Welcome to Season 13 Episode 43 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa talks with former touring pro and current WTA coach of Marta Kostyuk, Sandra Zaniewska. Be sure to check out the video version of this episode for a peek at Marta's 6-month-old Maltipoo puppy named Mandar!

Sandra, a professional tennis coach born in Warsaw, Poland and based in Southern France, shared her journey into coaching and her coaching philosophy, emphasizing the importance of understanding and nurturing the growth of junior tennis players. She also discussed the challenges and importance of guiding parents through the journey of raising a junior tennis player, and the need for collaboration and sharing experiences among coaches. 

Sandra started playing tennis at age 10 and became a professional player, reaching a singles high ranking of 142. After retiring at 26, she began coaching and found it to be a fulfilling experience. Sandra credits her success to her willingness to learn from other experienced coaches and her ability to adapt to each player's unique needs. She emphasized the importance of unlearning previous coaching methods when working with a new player, a lesson she learned from Patrick Mouratoglou.

She went on to discuss the importance of understanding and nurturing the growth of junior tennis players, beyond just their technical skills. She emphasized the role of a coach in guiding players to develop their natural strengths and style of play, rather than trying to mold them into a specific type. Sandra shared her personal experience as a player, highlighting the confusion and lack of confidence she faced when trying to conform to a typical style of play. She concluded that it's crucial for coaches to see players with fresh eyes and create training plans based on their unique abilities and potential.

Sandra emphasized the need for coaches to be proactive and focus on being the best coach for their players, rather than fearing losing them. She also shared her experiences of writing books, with her first book, "Coaching 2.0: How to Develop Great Female Players on and off the Court," focusing on the connection with players and the mental aspect of coaching. Her second book, "Raising Champions: The Ultimate Guide for Tennis Parents," was born out of her role as a high-level director at the Mouratoglou Academy, where she was responsible for scouting and coaching top players.

For more information on Sandra and her coaching philosophy, visit her website at www.sandrazaniewska.com. You can also find and follow her on social media as follows:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/sandrazaniewska

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandrazaniewska/

X: http://www.twitter.com/szaniewska

And don’t forget to register for our upcoming trip to Spain! More info at https://parentingaces.com/articles/join-us-for-10-days-in-spain/. The deadline is coming up at the end of November, so don't miss out!

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

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