Conventional wisdom amongst many coaches and players suggests that the key to mental “toughness” is to talk and think positively at all times; especially when it comes to match play. While this seems to make sense at first glance, let us examine and explore a little beneath the surface. The truth is that when a…
In the 30-plus years since I first began coaching tennis, society has seen many changes in the way people communicate and interact. Technology has not, however, altered basic human nature, and in this example, the inevitability of self-serving, immediate gratification-seeking behavior of junior players, coaches and parents. Many aspects of the system of junior tennis…
In the early 1980s, I received a phone call while in the middle of a staff meeting. The caller was requesting to enter a men’s tournament. Being rather busy at the moment, I told him that I would transfer his call to the tournament director. He interrupted by saying that he had a potential problem….
I was very disappointed to read Jim Dileo’s article, "USTA Team Tennis: Increasing Your Chances to Play for a National Title" in the May/June 2009 edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine. Mr. Dileo takes the approach that, in order to be competitive and win, you need to “game” the system when self-rating players. His article…
Injuries are a part of tennis … it is a fast moving game with lots of stopping and starting, sharp lateral movements, accelerations and stretches. As you get older, your chance of repetitive stress injuries increases. So, should you just accept that injuries happen or is there something you can do to reduce the risk…
Robert Glickman, a USPTA pro for the last 30 years on Long Island, recently took his lessons on the road to Sans Souci Resort in Jamaica. In April, in exchange for a stay at Sans Souci Resort in Jamaica, Glickman taught tennis to guests of the resort. “It was a wonderful experience, and I look…
We are now in our third week of the league season with matches well under way. Just a reminder to all captains that scorecards have to be entered into the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Web site within 24 hours of the match and also have to be mailed so the standings section of the…
Through my years as a tennis professional, I have found a bounty of benefits in pairing a student's private lessons and group work with tennis specific physical training. After what we've seen over the last decade in professional tennis, its effectiveness should come as no surprise. Anyone who watched this year's French Open listened while…
A major component of the search process—the search for the perfect school—is the “official visit.” Each prospective collegiate player is only afforded five (Division 1, Division 2) visits, so you have to make them count. These should be relegated to your “short list” of schools, the handful of schools that you would be happy to…
For those who think being a tennis coach is easy … think again! Being a tennis coach is a full-time job in which, on top of the obvious time spent practicing, there are countless additional hours spent with parents and college coaches. Then, of course, there’s also the tournaments and travel. One coach who takes…