All sports have a common factor: Results. I have been coaching for several years now, and I have often dealt with parents who were extremely results-oriented instead of development-oriented. The lack of results in their children caused a lot of drama in the family and pressure on both the player and the coach. So when…
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…
For junior players, summer is a great time for them to improve all aspects of their game. These student-athletes do not have the pressures and responsibilities that go along with their education and schoolwork and can work on their games with a free and focused mind. This summer training is critical to their development as…
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…
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…
The Lob Volley is a tennis shot that is not discussed very much. Let's go over a couple of tips that will help you. First of all, it is not an easy shot, which explains why you don't hear a lot about it. The shot is hard to practice, and it is a shot hit…
“Should I play tennis to get fit, or should I get fit to play tennis?” This question has bounced around the tennis world for years, and like most either/or questions, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. The direction you take depends on who you are and what you want. An army colonel played in…
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…