For the past year, I have been the head men’s and women’s tennis coach at SUNY Oneonta and have discovered something. Typically, when a junior tennis player thinks of Division III, they think of strong academics and not-so-strong tennis. The former is definitely true. If you look at the top 75 national universities and the…
I just finished an interview with Jason Rolle, a 22-year-old tennis pro out of Sportime Roslyn. I started the interview with a simple question: “What is the biggest issue your students present every day?” Immediately, he said, “That’s an easy one. The biggest issue I face each day is that the young player often lacks…
As a veteran teaching professional, the top two questions that I am asked about the serve are: “How do I get more power”? and “How do I fix my toss?” In the real world of the serve, the toss is the most misunderstood action. Players are so focused on striking the ball and the outcome…
I would like to salute team captains of our league teams. From coast to coast, the largest demographic of passionate and competitive tennis players in the nation are the adult league players. The unsung hero in a no-win situation is the team captain. Whenever I meet a team captain, I never fail to get a…
Being a tennis coach necessitates a unique ability to connect with the player. Tennis is a game of skill, strength and strategy. As a coach, the challenge is to guide a player to perform their best in all of those aspects and then come back the next day reaching for more. As in any sport,…
Early in my coaching career, the following scenario would take place with me and my students repeatedly … I would work long and hard with a player and achieve a smooth, efficient stroke, only to see the shape of the swing fall apart when the player moved more than one step to the ball. I…
Long Island Tennis Magazine is dedicated to growing tennis on Long Island and also supporting the local tennis community that comprises a good portion of our readership base. We were recently approached by the Nassau County High School Committee about sponsoring a Boys & Girls High School Coach of the Year Award and thought it…
Just off the Pro Tour, Phillip Simmonds has joined the coaching staff at Sportime Syosset. Simmonds was recruited by fellow ATP player Robert Kendrick, who has been director of tennis at Sportime Syosset since September 2012. Both of these accomplished pros are now working with players at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy. Phillip was born in…
Longtime high school tennis coach Howie Arons has ended his 36-year coaching career, stepping down as coach of the Cardozo Boys Tennis Team. Through Howie’s illustrious career as head coach at Cardozo, he has amassed 582 career wins against only 51 defeats, and won 18 New York City Championships. Howie’s success on the court was…
How often do you play matches and walk off saying to yourself, “I should have won. I’m better than him/her? It would be fairly safe to say that the difference between winning and losing matches can often boil down to which of the players is stronger and more confident mentally. Tennis To The Max offers a…