Parentingaces - The Junior Tennis And College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 25, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa chats with Erik Kortland, former college and professional player and current coach and business person, about his latest venture, RKT Group, Inc.After his playing career, Erik started at the Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles as Head of Elite Player and Academy Development, where he was responsible for developing a Top-10 national player in every age group of boys and girls. After much success as a private coach, Erik was hired in 2013 by USTA Player Development as National Coach, Junior Development. His primary responsibility was to implement USTA PD philosophy at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the annual US Open Tennis Championships, directly developing USA’s very best prospects and creating programming for all juniors.  In 2016 Erik coached Amanda Anisimova (pictured with Erik) to her first junior French Open final and first WTA grand slam win at

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 24, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa talks with fellow tennis parent, Lianne Mandelbaum, about keeping our players who have food allergies safe on and off the court.Lianne's son, Josh, has a severe allergy to peanuts which she has taught him to manage well over the years. However, when Josh had to get on an airplane to travel to a tournament, all bets were off - the airline staff and fellow passengers disregarded Josh's allergy and his concerns for his health. Lianne later learned that airlines have limited tools on board to help a passenger suffering from an allergic reaction, and she went into Momma Bear mode advocating for policy changes and better education around the dangers of known and undiagnosed food allergies.For junior players who also have to deal with their own food allergies, this episode includes very helpful advice and tools for staying safe when traveling or playing in a new place. For players who

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 23, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa's son, Morgan Stone, rejoins the podcast to discuss his life after tennis.The last time we checked in with Morgan, he was working in tech sales in the California Bay area. He had graduated from San Jose State by way of Santa Clara University and Boise State University with a major in Business and a focus on Marketing. He was also producing house music with the goal of moving out of sales and into music full time. Then came NFTs.Morgan is now the CEO of Roo Troop, a Web3 company initially funded by non-fungible tokens that is working hard to fill a huge need in the Web3 ecosystem while maintaining a philanthropic mission as well. Roo Troop has donated over $30,000 to date to Rainforest Rescue, a non-profit to preserve the habitat of the endangered tree kangaroo in Australia (click here for a video on how Roo Troop is making a difference). If you don't understand what that means,

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 22, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's episode, Lisa talks with Lavie Sak, a coach who recognized a need for an update to the commonly-used tennis gear currently on the market then started a business to solve for that need.ADV Tennis products have been created by designers and engineers who play, coach, and know tennis. In addition to getting feedback from pro level players and coaches across the globe, they make it a priority to listen to all tennis players to understand how ADV can create the best tennis gear. From overgrips to bags to a tennis training kit, ADV is bringing products to the market that can help every player at every level achieve their goals.But ADV Tennis isn't just about product creation. Lavie and his team are also committed to giving back to his parents' country of origin, Cambodia, as well as other communities in need around the world. They are working with these countries to provide tennis opp

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 21, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Coach Todd Widom is back for this episode to discuss Old School (or, as he calls it, Proper School) coaching versus New School coaching. Then the conversation segues into how best to utilize the information provided by ratings and rankings. This is a good one!Todd grew up being coached by the ultimate Proper School coach, Pierre Arnold. Todd has incorporated the lessons he learned from Pierre to provide an environment for his students to learn and achieve whatever goals they have set for themselves. It's not always easy and it's not always fun and games BUT it is always with the intent of helping his players become the best tennis player they can be.That said, one thing that seems to get in the way of that intent is the prevalence of ratings and rankings and the focus on the number instead of overall development. With USTA implementing yet another rating - the ITF's World Tennis Number (WTN) -

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 20, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's episode, Lisa talks with George Opelka, Tennis Parent to ATP professional, Reilly Opelka, and the Head of Pro Player Relations and Head of Community (Southeast) for SwingVision.For those of you who might be new to our podcast, you may not have heard of SwingVision. However, if you are the parent or coach of a junior or college player, you absolutely need to know about this innovative company using video and artificial intelligence to create crucial data points as well as video analytics of match play and practice sessions.To access our previous podcasts discussing SwingVision, including video demonstrations, click here and here.Tennis has been a bit slow to embrace data collection and analytics, but we are now seeing our sport catch up to the rest of the world. SwingVision not only provides a simple way to record practice sessions, lessons, and match play using only your iPhone,

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 19, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's episode, Lisa talks with Chris Boyer, a fellow Tennis Parent and a founding committee member for the new Southern California Pro Circuit.Per a press release Lisa received:The SoCal Pro Circuit is a transitional tour designed to create a path to the pro ranks for up-and-coming professional, college, and high-level junior players (with all main draw and qualifying wild cards to each event going to American players from Southern California or attending university full-time in Southern California). The first three $15,000 tournaments – part of the ITF World Tennis Tour and USTA Pro Circuit – will take place in San Diego County, with the final three events in Los Angeles and Orange County. “Southern California has a long history of producing some of the most celebrated tennis players in the game like Billie Jean King, Serena and Venus Williams, and Pete Sampras,” said Southern Califo

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 18, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Coach JY Aubone is back to discuss how junior players and their parents and coaches can best manage both the mental and physical challenges during the course of tournament competition.Both JY and Lisa have been asked numerous times about the best way for a junior player to manage themselves throughout a tournament. Whether it's the warm up, cool down, hydration, meals, sleep, or another facet of competing, there are so many variables when your child is competing. Knowing how to best help them, especially when they are playing multiple matches a day for 3 or 4 (or more!) consecutive days, is an ever-changing challenge. Each tournament is different. Each child is different. Being willing and able to adapt as needed is one of the keys to success when it comes to making sure the player has the energy needed to compete as well on Day 4 as on Day 1.JY has extensive experience both as a player and as

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 17, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, we've got something a little different on tap.ParentingAces creator and founder, Lisa Stone, does a deep dive into the ParentingAces platform, including ParentingAces.com and its social media channels. Learn how best to use the website, Facebook page and groups, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube offerings to help you have a more positive experience throughout the Junior and College Tennis Journey. If you have more questions or would like to get in touch with Lisa, you can reach her at lisa@parentingaces.com. If you aren’t already, be sure to follow ParentingAces on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.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 your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by clicking here. And check out our logo’d m

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 16, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa chats with coach Todd Widom about how parents should go about selecting a short-term training or camp experience for their junior players.The topic of summer camps and Spring Break training opps comes up pretty regularly in the ParentingAces community. There are so many options out there - most of which are pretty pricey - and choosing the right coach and facility for your player can be challenging.Coach Todd Widom shares his thoughts on the questions to ask when considering your options. Not only should you make sure the coach is a good fit for your child, but also that other players who will be there have similar goals and experience so everyone gets the most out of the experience.If you have more questions or would like to get information on Todd's training, you can reach him at todd@twtennis.com. If you aren't already, be sure to follow him on Facebook and Instagram as well

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 15, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa chats with Brett Connors, current producer at the Tennis Channel and son of World Number 1, Jimmy Connors, and his wife, model Patti McGuire.Growing up as the child of world-famous parents can be a pressure cooker. You're always being held up in the world's eye to the uber-high standards set by your parents. In Brett Connors's case, he definitely faced some of that pressure but has found a way to forge his own path and identity both in and outside of the tennis world.Not only did Brett and his younger sister, Aubree, have to deal with their parents' fame but also with their dad's frequent time away from them as he traveled the world competing. That said, their mother found a way to bring a sense of normalcy to their childhood while encouraging them both to pursue their own interests and dreams.After playing both golf and tennis as a young child, Brett eventually chose to pursue

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 14, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, the topic is developing great competitors as opposed to simply great ball strikers. Coach Jonathan Stokke, a former college coach and current junior developmental coach, shares his strategies with the ParentingAces audience.Jonathan grew up playing tennis and went on to have a great college career at Duke University. Prior to working at Duke, Stokke served as an assistant women's tennis coach at Wake Forest for two years. Before coaching at the collegiate level, he instructed highly-ranked junior players at the Smith Stearns Tennis Academy in Hilton Head, S.C., with Stan Smith and Billy Stearns.Stokke became the first student-athlete in Duke Men's Tennis history to win the ITA National Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award in 2006 while also earning the USTA Sportsmanship Award – just the second Blue Devil to earn the honor next to Smith. He was an All-American and a two-

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 13 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's episode, Lisa chats with the founder of the Reformed Sports Project, Nick Buonocore.As a former top youth and collegiate baseball player himself, and now as a youth coach and father, Nick Buonocore well knows and understands the challenges facing youth sports development in the current climate. He's seen the good side and the bad of both coaches and parents which led him to create a website and podcast to help bring the fun and joy back into youth sports at all levels.Nick shares his thoughts on the role of the coach and the role of the parent as we all strive to help young athletes reach their full potential on and off the court or field. For more information on the Reformed Sports Project, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also reach out to Nick directly through the Contact Us page on the RSP website. You can find all episodes of the podcast here.If you’r

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 12, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa chats with Ryan Carney, current head men's and women's coach at Missouri Valley College and director of Collegiate Exposure Camps.Coach Ryan Carney is entering his 19th season as a college head coach. As the Camp Director of Collegiate Exposure Camps, Coach Carney strives to put together an outstanding group of college coaches to run the camps. As a long time college coach, he takes great pride in directing a camp "taught exclusively by college coaches". But what is the difference between an exposure camp and a college showcase? And how do you know which is appropriate for your junior player(s)? Those are the questions Ryan addresses and answers in this week's podcast! In addition, he discusses some of the best practices of college recruiting and the role of the parent in the process.For more information or to register for this summer's Collegiate Exposure Camps at University o

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 11, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa chats with Marcelo Ferreira, a former college coach (Texas Tech, Pepperdine) who is now running his own junior tennis development program in the Atlanta area.After graduating from Georgia College & State University in 2006, Marcelo remained in Milledgeville, Ga. for a year to serve as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s tennis programs at his alma mater. He was a three-year letterwinner on the tennis team and earned Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll status every season. He later went on to earn his master’s degree in education, with a focus on human performance and sports management, from Texas Tech.Once his time at Pepperdine was complete, Marcelo relocated to Atlanta where he began working with the area's junior players at Universal Tennis Academy (read more about Marcelo in this article). He then had the opportunity to take over the junior tenn

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 10, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa talks with Katie Lever, a former Division I athlete and newly-published author, about her college athletic experience.Katie is currently working toward her Ph. D at the University of Texas at Austin in Rhetoric and Language with experience in quantitative and qualitative research, academic presentations, teaching, journalism, market research, and college athletics. She also freelances for one of our partners, 2aDays.com - an online resource for prospective college athletes dedicated to transparency and educational empowerment in collegiate athletics - as a writer, speaker, and advisor.Katie Lever ran track and cross country for Western Kentucky University from 2012-17, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and master’s degree in Organizational Communication. Her current research focuses on athlete rights, issues in intercollegiate athletics, and colleg

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 9, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa talks with Coach Todd Widom about what it takes for a junior player to win the biggest events on the world stage. It's great to finally get Todd back on the pod!Bruno Kuzuhara, an American who trains in Florida, was the 2022 Australian Open Boys Singles Champion. What did it take for him to reach that level? What sets him apart from other American juniors?Coach Todd has some definite thoughts on these and other questions regarding junior tennis development. As usual, he isn't shy about sharing those opinions with the ParentingAces community, and we love him for it!To gain more insight into Bruno Kuzuhara, read Colette Lewis's recent interview with him here.If you're interested in learning more about Todd's training facility and approach, you can reach him on his website here, on Facebook, and on Instagram. He is very responsive and welcomes players to come work with him and his

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 8, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa checks back in with the founder of Match Tennis App, Heath Waters, to discuss the newest amazing updates to this must-have app for tennis parents. We highly encourage you to watch the video version of this episode on ParentingAces.com or our YouTube channel so you can see Heath walk you through the new features of Match Tennis App.To watch our previous podcasts with Heath, go to https://parentingaces.com/articles/tennis-parents-gotta-get-app/, https://parentingaces.com/articles/matchtennis-app-pivots-for-2021/, and https://parentingaces.com/articles/college-recruiting-app-heath-lindsey-waters/.Heath Waters is not just a tennis coach but also a tennis parent. He and his wife, Lindsey, understand the challenges of navigating the various journey tennis tournament schedules, entry requirements, and match preparation. They continue to enhance Match Tennis App to incorporate features

Welcome to this Bonus Episode of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Lisa chats with Randy Master of the TennisONE app about their coverage of college tennis, specifically USTA College Match Days, during the 2022 season.Randy has an extensive history in tennis, starting as an accomplished junior player, playing college tennis at VCU, then moving into college and private coaching. Eventually, Randy made his way into the business side of the sport, working at the Tennis Channel, IMG, and now, TennisONE.You can download the TennisONE app FOR FREE in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store then watch as many matches as you please at no cost. In addition to live matches, the app also includes interviews with coaches and players as well as other on-the-ground content for fans of the game.If watching on a phone isn't your thing, you can also watch on your computer or stream live on your smart tv. TennisONE is doing its part to grow the fan base of our sport and bring liv

Welcome to Season 11, Episode 7, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa chats with two high school tennis coaches from North Carolina: Kyle Williams and Tom Traub.If you've been following ParentingAces for any amount of time, you know Lisa is a huge proponent of junior players getting involved with their high school teams. Having the opportunity to play for something bigger than yourself is an invaluable experience for all players, regardless of their goals and regardless of their level of play. Even though some high school tennis may not be at the level these kids are used to in terms of competition, it can still be a great experience and counter-balance to the pressures felt on the individual tournament court.Kyle Williams and Tom Traub have been coaching at the high school level (Marvin Ridge High School) for many years and share their experiences working with both tournament-level players and more recreational players in the team atmosphere. The