The selection of a coach is one of the most important decisions that can be made for a young player. There is no perfect coach or coaching style, as each relationship is unique and must be a strong fit. I have listed 10 categories to consider when evaluating the suitability of a coach, but of…
Tennis fans, I am going to tell you about the biggest secret in professional tennis. Wherever I go in the world, tennis fans talk about their amazing adventures to tournaments like Wimbledon, the French Open, Indian Wells, Miami, the U.S. Open … But I never hear about the warmest tennis hotspot in the world: The…
The following article is a compilation of my favorite quotes taken from conversations with champions at every level, from the juniors to the pros. These conversations have helped shape my own coaching philosophy and I often use these tidbits in my coaching and consulting roles. “Training…
SPORTIME and The John McEnroe Tennis Academy (JMTA) today announced the appointment of Patrick McEnroe as Co-Director, alongside longtime JMTA Director Lawrence Kleger. McEnroe, the younger brother of JMTA founder John McEnroe, joins a team, led by SPORTIME Managing Director Bennett Schlansky. A world-class staff of directors, coaches, trainers and others support John’s and the Academy’s mission to stimulate interest…
It happens quickly, from the time that you are enrolled in college and in less than four years and a total of eight semesters, it’s over. You have a diploma in hand and your eligibility to play collegiate sports is complete and recorded. I am a parent of two college graduates, a coach, professional at…
As a coach or a parent, it can be difficult to find the right words to say after your player has finished a match. Whether or not your player won or lost the match, there is a protocol for how to handle the post-match conversation. In either case, the most important guideline to keep in…
USTA Eastern will conclude the year at its Annual Conference from January 27-29 at the Renaissance Hotel in White Plains, where it will honor and celebrate the people who have had an impact on our tennis community. Among those who will be honored are several Long Islanders, both juniors and adults, for the work and…
With the U.S. Open still fresh on our minds, I wanted to share my observations regarding 2016 U.S. Open Men’s Singles Champion Stan Wawrinka and the growth he has shown under the tutelage of “Tennis Therapist,” Coach Magnus Norman. We have all seen the now-famous pose of Stan pointing to his temple, while making eye…
Sports psychology has become a wide and diverse field. Not only do we work with an ever-growing variety of sports, we use a variety of approaches. Standard sports psychology uses what we called “suppressive techniques,” which help the athlete to control any unwanted emotion, such as anxiety, anger or despair. But the field is no…
What if a tournament player could play relaxed and anxiety-free while taking risks? What if they temporarily lost focus, but could get back on track and stay emotionally balanced? My sense is that they would perform their personal best because they would not be limiting themselves. So, what’s stopping a player from playing like that?…