan. oon Saturdays, Masters coach
Judy Aspinail will give triathletes
stroke correction as well as put
them through a workout. Phe
video camera will abso be used so
swiininers can check Out chet
freestyle on-screen

She P2-week session casts $35
or $2.80 tor a drop-in. bor nore
formation of ota register. call

Irish Hloleme ar Roa Andrews.

O2Y-TR 14,

rch 27, 1991 - North Shore News - 13
TT ee

Jeyaseelan eyes

lofty heights

SONYA J

“ASERLAN'S

press clippings read) more
like medical records than
the stuff of a rising voung
tennis star: March 1989,
H9t2") 70 pounds: Mareh
1990, a hair under 2°. 80
pounds; and vow March
1991, 5° (just) and 98
pounds.

By Elizabeth Collings

News Reporter

Jevaseelan is good, bur she’s
small. While the [4-year-old

hammers away on her forehand
and backhand at the Nick Bollet-
tier’, tennis academy in Florida,
her father and coach/manager
Regyie JSeyaseelan plots her
growth chart and her progress
towards turning pro, the (wo be-
ing inextricably linked.

Reggie had orginally planned
that Sonya would turn pro in
1991, but says 1992 now looks like
a better bet.

“We have put it on hold
because I don’t think Sonya is
ready physically.’’ he says, adding
that he'd like to see a growth
spurt of three or four inches be-
fore she makes the leap.

While Sonya may not be ready
physically to play with the pros,
there’s no doubt that mentally she
is prepared.

In Vancouver for the junior na-
tional under-J8 indoor champion-
ship, Sonva and Reggie reflect on
the past year in Florida.

For the meantime, the two have
left mother Ramani Jeyaseelan in
North Vancouver where she works
for ICBC while they pursue

STRE-E-E-TCH!
water bottle as

Sonsa’s carger down south,

But Semva. wher turns 12) in
April, seems te be coping well
with her hore away tram home.

In Ehori the competition is
tough, the coaching good and she
even vot to rally with tennis teen

throh Andre assi far ‘tseven
minutes she says. Sonya has
plased Iwo opening matches for

Agassi exhibition games, one at
L.A. Forum and one in) Baton
Rouge, Louisiana.

It may sound like @ daunting
fite for a girl who is after all still

J Well, a girl, but Sonya even has
a coach fur this aspect of her life.
Dr. Jim Lohoer, Sonya’s ‘*mental
toughness coach is using to
teach Sonya to enjoy ihe game of
tennis to avoid premeture  bur-
nout.

Apart from her five hours of
tennis each day. Sonya attends
Grade 8 at the nearby Bradenton
Academy. She should, in fact, be
in Grade 9, she says shrugging,
bur missed too much class time
for tennis.

Her favorite
Again, Agassi.

“He has an image. He’s not
boring like some of the other
players. Even when he loses the
girls go crazy for him,”* she says

The off-court stuff, ‘*potitics”
as Sonya calls it, she Jeaves to her
dad.

After one year on a scholarship
with mentor Bollitieri (which Reg-
gie estimates to be worth U.S.
$45,000), the two men are
negotiating the renewal of that
contract. Reggie is meanwhile
negctiating with International
Management Group (JMG) to take
care of Sonya when she turns pro.

So the machinery is in motion,
the wheels have bees greased, now
all Sonya has to do is grow.

tennis player?

¥

NEWS photo Neil Lucente

News reporter Elizabeth Collings reaches for a
part of Paul Granger's obstacle course for silly

cyclists Saturday in Stanley Park. Joking aside, the cycling
clinic focussed on bike handling skills. The next cycling clinic
will be held Aprii 6-20. Call recCentre Ron Andrews at 929-7314

for more information.

DETER s