Coach Steve Clark PhD Show

The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show

with ATP/WTA stats and strategy guru Craig O’Shannessy

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation with ATP/WTA leading strategist and statistics analyst Craig O’Shannessy.

Craig O'Shannessy is the strategy analyst for Wimbledon, The Australian Open, The ATP World Tour, The Italian Tennis Federation and Team Novak Djokovic. Craig has coached tennis at all levels of the game for over 30 years and now, specializes in researching and teaching patterns of play that dominate our sport. Craig is the 2015 USPTA Tour Coach of Year, and in 2018 helped guide Novak Djokovic to two Grand Slam titles as he surged back to No. 1 in the world rankings. Craig lives in Austin, Texas, and runs his tennis strategy website, braingametennis.com, while regularly conducting speaking presentations for players and coaches all over the world. Craig created his online Brain Game Tennis business to teach players, coaches and fans the patterns of play, and winning percentages that dominate our sport. Tennis is a game of repeatable patterns & percentages. Craig is the expert at bringing them to life and on this podcast you will get a glimpse of that skillset.

Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

The introduction music is “Let it Rip” by Mike and Bob Bryan band and the narrator is Wayne Bryan. Thanks for your continued support.

Special thanks to our sponsor Arrow Concrete and Asphalt Specialties, Inc.  A fantastic group of professional people who do their work with integrity and relationship. See my resource page of court equipment and services for more information.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

Today my guest is a former player of mine. You will be glued to this conversation because of what Neel and I talk about. Things that every young player, aspiring college player, aspiring young man or woman with dreams to play college tennis but also wondering what they do after college tennis. They will hear of real life examples of why hard work pays off; why good sportsmanship pays off; why focusing on school now pays off later; why it is true that you may not have an idea of what the future holds but rest assured that many great things are in store for you, things that you never dreamed would come to fruition.

Neel was a typical junior player, not highly ranked, but developed in college, pursued law at one of the largest firms in the nation, was senior legal council for a fortune 500 firm, president and CEO of buy.com, sold that and now is on the cutting edge of a new frontier with his new company Indi.com. And since his collegiate days, he stays active in tennis, winning 16 national USTA Gold balls, is on the board of the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis coaches Association) and works tirelessly where he can in the community and to promote tennis. You will hear about his journey, his junior and collegiate tennis experience, lessons learned that young players, their parents and coaches can glean from. You will learn lessons from his journey as a elite businessman, giving to the game of tennis and those around you, and more. There is something for everyone: players of all levels (juniors to college to pros), parents and coaches.

The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show

with Chris Lewis, ATP great, Wimbledon finalist, and elite coach

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

Chris was the 1983 Wimbledon Finalist, Finals in 10 ATP singles events with 3 titles and winner of 8 doubles titles. His highest ATP rank was 19 in 1984 and was considered the fittest player on tour during his tenure. As a junior, he achieved the #1 world ranking in 1975 while winning Wimbledon Junior Championships and reaching the finals in the Jr US Open. Hailing from Auckland, NZ, he was inducted into the NZ sports Hall of fame (1986). As a coach he has coached other elite players such as world #1 ATP legend Ivan Lendl and since moving to Southern California, has a list of juniors he has coached, some reaching as high as #1 world ranking.

You will enjoy our discussion regarding the characteristics of champions, his coaching philosophy and how his great coaches Roche and Hopman and other great players influenced him as a player and coach. Among many other topics things we discuss are how players can deal with closing out matches, the role of emotions in matches, what is confidence and its role in goal setting and expectations, what to focus on in their journey, and how coaches can assess players to coach them individually and parents encourage their children. There is something for everyone: players of all levels (juniors to college to pros), parents and coaches.

The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show

with Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Director

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

Joining me on today's show is a good friend, an amazing coach, a servant leader and one of the most well liked leaders in the tennis world and that is Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Director. You probably have seen him every ceremony greeting the finalists and in one epic final between Nadal and Djokovic they could barely stand after the ruling match. As speeches went on you see Craig, the CEO, who should not have to do it, getting chairs for the gladiators so they didn’t topple over from fatigue. That is servant leadership. Craig began his most notable professional career as the head coach at Illinois. My teams played his early on and they were a scrappy and not so highly ranked but it was not long before they were top dogs. His teams won the NCAA Championship in 2003, numerous indoor national championships and reached the NCAA finals numerous times as well. They had a record setting 64 match consecutive winning streak as well. He took over his duties in Australia in 2005 and has done a world class job to say the least.

Join us while we talk about all things tennis but particularly up and coming juniors, parents and coaches will learn a lot.  We talk about some fundamental changes in how tournaments might be run,  some current issues in tennis (sportsmanship, doubles, etc), the inside scoop to his philosophy or leading one of the most storied tennis nations and beloved Grand Slam, his views on teamwork, and humility in teamwork especially in a highly "individualistic" sport as tennis. We will tap into his views on the state of tennis, where he sees various aspects of tennis going, etc (e.g. no ad, shorter format for Slams, on court coaching, etc). Tune in, you will be glad you did  for sure.  If you want any questions for Craig in the future or of other podcasts I have feel free to email me at [email protected]. Or you can follow me on twitter at @coachclarkphd.  Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

My guest today is Alistair Higham, with whom I discuss momentum in tennis. You will love his delivery and insights. Alistair's coaching experience spans thirty years including being the LTA National Coach for eight years, Great Britain Team Manager for the World University Games when they won seven medals at major championships and he currently heads up university tennis in Great Britain for the Tennis Foundation. He enjoys working in the space between the practical world of coaching and the worlds of sports science and technology, to create innovative coaching practice. His work in helping coaches and athletes manage momentum during competition, focuses on recognizing and adapting to the ‘state of play.’ Alistair has presented his momentum observations to LTA Grand Slam Conference, ITF World Wide Workshop, Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s National Coaches Convention, the USTA’s Tennis Teachers Conference, and the Swedish and European Tennis Association’s to name a few.

Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

The introduction music is “Let it Rip” by Mike and Bob Bryan band and the narrator is Wayne Bryan. Thanks for your continued support.

Special thanks to our sponsor Arrow Concrete and Asphalt Specialties, Inc.  A fantastic group of professional people who do their work with integrity and relationship. See my resource page of court equipment and services for more information.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation. 

Today, is special because I get to talk with a former player of mine and it is just fantastic to see how guys move on in life, make a name for themselves and serve their communities by being great leaders. I could have a podcast a week with former players to share what they are doing but today I am talking with Chris Tontz, USTA national coach who coaches top US women on the tour and those up and coming. We'll delve into various issues regarding junior tennis and particularly transitioning to college tennis and beyond.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

In this podcast I talk with ATP Champion Robin Soderling. Robin turned professional in 2001 at the age of 17. He was among the top players on the tour reaching a career high of #4 in the world. Among his big serve and forehand, 11 ATP titles his claim to fame was being the first player ever to beat Nadal at the French

Open (2009) and then he took down Federer the following year in the quarter finals at Rolland Garros. He had career high Grand Slam finishes of 2 finals at the French, quarters at both Wimbledon and the US Open and 4th round at the Aussie Open. Severe illness took him out of the game in 2001 and after lengthy recovery he later retired from the tour in 2015 and now heads up the RS brand of Premium balls, strings etc, used on the tour, collegiately and for everyday players. He has a story that is inspiring and instructive for players, parents and coaches so enjoy the conversation.

Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show podcast bump music is “Let it Rip” by Mike and Bob Bryan band and the narrator is Wayne Bryan. Thanks for your continued support.

Also, visit Robins’ amazing RS Premium Tennis at RS-Tennis.com to see the quality products they offer.

Special thanks to our sponsor Arrow Concrete and Asphalt Specialties, Inc.  A fantastic group of professional people who do their work with integrity and relationship. See my resource page of court equipment and services for more information.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

As a player, assistant coach and now the head coach of one of the most storied programs in NCAA tennis lore, Manny has done an amazing job.  As you will hear, the accolades for the Manny and the Georgia program are in the stratosphere.  You will gain a lot of insight into how a great coach and player grew up playing the game when there was not much available compared to today's youth. We will discuss junior development, championship characteristics, some of the greats that made tennis  in general and UGA tennis great.  Enjoy the show.

Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

The introduction music is “Let it Rip” by Mike and Bob Bryan band and the narrator is Wayne Bryan. Thanks for your continued support.

Special thanks to our sponsor Arrow Concrete and Asphalt Specialties, Inc.  A fantastic group of professional people who do their work with integrity and relationship. See my resource page of court equipment and services for more information.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

This podcast is from a series of interviews of intended to glean from elite program coaching duos, looking into the dynamics of Head Coach/Assistant coaches and how they work together in recruiting, player development, fundraising, promotional areas to name a few.  Often these coaches have very different approaches but complement each other.  Join Champion coach and player Lele Forood (The Peter and Helen Bing Director of women’s tennis ) and her long-time, Asst. Associate Head Coach Frankie Brennan. You will benefit from what they have to say regarding juniors, collegiate, and professional tennis, parents, and recruiting to name a few.

Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

The introduction music is “Let it Rip” by Mike and Bob Bryan band and the narrator is Wayne Bryan. Thanks for your continued support.

Special thanks to our sponsor Arrow Concrete and Asphalt Specialties, Inc.  A fantastic group of professional people who do their work with integrity and relationship. See my resource page of court equipment and services for more information.

Hello everyone, welcome to The Coach Steve Clark PhD Show where the aim is to encourage, inspire and equip coaches, players and parents who in turn inspire and equip others to promote tennis, foster sportsmanship, and develop greater players and people. So thanks for joining me and I hope you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the conversation.

I am pleased and honored to have as my guest today a seminal thinker and developer of a very practical guide to changing habits, thought patterns, etc. and we will largely discuss how we might apply it to tennis and competition.  Dr. Jeff Schwartz, M.D. is a research psychiatrist at UCLA School of Medicine and one of the world’s leading experts in self-directed neuroplasticity and the co-founder of the NeuroLeadership field. His breakthrough work in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) provided the hard evidence that the mind can control the brain’s chemistry and circuitry. He has lectured extensively to both professional and lay audiences in the US, Europe, and Asia and is a sought after speaker, best selling author, advisor to the film industry and consultant to organizations.

In short we will have a fascinating conversation on how we as people (specifically to our task as tennis players, coaches and competitors) can change our habits and thought patterns even in light of similar input or data.  That is if you miss a ball and consequently lose a massively critical point, how can you change that perception of the importance of that shot and treat shots, the pressure, stress, anxiety, differently yielding more free play, fewer problems with breathing and physiological affects of stress in competition.

Be sure to see CoachSteveClarkPhD.Com for other podcasts, blogs, resources and discussions.

Special thanks to our sponsor Arrow Concrete and Asphalt Specialties, Inc.  A fantastic group of professional people who do their work with integrity and relationship. See my resource page of court equipment and services for more information.