TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – IMG Academy, an elite multi-sport program for student-athletes based in Bradenton, Florida, completed a five-city tour of China and Taiwan, sponsored partly by Joe Tsai, owner of the NBA Brooklyn Nets.
The “showcase” events in Taichung and Taipei, held from Dec. 20-23, were intended to inject new energy and vitality into Taiwan’s youth basketball. All events were free to invited camp participants and featured the training and curriculum taught at IMG Academy.
IMG Academy was founded on the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, established in 1978, and has grown to become a globally famous program for training elite athletes, including nearly all top-ranked tennis players like Andre Agassi, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova. The program is equally strong in golf, baseball, soccer, and basketball.
“We have about 3-4 Taiwanese students attend the academy each year, so in the past 15-20 years, that is probably 50-60 alumnae," said Neil Christie, VP of Global Development, IMG Academy. He said Taiwanese golfer Pan Cheng-tsung (潘政琮) attended the academy for three years before enrolling at the University of Washington and later winning a bronze medal in men’s golf at the Tokyo Olympics.

“For sports like tennis and golf, evaluating young talent is more straightforward as there are common indicators like UTR (Universal Tennis Ranking) and handicap. Other sports like baseball are more difficult, and students at the academy must have good English language ability and scholastic aptitude," he said.
Christie regularly travels around Asia, recruiting top high school athletes such as Taiwanese pitchers, golfers, and tennis players. IMG Academy has approximately 1,500 boarding students, with around 30% receiving scholarships based on athletic achievement.
For young people, committing to youth athletics and life overseas in the US is not easy.
“What I would say is that if a student is athletic and enjoys training and exercise for at least half of the day, they would be suited for our program,” Christie said. He added that the program can be top-heavy, with most students attending in 11th and 12th grade as a means of polishing their skills for Division I college recruitment.
Those contemplating IMG Academy are invited to participate in one-week camps throughout the year. Typical registration fees are approximately US$3,000 (NT$98,000), and they familiarize students with the academy’s training facility and general environment.
“Each year we do approximately 15,000 weeks of camps. I estimate that 20% of our students come through the camp programs," Christie said. "At the moment, about 30% of our students are from overseas, with most of them in the soccer and basketball program.”
Christie said that all IMG Academy camps take place in Bradenton, Florida, with other events like those held in Taipei and Taichung being “showcases” intended to feature IMG Academy’s top-flight coaches with proven athletics training curriculum.
Taiwan showcase events were led by Kimrossi Taylor, a long-time coach with extensive experience in player development, from basic learning to the echelon of NBA professional players.
In this showcase, Taylor provided training in ball control, shooting, passing, and group practice drills. Taylor said IMG Academy provides training quotas to allow young student-athletes to reach their potential.
At one IMG Academy event in Taiwan, 27 outstanding young players were selected from New Taipei Ankeng Elementary and Junior High, Kaohsiung Renwu Elementary School, Taichung Liren Junior High School, and St. Dominic Catholic High School.
Christie believes the showcase basketball event can help young students overcome the shortcomings of the current youth training system, allowing Taiwan's elite youth talent another avenue for development. Those attending the event said IMG Academy’s attention to detail was inspiring, allowing young athletes a more in-depth appreciation of advanced basketball moves.