July 11, 2011
By Edward Wolfarth
So, I’m giving a lesson the other day and on the adjacent court is another pro (unnamed to protect the guilty) going through the motions … you know what I mean.
June 23, 2011
By Marc Rosett
When a young actor, who happened to be a perfect Roger Federer look-alike, wanted to learn to play tennis in order to complete the similarities to his counterpart, he needed only two things. One was a master teacher who, in a short period of time could give him those skills couched in classic form and secondly a quiet place to train.
February 14, 2011
By Lonnie Mitchel
My father, who was in the field of education for almost 20 years, said to me many years ago: “Your students will challenge you in many ways and they will teach you many things.” He also said that “students will give you many gifts that will come back to you in ways that just cannot be measured.”
October 19, 2010
By Gary Simeone
Members of the Commack High School Varsity Girls Tennis squad recently teamed up with some of their favorite faculty members for friendly, competitive doubles tennis matches to raise money for breast cancer awareness.
September 24, 2010
By Alan Fleishman
I guess that I have contributed enough articles to Long Island Tennis Magazine to allow me to have a little “fun.” Before retiring, I was a history teacher (I know, its “Social Studies,” but I am old school) for a third of a century. It was a great job, but there are always speed bumps on the highway of life.
June 15, 2010
By Edward Wolfarth
We know teaching is more art than science, but we're still undecided on what matters the most … the message or the messenger? First, let's take a look at the messenger, or the way in which we deliver the “goods.”
April 5, 2010
By Edward Wolfarth
Who doesn't remember that one teacher who had a real positive affect on our lives. It could have been a kindergarten teacher, a high school history teacher, a college professor or, yes, even a tennis coach.
April 1, 2010
By Alan Fleishman
Living in Florida allows the dedicated tennis player (or fanatic—depending on who is doing the defining) to play outdoors all year round. Actually, I live right across the way from the Evert Academy. When we bought our home, the agent said we might hear the sound of tennis balls late at night, which was music to my ears. Needless to say, there are many fine teaching pros in the area.
March 24, 2010
By Steven Kaplan
As a tennis instructor, my role is to give my students information and organizational structure to provide clarity and focus. The most serious players require more than a tennis instructor, however, they need a coach. While coaches provide instruction, they assume other, more ambitious tasks as well.
May 1, 2009
By Alan Fleishman
“Hey, coach.” I remember the first time I heard it. It sounded strangely ominous. I was a Social Studies teacher at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, N.Y. My first few years there, I would go out and hit with the team; coaching was a whole new world.
May 1, 2009
By Edward Wolfarth
I cannot figure out why some of my students just don’t get it. I’m telling them everything I know, I’m trying different images and drills and they still do not seem to improve. One day on the other court, I was observing a fellow teaching pro giving a lesson. In a half-hour time span, he said very little. As a matter of fact, he didn't say anything technical or noteworthy. “Good shot, way to go, that's not it,” seemed to be his repertoire, but the student was still improving at a rate not much different than my student … what’s up? Certainly, I give my students feedback as well. After many years of trying different teaching techniques, I’ve come to the conclusion that there is little that can be taught but much that can be learned through self-discovery. And that’s the gist of it! I’ve evolved in to a “learning facilitator.” This may seem nothing more than a connotation distinction, but definitively, an important one.