ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 13 Episode 3 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Martin Vinokur is back, this time with one of his coaches, Jessie Young, to discuss Tennis:Europe, a unique travel-and-tennis opportunity for teenage players.

2024 marks the 50th year of Tennis:Europe, an amazing accomplishment to be sure! Since the inception of ParentingAces in 2011, we have had many of our families participate in the program with the players coming home with new tennis skills and new friends and new experiences that serve them well as they continue to develop as tennis players and young adults.

You can find previous podcasts and articles about Tennis:Europe at https://parentingaces.com/articles/tennis-europe/, https://parentingaces.com/articles/tenniseurope-experience-kayleigh-yun-thayer/, and https://parentingaces.com/articles/tennis-europe-a-fantastic-summer-tennis-travel-experience-ft-martin-vinokur/.

To get more information on the 2024 offerings and to take advantage of the ParentingAces discount, visit http://www.tenniseurope.com. You can also find them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tenniseurope/.

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. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

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Welcome to Season 13 Episode 2 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Those of you who have followed college tennis for a while will recognize Danielle Lao as a standout in her four years playing at USC. If you follow the pro tour as well, you will also recognize her from her ten years battling her way to achieve her goal of playing in a Slam.

In the past year, though, life has taken a turn for Danielle, finding her in the coaching arena while also pursuing her love of distance running. Is pro tennis a done deal for her? What did her own Tennis Journey look like? How did she handle the transition from college to pro to coach? What is her coaching philosophy as she works with up-and-coming juniors? You'll have to listen to our podcast to find out!

Be sure to follow Danielle on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thelittlegiant/ - she has her DMs open there if you'd like to contact her. You can also follow her sponsors, Hoka and Picky Bars, at https://www.instagram.com/hoka/ and https://www.instagram.com/pickybars/

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. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

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Welcome to Season 13 Episode 1 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. We are thrilled to kick off the year with two amazing coaches, Robert Gomez and Todd Widom, helping us understand the role of ratings and rankings in our children's tennis development.

Robert Gomez is the Head of the Florida Coaches Commission, a member of the Florida Junior Competitive Counsel, and a USPTA Elite Professional. He has run professional tournaments, traveled the world to coach in other professional tournaments, and is the recently-hired Tournament Director of the Junior Orange Bowl 12s and 14s divisions. Robert also coaches junior players at all levels of the game as the head of tennis at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida.

Todd Widom is a former college player from the University of Miami and an ATP professional player who now runs his own tennis system in the Broward County, Florida, area. Long-time listeners of this podcast should be very familiar with Todd by now!

These two coaches have known each other many years and often connect to share ideas on developing the players with whom they are working. Now, we have the opportunity to hear from both of them about how ratings - and rankings, to a lesser degree - are impacting long-term athletic development.

To contact Todd or to get information on his training, you can reach him at [email protected]. If you aren’t already, be sure to follow him on Facebook and Instagram as well. And check out his newly-redesigned website at https://twtennis.com/.

To contact Robert or to get information on his training, you can reach him at [email protected] or by phone at 786-253-8185. More information is available on his Facebook and Instagram.

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. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 43 - our final one of the year - of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Heath Waters of Match!Tennis App is back with us to share the latest updates to this game-changing tech!

Based on the discussions that happen in our Facebook groups and our one-on-one consults, there are some pain points common to almost all tennis families. And, sadly, these pain points rarely change or get resolved by the governing bodies of our sport.

Match!Tennis App hears about these same issues and continues to evolve to address and solve problems such as finding a doubles partner, managing tournament entries, sportsmanship, and tournament quality control.

In this week's edition, Heath demonstrates for us the latest updates to the app, so I encourage all of you to check out the video version of this episode on ParentingAces.com.

For our past podcasts with Heath:

https://parentingaces.com/articles/tennis-parents-gotta-get-app/

https://parentingaces.com/articles/college-recruiting-app-heath-lindsey-waters/

https://parentingaces.com/articles/taking-your-junior-across-the-pond-with-heath-heath-paul-waters/

https://parentingaces.com/articles/matchtennis-app-pivots-for-2021/

https://parentingaces.com/articles/matchtennis-the-must-have-app-for-tennis-parents-ft-heath-waters/

https://parentingaces.com/articles/tourney-selection-based-on-goals-ft-heath-waters-of-match-tennis-app/

To get the app, go to https://matchtennisapp.com/ to register before downloading the app in the App Store. There is a free version that gives you access to the most commonly-used features and a paid version ($9.99/month or $100/year) that gives you full access to all features.

BONUS: For double the FREE access to the Premium version (30 days instead of 15), simply email [email protected] and tell them you're part of the ParentingAces community.

For any questions or suggestions for app improvements, you can email Heath at [email protected]. You can also use the live chat feature on the website for immediate help.

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 42 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's podcast, Lisa brings back fitness trainer extraordinaire, Dean Hollingworth, to break down what junior tennis players need to be doing off-court to maximize their fitness level.

Dean has more education and experience training tennis players around their fitness than anyone I know. Lucky for us, he's more than willing to share his expertise with the ParentingAces community.

In this episode, you'll hear from Dean about the importance of fitness, the importance of a proper warm-up and cool-down before and after EVERY practice and match, and the other factors that contribute to a player's overall mental and physical fitness.

For more information on Dean and to get in contact with him, visit his website here. Be sure to follow him on Facebook and Instagram for new videos and other valuable content.

For our previous podcasts with Dean, click here and here.

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 41 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Egor Shestakov, a senior at University of Texas at Tyler who happens to be from Russia, shares his junior and college tennis journey with us, one that I believe you will find to be extremely eye-opening.

Egor was coached by his father at the beginning of his junior tennis career until both of them realized their relationship - and Egor's tennis - would be better served by hiring an outside coach. Egor continued to play other sports at the recreational level while pursuing his tennis with the goal of coming to the US to play in college.

You will hear him talk about the challenges involved in getting noticed by American college coaches, learning English and taking the necessary entrance exams, and what he's learned about himself and his tennis since being in Texas the past 3 years.

This young man has a lot of wisdom to share with all of us, so please consider having your junior player(s) watch or listen to this episode.

Egor is happy to help other players however he can. To that end, you can email him at [email protected] or message him on Instagram at https://instagram.com/shestakovvegor.

NOTE: Here is the article I reference in the episode regarding my son's first solo tournament experience - https://parentingaces.com/articles/another-giant-step/

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NOTE: Please pardon the technical issues with the sound. We did our best to capture all of Lester's stories though some of the audio & video glitched along the way.

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 40 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week's episode is one that's very special to me as it features my father's college teammate, Lester Sack, who is still competing on the world stage at age 87!

Lester Sack didn't really start developing his tennis game until he showed up at the Tulane tennis courts as an 18-year-old freshman walk-on. He credits coach Emmett Pare with his success on the Tulane team and beyond.

Lester has been competing on the Seniors and Super Seniors tour ever since graduating from Tulane in 1958, earning a ranking in the top 3 nationally in every age group. He is the epitome of a lifelong learner, even now continuing to make changes and improvements to his game.

Here are just a few of his accomplishments in his illustrious tennis life:

And Lester isn't even the oldest guy out there competing on the world stage! Take a look at this article on centenarian Henry Young who also played in the recent World Team Championships in Mallorca!

I hope to have the chance to hit with Lester in the near future. In the meantime, I'll continue to follow his tennis journey as he makes his way into his 90's!

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 39 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Coach JY Aubone is back to talk about what he sees as gaps in the training most junior tennis players are receiving.

JY works with several junior players, both in person and virtually, and he is noticing definite trends in the people he trains. Not only are they missing the mental toughness and understanding of tactics during competition and pressure situations, but they are also practicing inefficiently. What does that mean?

Players need to replicate tournament situations during their daily practice sessions. That includes building their fitness, mental resiliency, and nutritional habits. And sometimes that means bringing in specialists such as sports psychologists or fitness coaches. Great tennis coaches build a network of professionals to whom they can refer players for that extra training and work.

If you have more questions or would like to get in touch with JY, you can reach him via his website, AuboneTennis.com. If you aren’t already, be sure to follow JY on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as well.

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 38 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Coach Traci Green, Head Women's Tennis Coach at Harvard University, joins Lisa to share her tennis journey and what sets the Ivy League tennis programs and academics apart.

Traci Green's success as a coach follows a highly successful career as an undergraduate at the University of Florida. She was a member of the Gators' 1998 NCAA championship team and was ranked as high as No. 5 nationally in doubles and No. 12 in singles during the 1999-2000 season. Her teams won two ITA national indoor championships (1997, 1999) and ranks among Florida's career leaders in singles and doubles wins. Green was a three-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in both singles and doubles.

In addition to her coaching, Green also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Temple University College of Education, where she taught courses in the department of kinesiology. She also continues to serve as a USTA Presidential Appointee in a board adjacent role, on the board of the Black Women in Sport Foundation, on the USPTA Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and as Outgoing Board Chair of the Sportsmen's Tennis and Enrichment Center.

Coach Green cherishes her role as mentor and coach to the young women who fall under her purview at Harvard. She understands that the college years are an opportunity to grow as tennis players and as humans, preparing for life after competition.

You will hear her talk about how Harvard looks at athletics when reviewing applicants and the role of academic success when seeking a coveted spot at an Ivy League university. As Danielle McNamara explained in an earlier podcast episode, students who want to play college tennis absolutely must pursue academic excellence throughout high school.

For more information on Harvard Tennis, visit https://gocrimson.com/sports/womens-tennis. For the admission website, go to https://college.harvard.edu/admissions. You can email Coach Traci Green at [email protected].

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 12 Episode 37 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, we check back in with SenseArena to see how this unique virtual reality product has morphed over the past several months.

Topics of conversation for this episode include how SenseArena is being used at the college level, how junior players can leverage SenseArena to help them be ready to be recruited and play in college, and why the new ATP partnership is so significant to the growth of technology in our sport at all levels.

Matthew Simons is the tennis business-to-business manager for SenseArena while also working as the head men's and women's tennis coach at the University of Puget Sound. He offers a unique perspective on how SenseArena can be used at both the junior and collegiate levels to help players work on the mental and physical sides of their game. You will hear Matt talk about how he's using it with his own players to help them prepare for practice sessions and competition.

Yannick Yoshizawa and his team of developers created SenseArena, enlisting the expertise and guidance of coaches and professional players to ensure a positive and beneficial user experience. You will hear him talk about why this new partnership with the men's professional tour is a huge step in the technology revolution for tennis and what else is coming in the near future.

Here is more information on the ATP partnership:

Sense Arena, the world leader in cognitive VR tennis training and The ATP have announced a new multiyear partnership allowing Sense Arena to become the Official VR Tennis Training Tool of the ATP Tour and launching a co-branded platform, ATP Tour Sense Arena. 

The revamped ATP Tour Sense Arena platform will feature a new integration called Master Your Return, which will be powered by real match data and analytics from pro players on the ATP Tour and Hologic WTA Tour. This revolutionary feature will enable users to analyze and return true-to-life serves in VR from the top ATP and WTA players in the world. The new feature will complement Sense Arena’s existing serve integrations from ATP pro Jack Sock, who had his serves replicated in Sense Arena earlier this year.

Compatible with standard tennis equipment, Sense Arena allows players to get valuable off-court training in confined spaces and non-traditional environments such as basements, garages, hotel rooms and more. The innovative VR tech also allows players to train while limiting wear and tear on the body, which is especially important for players rehabbing injury.

**DISCOUNT OFFER**

Use code PARENTINGACES at checkout for a $50 discount on the annual SenseArena subscription.

For more information, be sure to visit the Sense Arena website at https://tennis.sensearena.com/. If you have questions, you can reach out to the support department at [email protected] or you can email Matt at [email protected] and Yannick at [email protected]. Be sure to follow them on socials as well:

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sensearena

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sensearenatennis/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SenseArena

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here.

CREDITS

Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE

Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices