He may have thought he was fit when he left Bermuda at the end of the summer for his first semester at the acclaimed Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida.

But rising Bermuda star Neal Towlson was in for a surprise.

"It was way more intense than it is here," said the 16-year-old who returned to Bermuda for the Christmas vacation with most of the Island's other national players.

Towlson said that after arriving at the Evert Academy he was immediately involved in double training sessions to bring his fitness up to par.

"I thought I was pretty fit before I got there but I found out I wasn't. When I first arrived and started doing the double fitness training sessions I felt I was one of the weaker players. But after (completing) the double fitness I felt that I was one of the stronger ones. There is a lot more fitness involved at the academy and it makes a big difference."

Towlson leaves Bermuda this week to return for his second semester at the Evert Academy and he now plans to compete in some Futures tournaments against players much older and with more experience than himself.

"I will play in one when I get back there. It is a 128-qualifying draw so it is four rounds just to make the main draw. It is also on clay although I prefer hard courts so it will be pretty tough. I am playing it just for the experience – I want to see how I do against older and more experienced players," he said.

Future tournaments are held by the ITF men's circuit. They allow players to win career titles and improve their rankings.

Futures are held in both singles and doubles, and last only one week. They contain qualifying rounds so that players who are not ranked can gain ATP ranking points. Several hundred events are held each year. Usually the prize money for each tournament is either US$10,000 or US$15,000.

They also represent the bottom rung of the professional tennis ladder, below Challenger events.

While Towlson was initially completing the double fitness training twice a day when he first arrived at the Evert Academy, he is now back to training once a day.

"You do a lot of running and weight training and other things," he said.

When a player attends the Evert Academy they can forget about a lot of free time.

"We are kept pretty busy," added Towlson. "My average day begins at 6.30 in the morning when I wake up and go to breakfast. I am on the court at 7.00 a.m. and we do an hour of fitness and then two hours of tennis. At 10.30 we are in school until 2.30 p.m. and then it is back on court at 3 p.m."

Dinner is between 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. and then there is study hall from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. At 10.30 p.m. there are room checks and lights out.

"On weekends we get a bit of a break but we also play tournaments every other week and then we have the tournaments like the ITFs and Futures.

While many young Bermudians would not be able to handle the work and strict schedule, Towlson said he would recommend it for those who want to make it to the pros.

"I hope to become a professional," said the player who is now ranked number four in Bermuda.

"It is a great experience. You play matches every day and against different people all of the time. In Bermuda you are always playing against the same people. You get used to their games and they get used to yours as well. When you are over there you can't just hit your big shot and not expect it to come back – it probably will come back."

Bermuda coach Steve Bean, who was watching the national team players hit at the WER Joell Tennis Stadium over the holidays, said: "You can really see the progress Neal has been making. We are getting more and more players going away (to tennis academies). Just look how Tyler (Smith) has been doing and the progress she has made.

"For quite a while we have seen a good player here and there. Now we have a nice group developing – especially among the boys. When the younger players see how they are doing it inspires them. For a coach that is a great thing – it is a good position to be in."

Towlson said he hopes to stay at the Evert Academy for two years before moving on.

The Academy's full time programme is internationally recognised as one of the finest training available in the US. Students from all parts of the globe attend the academy which boasts the same training methodology that fostered Chris Evert's tremendous success.

Each student begins with a comprehensive evaluation of grips and game style, on-court movement, functional movement, strength, flexibility, nutrition, overall athleticism and mental posture. Following evaluation and assessment, the Evert staff, the student, parents and assigned coaches discuss an individualised, directed programme. Short and long-term goals are established to gear each student's development towards perceivable accomplishments. Full time ETA students are expected to play at least two tournaments per month.