Parentingaces - The Junior Tennis And College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 8 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's episode, former college coach, Dave Mullins, joins us from Ireland to talk about what we should really be looking at in terms of player development. Dave recently wrote a 2-part article on this topic (see http://www.davemullinstennis.com/news/2018/11/2/shaky-foundation-part-1 and http://www.davemullinstennis.com/news/2019/1/8/shaky-foundation-part-2) which also appeared on the Tennis Recruiting website. Dave lived in the US for many years, coaching at several different schools, before returning to Ireland to raise his family. He is now working with the Irish Tennis Federation as well as coaching individual players and playing a bit himself. Dave provides the ParentingAces Community with an honest look at player development, college recruiting, and life beyond tennis. We are lucky to have access to his vast experience and in-depth knowledge of our sport!  Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new intro and outro music t

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 7 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's show, the focus is on level-based play. That is, playing tennis against opponents of a similar skill level regardless of age or gender. My guest, Greg Chambers, is the Director of Tennis at the Ensworth School in Nashville, TN. He has a long history in our sport and is bringing his experience and passion to players of all ages through the tournaments and events he runs at the school.  Ensworth has an amazing tennis facility, made possible through funding by a very generous sponsor. The facility rivals that of top Division I colleges with both indoor and outdoor courts, a covered viewing area, and ample parking for players and fans. Greg was one of the Early Adopters of UTR, putting on one-day events and multi-day tournaments over the past 4 years. We discuss the pros and cons of these events and how they compare to those sanctioned through our governing body. We also discuss how parents and coaches can use UTR to help their junior pla

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 6 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, we chat with Jeff Bearup, Tim Donovan, and David Benzel who founded CrossCourt Consulting in the New England area. Between them, these three gentlemen have extensive experience working with not only Tennis Parents, but all sorts of Sports Parents, to help their children have a more positive experience. Realizing there was a gap in the tennis space, Jeff and Tim joined forces to help families better navigate the junior development process to maximize their child's tennis experience. Crosscourt Consulting provides families with the knowledge and framework necessary to help them design a master plan that includes key benchmarks in the player’s tennis development through proper goal setting, tournament planning, periodization schedule and developmental planning. They work with the child's personal coach to ensure the best process and outcome for all involved. Crosscourt Consulting and Parenting Aces are teaming up to give one lucky junior ten

A few weeks ago, I received an email from a member of the ParentingAces Community asking if ANY coach can develop a champion if the family has enough time and money to invest in the child's tennis. I posed that question to one of my favorite coaches, Todd Widom, and in this week's episode we discuss the query in depth. There is so much more to high-level junior development than simply time and money. The proper mindset, the proper work ethic, the proper attitude . . . all these things are contributing factors that affect how far a player can take his/her tennis skills. And do not underestimate the impact the right - or even the wrong! - coach can have. Yes, it helps to have a player with unlimited financial resources. Yes, it helps to have a player who isn't bound by traditional school hours (however, please note, there are so many benefits to attending traditional school!). However, there are some players who are born with skills that can't be taught, regardless of time or money. There are some players who d

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of talking with Dave Miley, the Executive Director of Tennis Development for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from 1991 until 2015 who was responsible for the non professional activities of the ITF including junior tennis, senior tennis, wheelchair tennis, technical and anti-doping as well as the ITF’s Development Programme. Dave has been very vocal about the ITF's World Tennis Tour and its possible ramifications for our sport. In Season 8, Episode 4, Dave and I delve deeper into the World Tennis Tour and how it's impacting tennis so far. Dave shares his thoughts on why this is important to Tennis Parents in the US and around the world, especially as it affects College Tennis.  Dave also discusses his candidacy for President of the ITF and what it could mean for tennis as a whole. He explains the election process and details of his campaign platform. As he will likely be running against current ITF President - and former USTA President - David Haggarty, Dave is

Jeff Salzenstein has been involved in tennis pretty much his entire life. In Season 8 Episode 3, Jeff shares his tumultuous junior career, going from #1 in the 12's to #69 in the 16's, eventually making his way to the Stanford Men's Tennis Team playing for the inimitable Dick Gould. After giving the pro tour a go then getting side-lined by multiple injuries, Jeff moved into coaching, developing a variety of online platforms to reach players around the world. Today, his focus is the power of language and the power of communication and how to help others improve. How you talk to yourself, how you communicate as an influencer, and how we're being "programmed" by our larger community are all aspects of Jeff's work as a coach.  Simply becoming aware of how you speak with your child is Step One of improving communication. Not just the words but also the tone of voice can impact how your junior interprets what you're saying. As parents and coaches, we have to model good communication for our children so they will gr

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 2 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, the discussion focuses on the nuances of Division III Recruiting and how it differs from Division I. For example, did you know many DIII schools no longer require Prospective Student Athletes to take the SAT or ACT? And according to the NCSA website, for DIII schools, official visits begin January 1 of junior year, and they are unlimited? These are two very important things to know! Lauren Egna and Leslie Schleimer have each gone through the DIII recruiting process with their own children, Lauren in tennis and Leslie in soccer. After discovering how complicated and convoluted the process can be, they decided to go into business together to help other families avoid the pitfalls and maximize the opportunities available. College Athlete Consultants was born! Thank you to Lauren and Leslie for shedding some light on how rewarding the DIII athletic experience can be and helping the ParentingAces audience learn more about how to get started wi

It's hard to believe another season of the ParentingAces Podcast has come to a close! Over the past 7 years, I've had the opportunity to chat with some amazing Parents, Coaches, Players, and Industry Folks who have been incredibly generous with their knowledge and offers to help.It seems only fitting to close this season with one last conversation with Coach Todd Widom. In this episode, Todd addresses the Millennial Player and how best to coach them to their highest potential. You will hear Todd (and me) reference a video we both watched a few months ago. You can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/100000013386147/posts/2186232288053863/. It's only 16 minutes long, and I promise you it's worth your time!While I won't be releasing any new episodes between now and the end of the year, rest assured I will be RECORDING new ones in anticipation of 2019 and Season 8! I urge you to use these next few weeks to catch up on any episodes you may have missed, to re-listen to those that sparked something in you, and t

Patricia Hy-Boulais has worn many hats in the tennis world: junior player, professional player, coach, parent. Her latest hat is that of blogger as she recently entered the online world to share her thoughts on the Junior Tennis Journey from the perspective of both a parent and a coach. When I saw Patricia's announcement of her new blog, I couldn't wait to read it! After interviewing her earlier this year for ParentingAces, I knew she had a lot of wisdom to share. As you'll hear in this newest episode, her goal is to speak to Tennis Parents from the coach's perspective as well as to Tennis Coaches from the parent's perspective. I am looking forward to learning from her and sharing it with all of you. You can find Patricia's blog here: https://www.patriciahy.com/ To listen to my earlier podcast with her, go to https://parentingaces.com/from-pro-to-parent-with-patricia-hy-boulais/ And you can contact Patricia through her website at https://www.patriciahy.com/p/contact-me_4.html. She has graciously offered to an

Like many young kids, Jordan Belga played several sports, but it was tennis that lit a spark in him. The sport seemed to come easy to him. He was the #1 ranked player in the US in the 12-and-unders, seemingly on an upward trajectory toward his dream job of playing professional tennis.  However, an injury at age 14 meant significant time away from the sport for young Jordan. And he wasn't sure he had what it would take to make his way back to the top of the game. In this week's episode, Jordan Belga shares his tumultuous journey along the junior and college tennis pathway with brutal honesty. Never fear, though: the story does have a happy ending! This episode is a bit longer than usual, but please do stick with it to the end. Jordan's story is a common one, sadly, and it's an important one for parents, players, and coaches to hear and understand. If you'd like to contact Jordan Belga, you can do so via his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jordan.belga and via his Instagram at https://www.instagram.co

When you're a 10-and-Under Faculty Coach for the USTA, you have access to the latest information on junior development and the best way to navigate the process. When you're also the parent of a college tennis player, you have something even better: first-hand experience! Coach/Parent Ellen Miller has seen the process unfold not only with her young players but also in her own family. She is the mother of 4 children, two of whom played or are playing college sports, all of whom grew up participating in multiple sports. Ellen competed in multiple sports as well, finally choosing to play college tennis at Rice University in Houston and now competing as a Senior Master Swimmer. I'm sharing all this with you so that you understand this woman knows her stuff when it comes to youth sports development and college recruiting! She has been through it herself. She has parented her children through it. And now she is guiding families as they enter the Junior Tennis Journey. I encourage you to listen closely to Ellen's adv

While I was in New York for the WTCA Conference and the US Open, I had the opportunity to learn from some incredible coaches and parents. One of the most unique learning opportunities came on the final day of the Conference when I heard Jure Ko and Anja Prislan explain how they use numerology to help coaches understand the mindset of their players. I know this sounds kind of "woo-woo" when you first hear it, but please give this week's episode a full listen and click on the links below. I think you will be as surprised as I was to learn what this ancient methodology can teach us! According to Jure and Anja, the majority of coaches are closed to accepting new ways of doing things because they are comfortable with the conventional and familiar. This makes them feel secure. So a lot of the coaches and players are simply doing the same old same old and are not risking anything with a new approach. But why not try something new because what is old and proven now was new not so long ago. Why not open yourself to a

What happens when 3 brothers, all alums of the Yale Men's Tennis program, are inspired by an Aristotle quote to create an online space to offer coaching from some of the best in the business? Rhabit! Repetitive actions, becoming habits, leading to excellence - that is the impetus behind this new platform that brings video instruction from top ATP/WTA coaches, current and former tour players, current and former college players, and others directly to you. Rhabit’s instructional videos teach proven skill and strategy development techniques in a unique vlog like style—delivering a fun learning experience. Jeff and his brothers, Connor and Kyle, traveled around the US in an RV - The Rhabitat - meeting with and recording video sessions on the strokes, tactics, and other issues that make up the entire tennis development journey. In this week's episode, you will hear Jeff talk about what Rhabit.com offers, some of his favorite experiences on the road, and how best to use the site to enhance or supplement a player's

In our last episode, we discussed the youth tennis progression in terms of the Red, Orange, Green, and Yellow balls. This week we will discuss the youth tennis progression in terms of tactics. Coach Todd Widom joins us once again to talk about the importance of integrating lessons on tactics alongside the technical training our kids typically receive. He gets into the details of how kids should learn the X's and O's of the game and how to tell when they are ready for a higher level of instruction. If you have a child just starting out in tennis, do yourself a favor and listen to both Episode 43 and 44 to gain a more thorough understanding of the developmental process. And be sure to go back and read the Show Notes from Episode 43 as well. To contact Todd, you can visit his website at twtennis.com. You can also email him at todd@twtennis.com or find him on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic If you’re so inclined, please share this

In our last episode, you heard from Coach Todd Widom about the role of the Tennis Parent throughout the Junior Development process. In this week's podcast, you'll hear from Todd again, this time about the different types of coaches and which one is appropriate at which stage. Coach Todd discusses the differences between a technical coach, a tactical coach, and a teacher. He explains when a child would need each of these and how parents can determine when it's time to move to a new coaching situation.  To contact Todd, you can visit his website at twtennis.com. You can also email him at todd@twtennis.com or find him on Facebook or Twitter. Thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the ParentingAces website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The role of the Tennis Parent is crucial in the Junior Development Process. But, if we don't have a clear understanding of exactly WHAT our role is, it's much easier to make mistakes along the way. In this week's episode, Coach Todd Widom shares his thoughts on what we parents should be doing at each stage of the game. He starts with the early years, moving into the middle school then high school years, explaining how our role changes but also how it stays the same. As always, you can reach Todd Widom via his website at twtennis.com or email at todd@twtennis.com. A big thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic If you’re so inclined, please share this - and all our episodes! - with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on our website and on iTunes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years I have been asking junior coaches to do a better job of communicating with families. Everything from which tournaments to play to whether the child is progressing to how a child compares to his/her peers are questions most Tennis Parents have. Furqan Iqbal, the CEO of Tennis Locker, is a Tennis Parent himself who had similar questions for his son's coach. That coupled with his software development background led Furqan to create an app that would allow coaches to plan for and monitor player development while giving them a simple means of communicating with players and parents. I had the chance to meet Furqan and hear his presentation at the recent WTCA Conference in New York. Once seeing how the app actually works and how simple it is for everyone to use, I wanted to share it with the ParentingAces audience. I love that Tennis Locker solves the problem of coach to parent communication. I love that it includes a variety of pricing options to suit a variety of coaching situations. And I love that it c

A few weeks ago I received an email from a member of the ParentingAces community. It said, "We have a limited budget for tennis and you know personally how expensive it can be with all the costs adding up. I would love to hear a program on how to get the most bang for your buck. That is, ways to help your child become a great tennis player when you don't have a large income to draw on."Ask and ye shall receive! In this week's episode, we address the topic of developing a high-level junior tennis player on a tight budget.Coach Mike Belangia and parent/coach Will Segraves share their ideas and personal experience of how to Junior Tennis when you don't have six figures to spend.Mike runs a program in North Carolina called Greensboro Tennis Program. According to what I've learned, the group practices on public courts, and the rates for lessons/academy and traveling coaches is very affordable. They also offer financial aid.Will has raised his own son on a very limited budget and shares how he helped Gavin develop

Withdrawal from the backdraw of our biggest national tournaments has reached a ridiculous level. At last week's Kalamazoo Tournament (Boys 16s & 18s National Hardcourts), backdraw walkovers were at 16.89% up from 5.88% only fifteen years ago.  Why are so many players pulling out once they lose in the main draw? What can coaches and parents do about it? What SHOULD coaches and parents do about it? That's the topic of this week's conversation with coach Marc Lucero. He feels very passionately about this issue and shares his thoughts on the reasons behind all the withdrawals and what can be done to curb the trend. After recording, I received a request via email from a parent: "Please discuss the summer schedule which contributes to fatigue and injuries. There are too many high level events too close together in my opinion." Marc's response: "I think it’s a valid concern. However I think it’s less to do with the schedule than the feeling that you need to play everything on the schedule, if that makes sense.

Imagine being outside on a summer day surrounded by people who all share a love of the same thing. The only sounds are of feet skidding on green "clay", the contact of ball and string, and the occasional outburst of applause. You are hot and sweaty, but it doesn't matter because you are in your Happy Place doing what you love. Ten years ago, a long-standing tennis tradition in my hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, disappeared. Yes, this week's episode is personal. A few weeks ago, my brother, Jeffrey Goodman, came up with the idea of reviving the Shreveport City Tournament, one that had taken place on the public courts at Querbes Tennis Center dating back to 1933. In its prime, The City had every junior division in both singles and doubles, every adult division in both singles and doubles, a Men's Open, a Women's Open, plus mother-daughter and father-son doubles. Querbes was THE place to be if you had any interest whatsoever in the sport of tennis. You were guaranteed to see the area's best junior and adult p