At the USTA Eastern Long Island Region Awards Dinner, long-time tennis coach and teacher Howie Arons received one of the highest honors given out in the New York tennis community: The Vitas Gerulaitis “For the Love of Tennis” Award. Arons is a worthy recipient of the award that bears Gerulaitis’ name. He has spent the…
In Part One of the “More Than an Athlete” series, we highlighted how, when an athlete brings his or her “whole self” (mental and skillset) to the performance, they are better able to play their game and be the best they can be. In Part Two, we highlighted how, when a player understands that results…
In the January/February 2015 edition of Long Island Tennis Magazine, I wrote about our first Four Pillars in our Eight Pillars of a Champion. They are: â–ºMind First—Think Success â–ºDream Big—Achieve More â–ºEndless Effort—The Desire to Improve â–ºMake It Happen—Always Improve Over the President’s Day holiday, I was joined at an L1 tournament by a…
If you wanted to take the most comprehensive tennis lesson possible, what would it include? First, you’d have to think outside of that rectangular court and venture into areas of the game that you’re really not good at. You’ll need to set some priorities, but you’re not sure what those are. You’re pretty good at…
I have often been asked during media interviews if there are differences between male and female athletes and the answer I give is “Yes.” Beyond the obvious differences in physiology, there are also subtle but real psychological differences as well. And the answer to what these differences are can be seen in the way boys…
Every year, players returning home from college tell me that they were "tested" in a two or three mile run for their teams. They were told, "Since you run several miles in a match, let's test this on the track." A three-mile run is a poor assessment for tennis, performance. In the past, I've called…
So you are in a competitive match and the score is 4-4 in the third set with your ranking is on the line. Your parents, maybe a college coach, a friend or other adversaries are watching. Now is the time when the rubber hits the road. It does not matter if you win or lose,…
There is no doubt that technological developments are always at the center of change, and that is no more evident than in coaching and teaching. Over the last couple of decades, advances in technology have changed and shaped the way some of the top tennis coaches in the country teach their players. “One of the…
In my last article, we discussed the secret to sustained peak performance, a principal called “More Than an Athlete: Person First. Athlete Second.” We also clarified that More Than an Athlete doesn’t require working harder, pushing or even pulling, it does require that the athlete, coach or parent shift their perspective so they can see…
I often monitor tennis lessons by the pros on my staff. In an effort to give some constructive feedback, I look at the interaction between the adult and the child, and try to think like a child. I look at how the children are experiencing the lesson. Are they inspired to give their best effort?…