2012 New York Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion

December 6, 2012 | By New York Tennis Magazine Staff
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The New York metro tennis community has some of the sport’s best facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and best coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available right in our own backyard, New York Tennis Magazine recently took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these top coaches. What you will find below are some of the sport’s top instructors sharing their ideas and strategies from how to handle juniors, the differences between coaching girls and boys, the singles and doubles games, the benefits of 10 & Under Tennis and much more. Even the best coach can always learn an extra tip or two, and the following article will provide all players and coaches with a chance to learn from the cream of the area’s crop.

Meet the participants …

Miguel Astorga
Midtown Tennis Club

Miguel Astorga is a USPTA- and PTR-certified tennis professional with 15 years of tennis development and coaching experience. Miguel has trained juniors and adults at all levels in various international tennis clubs, including those in U.S., Mexico, Bahamas and Cuba. Miguel found his passion for tennis when he started playing in Santiago, Chile and later played juniors at the prestigious Club Stade Francoise. Miguel found his passion for tennis playing every day after school starting at seven-years-old and still remembers his first coach who showed him the Eastern Grip on his wooden Wilson racquet. His first coach had a lasting impact on his love for the game and Miguel later dedicated his career to providing young players with an enjoyable and challenging tennis experience. Miguel is currently living in New York City with his family and enjoys teaching at Midtown Tennis Club in Manhattan.

Gilad Bloom
The Club of Riverdale
Gilad Bloom is a former ATP touring professional who, at his peak, was ranked 61st in singles and 62nd in doubles in the world. Five times Israel’s Men’s Champion, three times in singles and twice in doubles, Gilad is currently the director of tennis at The Club of Riverdale. He was the director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy for two years, and before that, ran Gilad Bloom Tennis for nine years.

 

 

Roger Dowdeswell
Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club
Roger Dowdeswell was ranked in the world’s top 60, and competed at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, French Open and the Australian Open many times. He also played Davis Cup for Rhodesia, coached both the U.S. and New Zealand Junior Davis Cup teams, and as Zimbabwe’s National Coach, he established a tennis development program involving 20,000 juniors. Roger has taught both John and Patrick McEnroe, as well as many other world-class players. Recently, Roger represented Zimbabwe at the World Senior Team Championships in Turkey. Zimbabwe won their section and finished sixth out of a field of 20 teams. In the Individual Senior World Championships, Roger reached the last 16 in singles, and he and his partner reached the finals in doubles. Roger has been the tennis director of Manhattan Plaza Racquet Club (MPRC) for many years. With 30 years of tennis teaching experience, Roger can help optimize the learning curve at any level.

Eric Faro
Stadium Tennis Center at Mill Pond Park
Eric Faro grew up in Riverdale and attended Horace Mann, where he played number one singles for all four years and subsequently at Ohio State University. Eric is excited about his new role as a director at Gotham Tennis Academy and this new phase of his tennis career in New York City and the Hamptons. Eric has an engaging personality that kids enjoy, and he brings a wealth of coaching experience from his extensive background at Stadium Tennis and Central Park Tennis Center.

Paul Fontana
New York Tennis Club
Paul Fontana is the director of tennis at the New York Tennis Club. He is also the director of the Advantage Sea and Sports Camp at Maritime College. Paul is on the board of directors of the USPTA Eastern Section and is a past president of the PTR Eastern Section. Paul is a Lifetime Member of the USTA.

 

 

George Garland
Go! Tennis Programs at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club
George Garland is director of tennis and president of Go! Tennis Programs at North Shore Tennis and Racquets Club in Bayside, N.Y. A former coordinator of adult tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Garland played on the collegiate, satellite and senior levels. George, a national teaching clinician for the USTA, is a personal coach to numerous sectionally- and nationally-ranked juniors, as well as many television, music and movie personalities.

Rohan Goetzke
IMG Academy
As director of the IMG Academy Bollettieri tennis program, Rohan Goetzke oversees all aspects of the tennis program and ensures delivery of the optimal training and highest level of development to each male and female tennis athlete at the junior, high school, postgraduate, collegiate and professional levels. A native of Australia, Goetzke joined IMG Academy from the Dutch Tennis Federation, where he was responsible for the development and implementation of the nation’s tennis program from the junior through professional ranks. Prior to joining the Dutch Tennis Federation as technical director, Goetzke served as the national head coach of the Federation, working with top professionals including Robin Haase, Michaella Krajicek, Thiemo De Bakker and Arantxa Rus. He also privately coached Mario Ancic for several years, during which Ancic rose to 17th in the world. Additionally, he served as Richard Krajicek’s coach for more than 10 years, during which Krajicek rose to a number four world ranking and captured the Wimbledon singles title in 1996. From a team perspective, Goetzke has served as the Dutch Davis Cup coach for the past six years, and the Fed Cup coach for the past two.

Gordon Kent
Roosevelt Island Racquet Club
Gordon Kent is the general manager and tennis director of Roosevelt Island Racquet Club and was the tennis director of Stadium Tennis Center from 1979-1997. He was also the owner and director of the New England Tennis Camp from 1991-2010. Gordon brings more than 25 years of teaching experience with every level of junior—from beginner through tournament competitor. One of the finest coaches in the East, Gordon’s programs attract hundreds of juniors each year. Gordon was named “Pro of the Year” for the USPTR, Eastern Division (1989). In 1992, he received the same award from the USPTA, Eastern Division. In 1986, he received the USTA/USPTR “Public Service Award” for outstanding contributions to tennis development. He is a past chairman of the Junior Competition Committee for the Eastern Tennis Association.

Lawrence Kleger
John McEnroe Tennis Academy
A native New Yorker, Lawrence Kleger is recognized as one of the top developmental coaches in the U.S. Lawrence is also the personal coach of Noah Rubin, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and has been Lawrence’s student since the age of seven. Noah is a top American tennis prospect, reaching a career-best 14th in the ITF Junior World Ranking for boys 18 and under, number one in U.S. Boys 16 and Under Division, and reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 Junior French Open. Lawrence’s students have won numerous national and regional championships and 18 USTA Eastern Year-End Sportsmanship Awards. He is the director of tennis at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, which makes its home at Sportime Randall’s Island in Manhattan.

Whitney Kraft
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Whitney Kraft is director of tennis programs at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. A native of Summit, N.J., Whitney brings more than 25 years of tennis experience to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Prior to joining the USTA, Kraft served as director of tennis for the city of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. where he oversaw the daily programming and operations of more than 45 courts at nine different facilities. As a tennis player, Kraft was a four-time National Mixed-Open Champion and most recently in 2006, Kraft was the USPTA International Championship 45 Doubles Champion.

 

Tim Mayotte
360 Tennis
Tim Mayotte was one of the United States’ best tennis players during the 1980s. Twice during the 80s, he finished the year ranked in the world’s top 10. Over the course of his career, he has recorded wins over the greatest players of his era, including Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg and others. Besides reaching the semifinals of Wimbledon and the Australian Open, he also won a Silver Medal in the Olympics and represented his nation in Davis Cup action. For the last decade, Tim has shifted his focus to developing top American players and is currently running 360 Tennis at the Cunningham Tennis Center with his partners, Lee Hurst and Carl Thorsen.

Butch Seewagen
Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy
Ranked number one in every age category in the East as a Junior and Men’s Open Division, Butch Seewagen was a finalist at the U.S. Nationals at Kalamazoo, and a two-time All-American from Rice University. Butch was a U.S. Amateur Champion before turning pro and was ranked in the top 70 in world and was holder of more than 15 national and international titles. A former coach of Ivy League Champion Columbia University and coach of four top 50 ATP players, Butch is co-owner of CATS: Children’s Athletic Training School Inc. and Butch Seewagen Tennis Academy in Rockville Centre and Manhattan for children three to nine years of age.

 

Richard Thater
West Side Tennis Club
Richard Thater is a long-time teacher on New York City tennis courts. He is PTR-certified in both adult and junior development and has competed as a ranked player In Long Island Region USTA senior tournaments. Richard is the director of 10 & Under Tennis at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills.

The roundtable …

What do you think Americans coaches need to do to develop top professional players?
Miguel Astorga:
American coaches are on the right path in tennis development. The USTA is taking the right approach to work with Spanish coaches, so they can incorporate different tennis teaching techniques and unlock why Spanish players have been so successful in all types of surfaces. Spain counts 13 players in the ATP Tour’s top 100, more than any other nation and nearly twice as many as the USA.
Roger Dowdeswell: What we are doing in this country is obviously not working. We need to identify the most promising juniors, leave them with the pros who have developed them, and give those pros technical and financial support. Exactly what that support would consist of would be determined on a per-case basis. This is not a question with a simple answer!

Paul Fontana: I think the first step is to identify who is responsible for developing top professional players. The USTA is clearly the largest group responsible for developing young talent in this country. The second largest group is the academies throughout the country attempting to get the most out of players and propel them into the national spotlight. The third group would be individuals programs attempting to develop juniors into professional players. All are good, all are valid. A parent needs to find the best situation for their child.

Through the USTA junior tournaments and the national ranking system, many players rise through the ranks and achieve success, which propels them to the professional ranks. This is pretty much the way it is done. Any system can improve and it appears the USTA is constantly trying to make their system better.

The USTA, with the help of the USPTA and PTR (the two largest professional teaching associations in the USA), is attempting to grow the game through 10 & Under Tennis. The USTA believes that by introducing the game to more children and by making it more accessible, there is the possibility of developing more professional players. Secondly, by teaching proper fundamentals to children at a younger age, we will have a greater pool of skilled players who will be better able to become professional players.
I think we need to have patience and confidence in the direction the USTA is headed. No system is perfect. However, I think we are headed in a good direction.

Rohan Goetzke: I believe that American coaches are doing a good job developing top professional American and foreign players. I believe that a focus on strong fundamentals at an early age—practicing as much as possible on clay; starting young with age-appropriate tennis balls like we see in the U10s—helps develop good technique, and a long-term development plan. It’s important for the coach to establish that a player should not expect immediate success, but must stay focused on winning. The coaches also have to work with the parents of players to make sure they are consistent with their message and stay positive. Being too overbearing does not allow the player to develop their own personal confidence which is important in a player’s personal life and for their tennis career. The player also has to love the game, and finding a good coach and group training environment at an early age is beneficial.

Tim Mayotte: That is a very difficult question as the list is so long. Motivational skills and helping a kid nurture and grow a player’s passion is the most important thing. A big part of motivational skills would be to help the younger player learn to manage frustration and turn anger into focusing on the process. I also think an awareness of technical development is critical both in terms of the shape of swings and the technique of movement. Without great efficiency in these last two areas, a player’s game will stall somewhere along the line.

Butch Seewagen: I don’t feel that the onus to develop top professional players falls primarily on coach’s teaching abilities. The level of coaching today is the highest it has ever been … never have there been so many qualified coaches. The mission is to increase the quality of the talent pool. The job is to identify great athletes and get them involved in tennis instead of traditional team sports. Tennis is huge in other countries, as in many places, tennis is the number one sport. They have the luxury of the best of the best going into tennis. The job of the USTA and the coaches is to get the best athletes to try tennis and then to keep them in the game. Once in our coaches’ hands, we will have no problem producing top players.



 

What qualities do you look for in a potential student that may set them apart from other juniors?
Eric Faro:
I look for the "IT" factor. Some students may have beautiful strokes and have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in private lessons, but they may lack that hunger to be a great player. I look for the students who really want to work to improve. They will do whatever it takes to get that next shot over the net. I look for a kid with heart and the will to do whatever it takes to win. That is what I call the "IT" factor.

Gordon Kent: Of course you would look for raw physical talent. What often gets overlooked is their dedication to improving and their ability to concentrate and work hard on the court. You can look at a student’s performance in school to get clues as to how successful they will be on the court. Also, parental support is critical. This doesn’t necessarily mean the parent needs to be involved in coaching their child. A parent needs to be there for emotional support and needs to support their child by taking them to lessons, tournaments, etc. Becoming a successful junior player is a huge commitment for not only the player, but also for their family.

Tim Mayotte: First, I look for a young person who can focus. One who has a desire to win, but can tolerate frustration. A well-rounded athlete can be developed over time given the capacity. Finally, if the child has supportive parents; that is critical.

Butch Seewagen: Apart from the necessary athletic skill sets, the two qualities that are most important in a potential student are stomach and heart. The stomach is not the dog in the fight, but simply put, it is the fight in the dog. A student must enjoy the competition. It is from winning and losing that improvements are made. The heart involves the love of the game, and most importantly of all, determination. Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men/women with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”



 

Is there a difference between coaching girls and boys?
Miguel Astorga: There is a big difference depending on ages, but generally speaking, girls come to learn tennis and also like to build relationships and friendships on the tennis court. Boys are less interested in relationships and are highly competitive. Of course, it all depends on the age but you can see big difference in ability and power between girls and boys.

Eric Faro: I like to think of my players as athletes rather than boys or girls. I try to treat them all the same. I expect the same work ethic out of all of them, no matter the gender. I think the kids all appreciate this rather than treat some of them with "kid gloves." This way, none of them either get special treatment or feel like I am treating them unfairly.

George Garland: There are two sides to this question. As it relates to the physical game, there is a real difference. The women’s game at this point in time is not the same game that men are playing, so there is an inherent difference in many of the skills and concepts you work on. The physicality of the game also changes. In regard to the mental/emotional side of things, I think most coaches will say they treat girls and boys a little differently. They are a little less tough on the girls. I try to take each case on its own. I’ve had girls that were incredibly mentally tough, and boys that needed to be coddled. It works both ways. I’ve never looked at it as a boy/girl thing.

Richard Thater: I have more experience teaching than I do as a coach. I find that critiquing works better than criticizing, for both boys and girls. Assuming boys and girls are working toward the similar goal of becoming better players, I would say the girls are more receptive to specific instruction, whereas boys seem more interested in styling and meandering to the same goal. Once I accept these differences, it is easier for me to allow both groups to find and discover their individual paths to success. I am always shaken when I read about coaches whose behavior borders on the abusive. I recommend reading Hope Solo’s autobiography for instances of great and horrible coaching.


 

What should a parent’s role be in a child’s training?
Roger Dowdeswell: The most important role of a parent is to be supportive. In the case of the Williams Sisters, it was the complete package, more often being less directly involved will be more successful. Almost never is it a good idea for the parent to be on-court during a lesson with a teaching pro. Again, the level of support will be varied according to each individual player and his/her parents.

Paul Fontana: A parent has the most important role in a child’s training—parenting. The parent is responsible for the child’s health and welfare. Is the child getting enough rest and nutrition? Is the child doing their school work and socializing properly in school and at home. The parent is the greatest role model for their child. They set the example for how the child acts and develops on and off the court. Parents need to let the coach work on tennis skills and on-court development, they are the professionals. The parent has every right to know what the coach is doing with their child. However, once the child steps on the court with the professional, the parent needs to let the process work. If the parent or child does not trust the professional, it is time to get a new professional. Once you are comfortable with someone you trust, let them do their job.

Rohan Goetzke: The role of the parent is very important. A player needs positive support from their parents. In most cases, parents are an important part of the equation. They fill many roles in driving the development of their child. They help their children by finding the best coaches, travel opportunities and providing the resources necessary for their child. At the same time, parents need to be aware of the boundaries that need to exist between being a supportive parent, allowing the player to develop, and allowing the coach to do their job. Oftentimes, the lines are blurred, and it creates a less-than-optimal situation for everyone involved, and might be detrimental to the development of the player in some cases.

Lawrence Kleger: I always try to have a good relationship with the parents of the players that I personally coach. I‘m not always successful, but I try! I believe in managing the relationships in the triangle–player, parent and coach. If all three are not on the same wavelength, the player’s development can suffer. I think it’s important for coaches to accept the fact that many players who have reached the highest level of our sport had one or both parents as the driving force in their tennis. And if a parent believes that he or she needs to be involved, he or she will be involved! However, if that parent is overly involved with the actual day-to-day coaching (and he or she is not a tennis coach), that situation can look more like an amoeba than a triangle. One way to make that triangle work is for the coach to create a Developmental Plan for the player. A Developmental Plan is a document that serves as a blueprint for the player’s growth with input from the player, parent and coach. It includes an evaluation of the player in all aspects, tournament schedule and goal-setting. With this document in place, everyone is aware of what the player and coach will be working on over the next three, six and 12 months. It avoids many of the misunderstandings between the coach and the parents, and provides structure and discipline for the player. 

Whitney Kraft: The recently-published USTA’s “Positioning Youth Tennis for Success” says it best stated with the following synopsis: "Good tennis parenting involves a combination of providing support, knowing when to push, and focusing on the development process rather than on winning.” The "optimal parent push" means motivating a child without placing undue pressure on the child to succeed.

Tim Mayotte: The role of the parent is multi-faceted. At the core and most importantly, a parent must nurture a young player’s passion by providing unconditional support, regardless of results. The parent must also help a youngster learn to embrace the process of taking on something that takes great skill, and hence, requires sacrifice and the willingness to tolerate and work through fears.



 

In junior tennis, players make their own line calls. How do you tell your players to handle a situation where they feel like they are being blatantly cheated?
Roger Dowdeswell: I tell my players that this is a critical part of becoming a successful competitive tennis player. Exactly how to respond depends on each individual. I will give them a number of ways to respond and explain that they should choose a way that suits them and sometimes this will involve trial and error. The one essential is that they must confront the opponent in some way that will end the cheating. The most desirable is giving the opponent a warning at the first instance, then calling the referee and refusing to accept the second bad call. Sometimes it is not possible to get a referee and other methods must be resorted to.

Eric Faro: I tell my players the first time you are blatantly cheated to question your opponent. Simply ask them if you are sure the ball was out. The second time, go directly to the tournament director and demand a lines judge on the court. If you are playing this same opponent in another tournament I tell my players to no longer give them the benefit of the doubt. After the first blatant bad call, ask for the lines judge.

Paul Fontana: This is part of the coaching/parenting equation. A coach needs to teach ethics and a parent needs to build moral character in their child. If a child is not guided through this maze, they are left to their own devices. Cheating arises from the false belief in the need to win at all costs. If the coach or parent endorses such behavior, they are ultimately harming the child. The USTA has a set of rules. Follow the rules. Call for a linesperson and move on. I think all junior tournaments should have roving officials at all matches. This will help deter cheating. Transactional coaches tend to ignore the cheating issue. Transformational coaches see it as a greater life issue (a learning moment), which calls for understanding and resolution. They want to take the child to a higher level (the “high road”).

Lawrence Kleger: Unfortunately, this question seems to come up with alarming frequency. My first advice to a player is that if you are certain that your opponent has made an incorrect call, you should question it. You probably will not get your opponent to change their call, but it’s worth a shot if you are certain. This does not mean you question every call, but if you can if you are certain it is an incorrect call. After what you think is clearly a second incorrect call by your opponent, and again he or she refuses to change the call, I suggest going to the tournament desk and in a very respectful way, ask if you may have a linesperson on the court.

It would be nice if this advice solves the problem, but that is not always the case. Our tournaments do not have enough linespersons to have one on every court that requests them. Many times, you have a situation where while the linesperson is on the court, the offending player does not make a “bad” call. So, the linesperson leaves thinking, “They don’t really need me here.” As soon as the linesperson leaves, the offending player is back at it. This goes on two or three times before the end of the match. Personally, while I find the obvious cheating in junior matches incredibly frustrating, I have not been able to advise my students to cheat back. First of all, there is a very stiff penalty for a retaliatory bad call-disqualification. Second, cheating back may seem justified, but it is still cheating. However, when a player asks me “what am I supposed to do if there is no official on the court and my opponent is cheating me blind?” I find myself without a great solution. At that point, I tell them the rules and the consequences of certain decisions. Then, I tell them to make their own decision, but make one that they can live with when the match is over.



 

How important do you think it is for a junior to participate in doubles as well as singles?
Gilad Bloom:
Doubles adds a lot to your overall game … no doubt about it. It can bring confidence up when singles results are not great. It allows the opportunity for kids to experiment with their net game under less pressure and to enjoy the team camaraderie. I personally hate it when kids stay back in doubles, even though I can understand why they do it. In practice, I make my advanced students serve and volley on both serves to make the doubles experience more intense. For me, the whole point of doubles is to work on the returns, serve and volley, quick volley exchanges, and playing smart tactically. The tactical part is important, as many kids don’t really have a clue as to how to play doubles. It is not enough to just let them play, the coach should teach them the basic strategy of doubles. It can come in handy later on in their career because in high school and college, doubles can be a crucial point in many cases.

George Garland: If they play doubles correctly, it can be very beneficial. The fact that it is an aggressive, net acquisition game gives them an opportunity to use skills they might not use that much in singles. Serve, return of serve, volleys and overheads can all improve. Unfortunately, most juniors take a singles sensibility onto the doubles court and just hit a lot of cross-court groundstrokes. Additionally, doubles can be an opportunity to experience teamwork with a partner, or simply be an another way to get comfortable in a competitive environment.

Rohan Goetzke: Playing doubles is very important for the development of junior players. It teaches social skills, teamwork and is fun. The strategy and skills necessary to be successful in doubles are different in comparison to singles. It offers the possibility to develop a broader skill set and different strategic perspective. It makes a player more complete.

Gordon Kent: It very important for junior players to play doubles, as well as singles. In doubles, you must go to the net, and hence, improve your volleys, in order to be successful. You learn different strategies than in singles and you learn to work with a partner.

Lawrence Kleger: Since most of my players’ aspirations are to play in college and doubles is an important part of a college match, it is really important to juniors. Junior standings at the Sectional, National and ITF Levels include doubles results. The fact that you do not see that many ATP pro singles players in doubles competition doesn’t mean that those players cannot play doubles. They might, in fact, be excellent doubles players, but to reach their highest ATP singles ranking, they might just decide not to play doubles. Chances are some of their singles prowess was developed through their doubles play, John McEnroe being the most notable example. At the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, we have made a concentrated effort to put more doubles play into our program curriculums. And with the greatest doubles player in history steering the ship, our kids cannot help but to get better!



 

If you had to choose one player on the pro tour to be a role model for your student, which player would it be and why?
Miguel Astorga: Roger Federer. He is a role model for everyone—kids, adults, beginners and advanced players. Roger represents excellent sportsmanship and that is an especially good example for kids to follow.

Eric Faro: The player I would choose as a role model would be Rafael Nadal. The reasons are simple … the way he fights and claws for every point of every match. He gives maximum effort, no matter the situation. If you are watching Nadal play, you cannot tell if he is destroying his opponent or is in a fifth set tie-breaker. He is grinding and hustling for every ball. This is what makes him an amazing role model.

Paul Fontana: I think Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both excellent role models. Fortunately, they reach the semifinals and finals often, so their good behavior is on display quite frequently. They are hard workers and are constantly improving their game, even when they are at the top of the rankings, they continue to strive to make themselves better. They are true elite athletes and excellent role models.

Gordon Kent: I would choose Roger Federer because of his longevity, consistent performance, integrity and technique.



 

How important is a strong playing background/ability to coaching juniors?
Miguel Astorga: It is important to have tennis experience and a strong knowledge of the game, but it is not essential to be a good coach. A good coach has to know how to give feedback and motivate juniors, and develop their strengths and confidence from a young age.

Gilad Bloom: It certainly helps to have a strong playing background. Naturally, it’s easier to teach something if you have done it before at a high level. The student will respect the coach a little more if they know that he/she was a world-class player. However, it is not an automatic that any good player can be a good coach. This assumption is far from being true. Many players who had great careers found out that teaching the game is very different, and some of them cannot make the transition so easily. It is one thing to have a beautiful backhand on the run, and it’s another thing entirely to have to teach a bunch of beginners how to hold the racquet.

The good news is that even if you were not a serious high-level player, it doesn’t mean that you cannot be a world-class pro. Shlomo Zoreff, who coached me from the ages of nine to 29, was never a player past his junior years, yet he produced a number of top 100 pro players from Israel over the last 30 years, coached the Davis Cup team for years and is an icon in Israel despite no playing experience as an adult. Shlomo compensated for the lack of playing experience in other areas, such as being a great motivator, learning the technical side of the game and becoming a technical expert. He also possessed two of the biggest assets of being a teaching pro, charisma and character. There are many examples of very successful teaching pros who were never great players or even average players, with the most famous being Nick Bollettieri. He hardly played college tennis, but produced a number of top 10 players and Grand Slam champions, and still is considered a great coach and mentor even past the age of 80.

The important qualities for a good teaching pro are the ability to get inside the student’s head and make him/her work on their game. That, together with knowledge of the fundamentals of the game, and most importantly, passion and love for the game, and pass that along to the student.

Roger Dowdeswell: A strong playing background/ability is not essential, however, it is undoubtedly a huge advantage. There are certain aspects of the game that are difficult to fully appreciate if one has not played at a high level or if one does not have great ability. As the junior progresses and begins to reach a higher level, a lack of this background/ability becomes more problematic.

Lawrence Kleger: I think I have to answer this question by saying it is not that important or I will lose all of my students! I was never a great tennis player, so I had to learn the game from a completely different perspective. Great players learn the game from inside out. Most of what they are capable of doing is so automatic that they may or may not understand when and how they acquired the skill. Someone who never attained the highest level in the sport has to learn and teach the sport from outside in. That means having a total understanding of every aspect of the game and how to create and develop skills in another human being.

There are many examples in other sports of great coaches who did not reach a high level in their respective sport. Michael Phelps is considered the greatest swimmer of all time, and his coach throughout his entire career, Bob Bowman, never reached the highest level as a swimmer. Google him and check out his coaching accomplishments. Nick Bollettieri in our sport is a prime example as well. I coach one America’s top juniors, Noah Rubin. People ask me how I can coach Noah to be a Grand Slam champion if I was not one myself. I tell them that I cannot tell Noah what it’s like to be on center court at Wimbledon on the second Sunday … but John McEnroe can! That is why John is such an import part of Noah’s coaching team. A big part of being a great coach is maximizing your strengths and knowing your limitations.

Tim Mayotte: I think it helps, but is not essential. Nick Bollettieri is an example of a great coach with no playing background. A coach must be able to motivate first and foremost. He did that. I do think having played does help one understand the specific struggles a player faces technically, tactically and emotionally. Having played myself, I am motivated to find out about technique and how to deal with frustration alone on a court. That last skill is very much singular to tennis. Even in boxing and golf, a player gets help.



 

Does a player learn more from a win or a loss, and why?
George Garland: Most coaches will tell you that you learn more from losses. The reason being that your weaknesses may have become apparent in the loss and now you can more closely address them. Losing will also test your love for the game and your willingness to work through adversity. Everything is great when you are winning and what you’re doing is working. It takes a lot of heart to admit that you have deficiencies and then set out to make the necessary changes.

Whitney Kraft: The player benefits from both winning and losing experiences. The important takeaway is that the player is competing, trying their best, and continuing to learn and develop. Playing the right amount of matches and at the correct level is of even greater importance.

Butch Seewagen: Most coaches probably feel that players learn more from losing than winning, when in all actuality, both are very important. However, the timing of the discussion following a match is different. After a loss, a coach or parent should avoid any discussion of the match. Of course, polite, supercritical supportive comments are okay, such as: “Nice match,” “You’ll get ‘em’ next time,” etc. Any in-depth constructive criticism is best saved until the player has sufficiently recovered from the match and can rationally discuss exactly “what happened” with a clear mind. Although both winning and losing are “coachable” moments, I personally think that winning a tough match can have the most value. The caveat here is that the pupil did their own free-thinking in the match. A player is then able to intelligently discuss the strategy employed and the tactics used for the successful outcome. Giving a player a detailed game plan sometimes is useful, but often stunts the player’s development by prohibiting their ability to figure out “how to be successful” for themselves. When they do that, we see the most happy and empowered pupils.

Richard Thater: Winning teaches different lessons than losing. The classic advice is to never change a winning game and always change a losing game. If I am consistently winning by hitting short balls to my opponent’s forehand, I should not suddenly try to win by hitting deep just to see what happens. A key lesson to be learned from wins is that competition is not practice, and that consistency may be boring, but it wins. I think losing opens up a broader range of questions: Do you need technical improvements? Do you practice enough? Do you even practice? How about your diet, and conditioning? How is your ratio of wins to losses? If you are losing to the same people week after week, your regular opponents may be better than you and it might be time for a change.



 

Comment on the new proposed changes to college Division I Championships.
Richard Thater: The NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Committee recently proposed changes to speed up the college game of tennis. According to an initial NCAA report, the changes were designed to make the game more marketable and “viewer friendly.” I agree with the critics, who believe the proposed changes alter the essence of the game—the rules would take away the luxury and the privilege of indefinite time. Recreational players are used to fitting their games into the one or two hour slots allowed by clubs. Forty people, six courts—you do the math.

But the beauty of our game happens on those late August afternoons when courts are empty, when the clock disappears, and time looms large. Different questions and problems suddenly crowd your mind. Why am I getting into to these endless deuce games? Why am I mostly losing after leading 40-0? Do I make similar mistakes at my job? These are issues that change tennis from a game into a way of life. I would regret losing these opportunities for personal growth in the interests of speeding up a schedule.



 

Give your overall opinion on 10 & Under Tennis being good or bad for the game?
Gilad Bloom: The smaller courts and softer balls for 10 & Under is an interesting and logical evolution since kids start so young today. The proportionate courts and softer balls allow the kids to be able to hit more balls in a row earlier than before. The low bounce allows them to hit the balls the right height and use better grips. The small courts allow them to come in more often without the fear of a lob.

I have been using it in my programs with the younger kids and it is very effective among the four- and five-year-old age groups and up to about ages seven and eight. However, the advanced kids who are capable of hitting a real ball early on don’t really need the soft balls or the smaller court. In my opinion, they can handle the regular balls easily and most of them prefer to never play on the smaller court and use different balls. When I work with young kids who cannot play on a full court, I make the court smaller by simply playing mini-tennis or placing the child a little behind the service line. There is no need to build new lines, etc.

The current situation is that anybody who is any good plays the 12s and skips the 10s so in effect, the best players in the country don’t really use the small courts. Its biggest effect will be at the recreational level. The advanced player doesn’t really benefit from it and therefore, most of them don’t use it.

George Garland: I think the concept is great, but I don’t always agree with the application. As a club owner and tennis director, I see the merit in a program that makes success more attainable for a greater number of kids. The format allows players to do things on the smaller court they might not be able to do on a larger one. I have always thought that, in theory, courts should be different sizes for different level players. However, just like QuickStart for younger kids, I don’t think it is applicable across the board. Many 10-year-olds and younger are more than ready to play on a full-sized court, even competitively. And even though they’ll do a lot of short court work in skill-building sessions, I’m fine with them playing on a real court. Programs like 10 & Under Tennis and QuickStart are great alternatives that potentially give our sport a broader base, but you can’t paint all kids with the same brush.

Gordon Kent: I think 10 & Under Tennis is a big step forward in developing young players. It provides structure for their teaching and lays out a clear pathway for development. The system may need a little tweaking over time, but that is to be expected.

Richard Thater: I am a believer in 10 & Under Tennis. I just don’t see the point in watching a nine-year old flailing his arms and legs trying to hit a regulation ball with his father’s older racket … remember, the older the racket, the heavier … and being happy to bloop the ball 25-feet up in the air. I mostly teach on 36-foot courts. I just transitioned two seven-years-olds to a 60-foot court. What I see are children who are moving their bodies gracefully, hitting compact strokes that look good, and playing the game of tennis. Using age-appropriate equipment designed for their height and stride length enables young students to stay within their own comfort zone. And their comfort zone grows with them. Ten & Under Tennis wants to retain young players and increase the talent pool. Hopefully, the increase in volume will produce an increase in top performers.
 


New York Tennis Magazine Staff
Centercourt
USTA NTC

January/February 2024 Digital Edition