Coaching Spotlight: Ben Marks, Carefree Racquet Club
For Ben Marks, tennis has always been a family affair.
Growing up in England, tennis was a part of his life ever since he can remember. Both of his parents were tennis players, and many days were spent with them either at their local tennis club, or at home hitting balls against the side of the house.
“It was something we always did as a family. From the moment I could walk I can remember playing tennis,” recalls Marks. “It was our thing to do as a family. And as I got older, they put me in tennis clinics at the club, and then eventually moving on to private lessons.”
While tennis was a primary part of his upbringing, Marks says he never felt pressured by his parents to play, which was a crucial part of him developing a natural love for the sport.
“It was right before my 10th birthday, my parents said that if this was something I wanted to do, they would put me into lessons. They were always so supportive, and never forced me to play. However, once I said it was something I wanted to do, they made me commit to it. It was always my choice, but if I was going to pursue it, I had to give it my all.”
That family-themed approach to tennis has stuck with Marks, and is a big reason why he loves the home he has found at Carefree Racquet Club in North Merrick, where he serves as the facility’s Director of Tennis. Marks said he felt that family atmosphere when he first interviewed for the job back in 2015, and was one of the reasons he felt that Carefree would be the perfect spot for him in his career.
“It’s a family-owned club, and the majority of people there have been there for a long time,” said Marks. “When I interviewed here for the Director position, everyone I met had been there for 20, 25 years. It was a place and position that I felt was more of a career than just another stop along the way.”
That aspect was key for Marks as he has had a number of different jobs and positions in the tennis industry over the last decade-plus, all of which have led him to where he is today. He has always worked in tennis, and jokes that he has never had a “real job”. Back when he was growing up in England, he would help out with the 10-and-under clinics and strung rackets at his local club.
His first visit to the United States came when he was exploring colleges. He would eventually choose Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. as the place to play his collegiate tennis. While playing there, he would coach at local clubs during the season, and when he went home in the summer, he would teach lessons at the same club he grew up playing at.
“My plan was to coach for a few years while I still could and while I still enjoyed it. But I had a degree in finance, and so I assumed eventually I would end up in a business job after that,” Marks recalls. “My first real position was at Sportime, where I started as a tennis pro before progressing to becoming league director, running the camp at Sportime Syosset, and did a lot of back office work. As I progressed kind of quickly there, I began to realize that I could have a career in the industry. It was something I enjoyed doing, and had started carving out a decent living.”
Beyond that, Marks loved the ability to positively affect people’s lives through tennis, which was the key factor in him deciding to completely pursue a career in tennis.
“Seeing the impact you could have on people and the relationships you develop, was something that really pulled me in and kept me in it,” he said. “You meet so many different people, and I think working with people is one of my strengths. It’s something I didn’t want to move away from, and coaching tennis has allowed me to do that.”
Marks’ tennis journey has taken him a number of different places, including his current summer role as the Director of Racquet Sports at Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club, as well as past positions such as being the head coach of the Cold Spring Harbor boys’ varsity tennis team. Working in a variety of different positions across the entire spectrum of the tennis industry has helped fully mold the type of director that Marks is today.
“I try to learn and absorb as much as I can wherever I am. So I try to learn what works and what doesn’t work. My first few years in coaching was about building an idea of what I would want to do, and what I would not want to do, if I ever ran my own place,” said Marks. “That’s something I tried to do everywhere I went. I feel like all of these stops and roles that I have had have definitely made me well-rounded, and putting together all of those puzzle pieces helped for sure.”
And now, Marks has taken all that he has learned and brought it to Carefree, where he has embraced being able to run his own program with the vision he has in mind.
“When I was interviewing someone for the Director of Tennis position, I met with a lot of interested people. I was being very picky wanting to make sure I hired the right person,” recalls Carefree General Manager Kathy Miller. “When I met Ben, I knew he was who I wanted for the position and was thrilled when he accepted the offer. Ben runs an incredible Junior Program along with overseeing the running of the adult lesson programs as well. He is organized, smart, has great leadership skills with the pro staff and a wonderful rapport with the customers. We think of Carefree as more of a ‘family’ club and Ben has helped strengthened that culture at Carefree.”
He credits a lot of that to the ownership group at Carefree as well as Miller, who he says has given him the freedom to run the junior program his way, which has helped it grow from 150 kids when he first started, to nearly 450 today.
“Kathy trusted the long term vision that I had, and put that trust in me to grow the programs,” he said. “We’re in it for the long run, to build relationships and continue to earn the trust of our customers and players. I pride myself on not being a salesman, and trying to pitch people on lessons they don’t need, or programs they shouldn’t be a part of. We’re not an academy and don’t pretend to be one. If someone out grows our program and wants to take their game to the next level, we’re honest with them about that. I think we are a great spot for the majority of players who are trying to get better, play middle school or high school tennis, and learn a skill that lasts a lifetime, but we’re not necessarily set up to be coaching kids who want to be the highest-ranked player in the world. I think people appreciate that honesty, and it’s part of the reason many families trust us with their kids and with their own tennis.”
Family and tennis have always gone hand-in-hand for Marks, and that remains the same today. His wife, Alina Volman, is the Director of Racquet Sports at Pine Hollow Club, and the two met years ago while they both worked at Sportime. Having a spouse who is in the same industry as you has helped both of them, as the two have similar life experiences and can lean on one another when times get tough.
“If I am struggling with a certain situation, she is there to help me out, and vice versa. It’s a good situation in that sense,” said Marks. “Schedules can be tough sometimes, and we do our best to carve out family time. It’s a challenge, but we’re both in the same boat so it helps that we understand what the other is going through.”
The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Mia, a couple of years ago, and raising her has occupied most of their free time. Tennis will no doubt be a part of their daughter’s life, but the approach will be the same as the one used by Marks’ parents.
“Tennis is a huge part of our lives, so it will naturally be a big part of her life. Alina sees it as a pathway to getting good education, but it’s going to be up to her how much she wants to pursue it,” said Marks. “We would love for her to enjoy it. My parents never forced me to play but were supportive when I did, and that’s the same choice we want to give Mia. I would love for her to love tennis, but it’s going to be her decision.”
As far as who will be coaching young Mia when she is ready to have a racket in her hands, Marks says that will be mom’s job.
“I am hoping not to be the one to coach her,” he joked. I think Alina is going to take the lead on that one, and I will get to be the nice guy she confides in when she gets mad at her coach.”
Until then, Marks will continue providing his top-notch instruction to the players he coaches and programs he oversees, and using tennis to positively impact lives.
