by Jordan Parker

Tennis coaches Danylo Veremeichuk and Roman Kucherenko have been in Nova Scotia for less than two years, but their impact is already being felt.

They train players at Tennis Nova Scotia’s Sobeys Atlantic Tennis Centre in Bedford with an eye on pushing youth to the next level.

When Veremeichuk arrived in Halifax, he began to coach juniors to transition into professionals, but learned the students he’d be teaching were slightly younger than he expected at 13 and 14 years old. However, he saw this as an opportunity.

“It’s easier to settle into high performance standards when you teach fundamentals at a younger age,” he said. He started last April, and has been working on creating programming, adjusting it, communicating with parents and students, and shaping the program.

He played professionally, but never achieved the success to feed his family in the sport. He finished college, but when the Ukrainian war began, he knew he couldn’t continue his dream. Some of those involved with Tennis Nova Scotia had connections and knew coaches in Ukraine wanted a way to support their families. The organization linked up with Veremeichuk, and he recruited Roman as well.

“I went to Europe and looked for a place, but realized I’d need to go to the U.S. or Canada to settle in. The most attractive offer I got was here. I didn’t know where Halifax was originally,” he said with a laugh.

He settled in Halifax with his fiancée, and his parents opened a visa application while staying in Ukraine. He is making the area home and loves the work he does.

“I am so excited at the prospect of working with Juniors with the hopes to turn them pro. I adapted to teaching and working with younger players, and I’ve found the experience great. The athletes are wonderful with instructions and work hard,” he said.

He is resting assured that the lessons he’s teaching on-the-court are also translating to the personal lives of athletes.

“I was making mistakes at a younger age that made a career harder. So when I go to SATC in Bedford, I want to ensure students have the best chance to go professional or play in college. They can get scholarships if they’re a high level. Tennis opens up opportunities, but high performance programs also teaches people good values to have as humans. It shows what people can do with a positive attitude and good work ethic,” he said.

Brad Lawlor, CEO of Tennis Nova Scotia, says that Roman and Danylo have been helping make Nova Scotian athletes more competitive nationally and internationally.

“These two and our director of player development, Steve Mahar, have really pushed and we now have three kids at the national level. They all compete internationally, and soon we’ll have four,” said Lawlor.

“Some kids may think they have to go elsewhere to hit the next level, but Danylo sees all we need is here. We have an indoor facility, players with ability and good coaches. The foundation, people and resources are here.”

Lawlor says the two men have brought a different style, and they’ve taught the athletes not to take anything for granted.

“They bring grit to the students and are a massive help to this centre. Their outlook on life and appreciation for everything around them drives home for athletes. They’ve taught the kids to fight for what they want,” he said.

“They work with the athletes on the court, but their experiences in their personal lives in Ukraine also show athletes about little blessings. They teach about mentality and mindset, and these coaches get respect. The coaches and athletes have built great relationships.”

One thing coach Vehemeichuk is really proud of is that he’s redefined the standards for high performance athletes, and many students have risen to the occasion.

“People have a more mature idea of what that means, and the ones who want to make it are putting the work in. People are becoming invested. Numbers in tennis are growing, and I am happy to see the standard being reached,” he said.

“Atlantic Canada hasn’t always been seen as producing the biggest tennis athletes, but our coaches are motivated to change that.”