MEET THE COACH
BERTRAND TISSOT has been helping professional athletes and recreational players achieve their goals and reach their full potential for more than 20 years. He is a former professional squash player with acclaimed international playing and coaching experience gained in North America and Europe.
Bertrand offers an innovative, structured and somewhat counter-intuitive approach to training that encompasses not only the physical aspect, but the emotional aspect. Passionate about the practice of all sport. He thrives on the results associated with the discipline and effort including the the overall feeling of wellness that comes from surpassing one's limits and expectations.
Dedicated to the well-being feeling from the surpassing of oneself. He wants to share his experience, knowledge and philosophy on the training techniques and tools needed on your quest to be performance driven but most importantly, to have fun and enjoy the journey.
LIFE STORY
A sportsman by birth, I only became a professional athlete later in life…
All my life I practiced various sports extensively in both leisure and competition, and by that I mean I would not stop. I grew up on a road bike from the age of 5 (and I'm still riding today), I played soccer and tennis competitively and also trained competitively as a gymnast.
I spent a lot of time in the French and Swiss Alps from an early age, roaming up and down the mountains either recreationally or competitively hiking, running, cycling, mountain biking, or skiing. I literally accumulated hundreds of thousands of kilometers of vertical before I turned 20. That was awesome!
I couldn't have imagined at the time, that starting all of these activities from such a young age and practicing so intensely would be so crucial for the future. They were the foundation of an unparalleled combination of flexibility, strength, endurance, speed, agility, coordination and balance, for squash.
Looking back, I had the potential to become a professional athlete in most of the sports I competed in growing up, but I didn't have the support network in place to provide me with the opportunity to take that next step. It wasn't until I was 17 years old that I was introduced to squash. I played recreationally until I was 25 years old and then I finally decided to take it seriously. I started to compete professionally even later at the age of 29 years of age, I reached 136th place in the world at 33 years old. I have been coaching this sport at the lowest and highest levels ever since.
I have always been a lover of the practice of sports and the effort associated to it. As well as addicted to that well-being feeling of the surpassing of oneself. I thrive on sharing my experience, knowledge and philosophy of the training techniques and tools this quest to always perform has taught me. The results of this search for perfection are often counterintuitive both emotionally and physically.
In the end, it follows a more holistic and somewhat philosophical approach to training and sport in general whose foundations reside in these 2 quotes:
"The body never lies"
Kim Martins 1938-2018
"Force not your talent, you wouldn't do anything with grace"
Charlotte Itty 1911-2011
COACHING EXPERIENCE
Luxembourg
Head Coach
Luxembourg Juniors and Seniors National Teams
December 2018 – Present
Nancy, France
Various Volunteer and Private Coaching
2017 - 2018
Toronto, Canada
Various Elite Coaching with Keith Griffiths
2004 - 2016
Head Squash Professional - Toronto Racquet Club
Elite Junior Program - The Granite Club
2003 - 2006
Racquets Director
The Fitness Institute
2002 – 2003
Main Assistant Squash Professional
The Granite Club
2001 - 2002
Assistant Squash Professional
Sports Clubs of Canada
2000 - 2001
Assistant Coach for Head Coach - Mike Way
Canadian National Squash Training Centre
2001 - 2004
Squash Coordinator for Head Coach - Bob Bower
Squash Ontario, 2003 Canada Winter Games
2000 - 2003
Assistant Squash Professional
B&R and The Dunfield Club
1999 - 2000
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATION
Fully Certified NCCP Level III Squash Coach, Toronto, December 1999
Fully Certified NCCP level I Tennis Coach, Toronto, August 2002
IUP (Professional University Institute): Bachelor of Business, Annecy, France – 1995/97
ESSTIN: Superior School of Engineering Sciences & Technology, Nancy, France – 1992/1994
ACHIEVEMENTS AS A PLAYER
3rd in France - M40+ - June 2019
3rd in Europe - M45+ - June 2019
10th in Canada - 2005/06
136th in the World - 2005/06
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Emirhan SEN - Turkey #1 U15 2018-2019
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Amir KHALED - France #1 U13 2018 - Present
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Amir SAMIMI - Luxembourg #1 U19 - Sept 2018 - present
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Hénora LANIEU - France #56 2017-2018
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Miguel RODRIGUEZ - World #80/100 in 2005
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Co-Coach of Lilo TOUSSAINT - France #5 U13 2018 - 2019
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Co-Coach of Valentin ALBERTI - France #35
2018 – Present
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Luxembourg Juniors and Seniors National Teams September 2018 - present
Notable Players Coached
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Summer training in the French Alps - 2005
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with Catalina PELAEZ (World #70 today)
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Elite training programs with Keith GRIFFITHS August 2004 – 2016
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with John WHITE in 2004 (World #2)
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Camp in the French Riviera June 2004
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with David PALMER (World Champ)
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Elite training camps with Mike WAY 2000 - 2003
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with the best juniors in the world like Arturo and Cesar SALAZAR
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Main Assistant at Dartmouth University Summer 2000
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with J. POWER (ex World #1 Jonathon POWER’s father)
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Relevant Organization and Execution of
Training Camps and Elite Training Programs