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Welcome to Season 15 Episode 39 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Tennis should build confident kids, not exhausted robots. Adriana Dino shares the coaching philosophy that helps young players grow into thinkers, leaders, and lifelong fans of the game—while showing parents exactly when to step back and when to lean in.
Born and raised in Romania, Adriana started with a wooden racket, a straight-talking father, and a coach who changed her life. After playing, studying physical education, and coaching for nearly 20 years in the United States, she brings a rare perspective to the parent-coach-player triangle that drives junior tennis.
Tennis Parent Takeaways
Lisa and Adriana also break down the mental side of junior competition, including what to do after a bad call, how to reset between points, and why tournaments are one of the best classrooms for resilience. Adriana’s approach is simple but powerful: coach the person first, develop the player second, and keep the love for tennis intact for life.
She also shares the unforgettable influence of playing Monica Niculescu as a 14-year-old in Bucharest, and why exposure to higher-level tennis can shape a junior’s mindset long before they’re ready for the professional circuit.
This episode is essential listening for tennis parents, junior players, and coaches who want more than wins—they want growth, confidence, and a healthier relationship with the sport.
Adriana is based in the DC area and coaches players from beginner to advanced, with a focus on bringing out the best in each athlete as a human being first.
Connect with Coach Adriana
To get more information on Coach Adriana, visit her website at www.adrianadinutennisacademy.com. You can email her directly at [email protected]. Be sure to follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Connect with Lisa
As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consultations to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through the ParentingAces shop.
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.
Be sure to check out our logoed merchandise, as well as our à la carte personal consultations, in our online shop.
Credits
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 38 of the ParentingAces Podcast!
What if the biggest mistake in college tennis recruiting is treating tournament results like player development? Lisa Stone and tennis parent Jennifer Faulkner unpack the hard lesson every tennis family needs to hear: UTR, rankings, and constant travel are not the same thing as real growth. Jennifer shares the full arc of her family’s tennis journey, from her daughter Melanie’s gymnastics recruiting experience to her son TJ’s path from a late-start tennis player to freshman engineering major and team member at Rose-Hulman. Along the way, she reveals what happened when they lived far from strong tennis training in Austin, Texas, why they were on the road three to four weekends a month, and how they learned the difference between staying busy and actually getting better.
You’ll discover:
Jennifer also explains the thinking behind TennisCourtGuide, the app she built to help families find college tennis programs that fit both academic priorities and athletic goals. Instead of forcing families to start with brand-name schools, TennisCourtGuide uses a smarter, wider funnel approach so parents and athletes can compare options based on the balance that matters most to them.
This conversation is especially valuable if your player is entering high school, you’re trying to make sense of UTR and recruiting timelines, or you’re wondering whether your child’s development plan is actually moving the needle. If you want a clearer, calmer way to approach college tennis, this episode delivers practical guidance, hard-earned perspective, and a powerful reminder that the right fit is about far more than tennis alone.
If you'd like more information on TennisCourtGuide, you can email them at [email protected] or:
https://www.tenniscourtguide.com/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tenniscourtguide.app&pcampaignid=web_share
https://www.instagram.com/courtguide?stkn=YzhvMTN3em4wcHU%3D&utm_source=qr
https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7o23T6np/?mibextid=wwXIfr
As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 37 of the ParentingAces Podcast!
What can stepping into the unknown teach you about life beyond tennis? Lisa Stone and Levi Hecht talk about the courage to do difficult, scary things when you cannot predict the outcome - because the biggest opportunities often begin outside your comfort zone.
Drawing on Levi’s experiences in Brazil and Argentina, the conversation looks beyond competition and technique to a mindset that applies everywhere: taking a chance, embracing uncertainty, and trusting that an unfamiliar path can lead somewhere meaningful. Whether the result is a breakthrough in tennis or a completely different kind of growth, the willingness to begin matters.
Levi shares the lesson he wants to carry into the rest of his life, while Lisa helps connect that insight to the choices athletes and anyone facing a new challenge must make. It is a candid glimpse at how travel, uncertainty, and difficult decisions can shape more than performance.
Key Takeaways for Parents:
If you would like to get more information on Levi's South American training, you can contact his coach, Todd Widom, at [email protected].
As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 36 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Former top junior and Division I tennis player Cassandra Torian joins Lisa Stone to discuss how tennis shaped her resilience, independence, and entrepreneurial mindset.
Cassandra also shares the stories behind Ruley AI, a rules-reference tool for racket sports and youth sports, and Volleybird, a subscription box featuring gear and products for tennis, pickleball, paddle, and other sports.
Key Takeaways for Parents
To get more information on Ruley.AI, go to https://ruley.ai/. For more information on Volleybird, go to https://volleybird.shop/. To reach Cassandra, you can email her at [email protected].
As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 35 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, Lisa talks with Amaury Blondet, a tennis parent, entrepreneur, and creator of PathTennis, about the real-world problems that led him to build a platform for competitive tennis families, coaches, academies, and college teams. They dig into the communication gaps, tournament-planning chaos, and lack of alignment that so many junior tennis families face, and how one tool is trying to bring all of it into one place.
In this episode, Lisa and Amaury discuss how PathTennis helps parents, players, and coaches stay aligned on tournament selection, training blocks, rest, injuries, and progress tracking. They also cover why the core search and tracker tools are free, what’s already available for academies and colleges, and how the platform is built to support long-term development, not just rankings.
As a tennis parent himself, Amaury knows firsthand the pain points that junior tennis can inflict on the entire family. "Tennis is very costly. So first, to sign up is free," he shares. There are certain features of the platform that will remain free for life even when premium features are added down the road.
And for the coaches who are concerned about technology trying to take the place of human interaction, Amaury says, "This is not going to replace you as a coach. This is just a tool to help you get organized."
If you are interested in learning more about PathTennis, visit the website at https://pathtennis.com/ or email Amaury directly at [email protected]. Be sure to follow them on social media:
Instagram: instagram.com/pathtennis
Facebook: facebook.com/pathtennis
TikTok: tiktok.com/@pathtennis
YouTube: youtube.com/@pathtennis
X: x.com/pathtennis
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/pathtennis
For academies wanting to learn more:
https://academy.pathtennis.com/
For colleges/universities wanting to learn more:
https://college.pathtennis.com/
As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 34 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Coach Todd Widom is back to talk about what's happening in junior tennis development now and comparing it to how he was developed as a young player.
Those of you who have been part of our ParentingAces Community for a while should be very familiar with Todd and his no-holds-barred approach to working with junior players and their families. This week, he and I talk about the latest rash of backdraw withdrawals at the National Hardcourts, how technology is impacting junior tennis development for both players and coaches, and what it takes to build trust in the player-parent-coach triangle.
If you'd like to get in touch with Todd, you can email him at [email protected]. You can also follow then DM him on Instagram at https://instagram.com/toddwidom_tennis.
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 33 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, UK-based coach, Ryan Horgan, joins the pod to talk about the best ways coaches can get young players to listen and integrate the lessons they are trying to teach through a process called Ecological Dynamics.
Ryan started playing tennis around age 9 and always felt he was developmentally behind his peers. He was able to have a strong junior career but was soon sidelined by some neurological issues that caused him to pivot. He loved the game so decided to transition into coaching.
An opportunity came up for Ryan to work on the island of Cyprus where he now works at an academy training upcoming juniors. In the last year, his passion for coaching took a big leap when he discovered Ecological Dynamics and started integrating it into the communications work he was already doing.
If you are interested in reaching out to Ryan, be sure to follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/communicationforcoaches/ - his DMs are always open!
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 32 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Former professional dancer turned performance coach, Kamala Nellen, is back on the podcast (see https://youtu.be/orH0phGwcW0 for our previous podcast together) to discuss training and coaching the whole athlete from the mental/emotional side to the physical.
Kamala understands the challenges parents face when trying to help their young athletes find success. Parents want to be cheerleaders or support or problem solvers when, according to Kamala, kids just need an anchor to keep them centered and grounded.
For more information on Kamala and the latest edition of her book, WORKING IN, visit her website at https://www.kamalanellen.com/. The direct link to order the book is https://amzn.to/4xttQ34, and the link for the audiobook is https://amzn.to/4hnmbyC. You can also reach out to Kamala directly via email at [email protected].
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 31 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, rising high school senior, Tanner Oberg, joins Lisa to discuss the organization started by his older brothers which he now leads, Rally for Tennis.
Rally for Tennis is led by a network of student volunteers across high schools and colleges nationwide — united by the belief that every kid deserves a chance to learn, grow, and belong through tennis. They partner with National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Centers across the country to support their year-round programs. Rally for Tennis connects high school and college students with kids through mentorship, tutoring, and tennis to teach teamwork, confidence, and a sense of belonging.
Tanner's older brothers, Tate (Princeton University) and Cole (Brown University), started RFT in 2021 during their high school years, realizing they could fill a need for mentoring younger players by recruiting their friends to come together as volunteers for their local NJTL. To date, RFT has provided 46,000 hours of tennis instruction, 35,000 hours of academic support, and served 10,000 children. Very impressive!
And some recent exciting news: Tanner was chosen as one of 20 regional honorees for the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for 2026! You can read the press releae at 2026 ESPN Humanitarian Awards - BJK Youth Leadership.
Rally for Tennis is continuing to grow. If you are interested in starting a chapter in your area, you can reach out to Tanner at [email protected]. If you are interested in partnering with RFT and/or making a donation, you can do so at https://rallyfortennis.com/contact-us/. To watch a recent news segment on RFT, go to WBZ MVP (CBS).
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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
Welcome to Season 15 Episode 30 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Coach Duey Evans is back to delve into the work he's been doing over the last year or so, observing player, parent, and coach behaviors in order to formulate a better way to develop junior players.
Coach Duey has some insightful observations on the role of tennis parents and how they can recognize their "job" in their child's development. That role includes leaving the junior player to reflect and analyze after play without imposing the parent's thoughts on that process. In this way, parents can help their children learn to trust their inner voice which will, in turn, help them recognize and correct in the moment of a match.
If you're interested in scheduling a consult with Duey, you can email him at [email protected]. You can also go to his website https://www.theperformancearchitect.com/ and/or call him at 469-955-3839.
As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/.
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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