Kris Soutar’s Tennis Journal

Entry 49 brings you, former ATP pro and Irish Davis Cup player, Pete Bothwell.

Pete reached a career high of 602 in singles and retired at the tender age of 24. He is now steaming ahead with a career in coaching.

He reflects on his tennis journey, from sleeping in airports to catch early flights back to Ireland to representing his beloved country in Davis Cup.

This is a perfect listen for coaches and players. Pass it on to all your tennis friends. They will love it.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

Entry 48 brings you Scottish tennis coach, Mark Walker.

Mark has developed many Scottish players from their early years, through to playing international level tennis.

Coach to ATP top 50 doubles player, Jonny O'Mara for 12 years.

This is podcast of 2 halves. 1st half we delve into the unique route Mark took into tennis and coaching. The 2nd half has a really deep dig into where Mark feels his career is now and what he would like to do in the future.

For me, this was one of the most real conversations I've had on the show. I kept Mark on the edge of his discomfort in the 2nd half for a reason. The lightbulb moments kept popping away with the most important one being, even the best need people to learn from.

Please share this with your tennis friends as it has important messages laced throughout.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

My 47th tennis journal entry brings you Emma Doyle.

Hailing from Australia, Emma has constantly invested in her skills as a coach over many years and has worked in many areas of tennis and business.

You will hear about Emma's journey and how she has transformed her business in the early months of Co-Vid hitting the world.

There are so many coaching nuggets in this podcast and it content could spin off into a dozen other podcasts.

Get it in your ears and pass it on to your friends.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

KSTJ podcast is back!

I'm delighted to bring you Mike Castle of Cardiff Met University. Mike is a lecturer in physical education and sport pedagogy and is currently near the end of his PHD in sports coaching which focuses on the social nature of learning within a coach education context.

This podcast has really got me reflecting on how well I check-in with the people I work with to see if the learnings are landing. I hope it gets you thinking as much as it has me.

Enjoy

Intro-outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

Last week, my Portuguese friend, Ze Lopes, told me he had quit his secure and salaried job in a fantastic tennis club. When I asked him why, I was blown away by his response.

I asked him on the show to talk about his new venture, the Portuguese tennis culture and the why he's made such a bold move.

He is a great coach who is comfortable at all ages and stages. If you are interested in travelling to the Algarve to play tennis, please get in touch with him. He is one of the most genuine people I have ever met.

His email is [email protected] and you can follow him on https://www.instagram.com/zepereiralopes/

Intro/Outro music by http://www.hueandycry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

Entry 44 brings you Australian tennis coach, and now, Playsight Managing Director for Europe and UK.

Rodney didn't start playing tennis until he was 12 and entered his 1st competition at 13. Less than 5 years later, he was competing in the Australian Open Junior Event. This is a meteoric rise.

He took up a college scholarship and gained a degree in Forensic Science. He wanted to join the CIA but a twist of fate lead him back into tennis coaching in North London. Several years later, he moved on to an academy in Frankfurt, Germany and now works full-time for Playsight.

We talked about the different tennis cultures between Britain and Germany, how the pro tour needs to completely restructure, how he set up the 1st pro sports event in lockdown which was watched by 180 million people and finally how Playsight hopes to lead the way in revolutionising the screen watching experience for tennis fans.

If you want to know more about Playsight, visit http://www.playsight.com

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

Entry 43 is a proper journal entry.

13 minutes of my lockdown reflections. I talk about professional tennis and what it has revealed, including Novak Djokovic's exhibition.

I then move on to my reflections on what I need to be truly happy

I get a little controversial on how some coaches believe they are entitled to earn a living from tennis when they don't even promote the playing of the game.

Finally, I talk about the importance of kindness and how it has really helped me through these strange times.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

Entry 42 was an emotional chat for me. Elizabeth Caproni is an actor, writer and impersonator.

In her mid-teens she was bullied by her, so called friends, to such a degree she left school with no qualifications despite being in the top classes in most subjects.

Why was she bullied? Simply because she expressed the opinion that she wanted to be an actor.

She left school, moved to London and pursued her dream. Having starred in programmes such as Trial & Retribution and soap opera, River City, she now has a career as a successful script writer and impersonator of famous people such as Cheryl Cole and Nicola Sturgeon.

Her story left its mark on me as I could draw parallels with wanting to be something different to the norm, a tennis coach. I had to fight to be this and was ridiculed by many of my friends, peers and teachers. 29 years later, I get the privilege to speak with amazing people who we can all learn from.

Take your time with this episode and soak up the key messages within it.

Thank you Elizabeth for being brave and strong enough to show your vulnerability.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

Entry number 41 to my tennis journal is with UK legendary coach, Mike James.

Mike is the director of coaching at one the of the UK's best tennis clubs, Halton. He has been there for 27 years which is testament to his ability to have a clear vision which constantly evolves.

Originally from Kenya, he moved to Arizona in his early teens an then on to Arizona university to play college tennis before forging a coaching career.

Mike is, without doubt, one of the most authentic people I know and is constantly looking for ways to develop himself, his club, coaches and players.

I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com

This was an impromptu podcast where Judy tells us about her exciting new 'Back to Tennis with Brodies' programme.

You will hear about the 3 programmes which are now available, FREE OF CHARGE, on the Judy Murray Foundation YouTube Channel. Link is below.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9saCl8cTnHNdUi54Iglhj_3S8e5jAOmE

It is an amazing programme and features many of the great Scottish players and coaches, including Andy & Jamie Murray

Pass it on to all your tennis friends.

Intro/outro music by http://www.hueandcry.co.uk

Artwork by http://www.olinightingale.com