ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 13, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network.

To watch the video version of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/jIpv9njrJwQ.

When young people arrive on campus for college, we parents have to do a giant pivot in terms of our role in their lives, both on and off the tennis court. Part of this pivot is understanding if and when we should intervene when our children have an issue with their coach, a teammate, or otherwise.

In this week's episode, former college coach, Tina Samara, gives us some real-life examples of when and how we and our children should handle these issues to get a desirable resolution.

Tina played both professional tennis and semi-pro golf herself, and she understands what is required to become a champion. On the WTA tour, she reached a career-high ranking of 223 in doubles and played in the US Open Singles in 1994 and 1995. During her US College playing days, she won three NCAA National Team Championships and was the #1 ranked NCAA doubles team for the University of Georgia in 1995. Following her sporting achievements, Tina went on to coach Division 1 women's college tennis for 11 years and was known for her practical, empathic and direct approach to the holistic development of both the person and the athlete. In addition, Tina also competed as a semi-pro golfer for three years winning the New York State public links event in 2003. Tina privately coaches and mentors many teenage athletes to help them transition from high school into college by pursuing their sporting goals and dreams. She is the owner and founder of Transition Coach 4 Athletes. This service helps student-athletes navigate the often challenging world of balancing study and maximizing sports performance as well as helping find US College Scholarships.

You can contact Tina directly via email at [email protected]. You can also visit her website at transitioncoach4athletes.com.

For a questionnaire with a follow-up FREE College Placement call with Tina, click https://tina263124.typeform.com/to/PDRqB3

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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Welcome to Season 10, Episode 12, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network.

To watch the video version of this week's episode, click https://youtu.be/J9-fr9zJDys.

Second Serve was created two years ago by Amani and Ayanni Shah, nationally-ranked junior players out of the San Diego area. It is a youth-run non profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of underprivileged kids who love tennis by supporting them with the equipment they need.

​The Shah Sisters and their team redistribute used tennis equipment to kids in underserved communities to facilitate their involvement in tennis. They have expanded their efforts to partner with multiple National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) sites in low income communities of California, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Texas. They also now have international sites in Uganda, Mexico, India, and soon Argentina and Zimbabwe. 

Now, Second Serve is not only seeking additional Team Members but also financial donations to support the shipping of equipment around the world. ParentingAces is partnering with Second Serve to help promote their mission.

Ideally, we would like to help them get chapter presidents in as many cities and states as possible. We are helping to get the word out to high schoolers around the country to join their team. This will allow Second Serve to tap into more communities for donations and in turn serve greater numbers of children. It also gives junior tennis players around the country a platform to give back. Second Serve will follow up with these new team members with an email, call, and starter package. 

Eventually, these Second Serve Presidents could help in many ways such as organizing and playing ‘charity exhibition’ matches where funds raised from parents and community would help pay for shipping, or even committing to providing tennis lessons and clinics this summer to Elementary and Junior High underprivileged kids. Down the road, there could even be ‘Second Serve Fellows’ who would travel to teach tennis to the underprivileged. 

Once Second Serve has a big army of leaders to serve with them, the possibilities are endless!

For more information and to get involved, visit https://www.secondserve.club/. To make a financial donation, visit https://www.secondserve.club/donating. To apply to become a Team Member, visit https://www.secondserve.club/join-our-team. You can also follow Second Serve on Instagram @secondserveclub.

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 11, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, to further our observance of Women's History Month, we chat with USTA Past President Katrina Adams about her life in tennis and her newest endeavor as the author of OWN THE ARENA: Getting Ahead, Making a Difference, and Succeeding as the Only One.

To watch the video version of this week's podcast:

https://youtu.be/GpN8fzSW84A

Katrina Adams grew up in Chicago, the youngest of three children with 2 older brothers. Her parents were both school teachers, so Katrina was brought up understanding the value of education. As such, after graduating high school at age 16, she accepted a tennis scholarship to Northwestern University before leaving after her sophomore year to pursue a professional tennis career, eventually becoming the first black - and youngest - president of USTA in 2015!

In this week's episode, you'll hear Katrina talk about her junior development process, her parents' involvement in her tennis life, and how she has used the lessons learned along the way to become the successful player, coach, volunteer, board member, businessperson, and author she is today.

Katrina's book is divided into 12 chapters which she calls her 12 Winning Match Points. From the book's description on Amazon: As Adams shares a wealth of stories from her career and personal life, as well as insights from top tennis professionals, she provides invaluable information on meeting life’s tests both on the tennis court and off. Own the Arena offers fresh perspectives on having presence, being remembered, directing a conversation, and moving boldly in spaces where “you are the only one.” It also covers good sportsmanship—treating others with respect and being inclusive and open to diverse perspectives. Tennis is said to be 90 percent mental; this book shows how to take the elements of mental fortitude and use them to achieve greatness. By embracing and expressing one’s inner grace and humanity, Adams shows, you can own the arena.

For more information on Katrina, visit her website, katrinamadams.com. To purchase her new book, click here. (Note: ParentingAces may receive compensation for purchases made through this link.)

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 10, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's episode, we're going to be looking at a unique way parents - and coaches - can help their players learn tennis better.

To watch the video version of this week's episode, click below:

https://youtu.be/Mrl7FaJXUzM

So, exactly what is kinesthetic learning? It is a way of learning about the world by touching, feeling, and doing to understand a concept or skill. Often it involves the use of props and ordinary household objects to enhance and speed up the learning process. Using this approach to teaching tennis has been shown to be extraordinarily effective with beginners and advanced players as well.

Coach Emma Doyle and Movement Specialist Kalindi Dinoffer have collaborated to create 90 videos across 9 modules that focus on teaching players and helping coaches develop a true feel for the game using innovative training aids and personal, energetic coaching. They share their coaching philosophy with the ParentingAces audience and demonstrate some of the techniques they use to help players improve.

To purchase the Kinesthetic Learning Academy in the NEXT 24 HOURS at 50% OFF, use code HALFOFF and click here. That link will also enable you to purchase any of the OnCourtOffCourt adjunct equipment at a discount.

Our Premium Members get a permanent discount which you can find here.

Emma has also created a series of books and videos - ACE Tennis for Kids - which you can view and purchase here. The series includes two blue stage books (2 - 5 years), one red (5 - 8 years), one orange (7 - 9 years) and one green (9+ years) book filled with coordination and confidence-building fun activities to help you practice with your child. Again, our Premium Members get a discount as outlined here.

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 9, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week we take a look at some new Tennis Technology to help parents, players, and coaches with our guest, Andy Durham.

To watch the video version of the podcast, click below:

https://youtu.be/KIzyMFDl_HQ

Andy Durham is the founder of RacketStats.com, an app allowing parents, players, and coaches an easy system to chart and get access to vital statistics. He is a member of the USPTA, PTR and has been teaching for 48 years, many of his students rising to college, WTA and ATP levels. Currently he is the Director of Tennis at the Cindy Hummel Tennis Center in Auburndale, Florida.

Half the kids playing tennis tournaments give up after playing two tournaments after all the work they have done just to get there. RacketStats is an app with a database for Boys and Girls 14, 16, 18 and college to help parents set goals for their players and quantify the areas of their game. It was designed to be easy to use for any parent, coach, or friend and offers 11 - 34 statistics that can be texted/emailed to anyone after the match.

In recent years, tennis - like many sports - has become very data driven. If you watch any professional tennis match on tv, you will constantly hear the commentators discussing 1st serve percentage and the percentage of points won on the forehand vs. backhand side. Now, parents can track their kids' matches using the simple tools provided in RacketStats, share those statistics with the coach, and give their players concrete data to use in practice and competition. Plus, tracking your child's match is a great way to keep your mind occupied while your child competes - we all know Tennis Parents can benefit from that!

For more information and to download RacketStats, click here. To reach Andy Durham, email him at [email protected].

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 8, of the ParentingAces Podcast. This is a Bonus Episode offered as a follow-up to the episode with David Lewis published earlier this week. Our intent is to give you further information on how to keep your children safe not only on college campuses but also throughout elementary, middle, and high school. To that end, we have attorney Karen Truszkowski and activist Katherine Redmond explaining the laws put in place to protect all children and students throughout their education journey.

For the video version and complete show notes of this Bonus Episode, click below:

https://parentingaces.com/articles/who-what-protects-our-kids-on-campus-ft-katherine-redmond-karen-truszkowski

Both Title IX and the Clery Act, as well as the Violence Against Women Act, were created to ensure equal access to education regardless of gender and to provide reporting requirements for educational institutions when that access has been threatened in any way. In August 2020, Title IX was amended to eliminate the reporting requirement for faculty and staff at colleges and universities - it shifted the onus to the victim. However, in K-12 schools, faculty and staff are still required to report any suspected or actual threats to their Title IX officer. Please note that Title IX applies to ALL students on college campuses regardless of their country of origin and citizenship status.

We urge you to watch/listen to the conversation with Karen and Kathy then to investigate the additional resources below. The best way to prevent your child from becoming a victim - or a perpetrator or bystander - of violence is to get informed and keep talking to your kids about these very important issues. It may not be comfortable but it is necessary.

To reach Karen, email her at [email protected].

To reach Kathy, follow her on Twitter @kathyredmond and and @WeLEADProject.

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 7, of the ParentingAces Podcast.

Before I go any further, please know this episode contains graphic descriptions of violence toward a female college tennis player as described by her father. Please use discretion when listening or viewing in the presence of children.

I highly encourage you to watch the video version of this week's podcast which you can find here:

https://youtu.be/sHaJT5IvrAc

In January of 2017, Jade Lewis arrived on the LSU campus to begin her life as a college student and member of the LSU Women's Tennis Team. After sitting at the top of the Junior Rankings for her recruiting class on TennisRecruiting.net, she was offered a full scholarship and an agreement that, if she played on the LSU Women's Tennis Team for at least one semester, she could pursue a professional career then return to complete her degree at LSU at a later date at no cost to her. It was a great offer that aligned with Jade's dreams of becoming a professional tennis player.

Just a few short weeks later, Jade's dream turned into a nightmare. She had formed a relationship with a member of LSU's football team, a relationship that would prove dangerous and threatening to Jade's physical and emotional health. In May of 2017, Jade reported to the LSU women's tennis athletic trainer that this football player had physically assaulted her. Presumably, Jade assumed the athletic trainer would follow NCAA protocol and file a report with his superiors as well as LSU's Title IX officer as required by law. However, it now appears that did not happen.

In this week's podcast (again, I urge you to watch the video version on ParentingAces.com and read the complete show notes), you will hear Jade's father, David Lewis, explain how the violence perpetrated against Jade by the LSU football player escalated while the LSU Women's Tennis Coaches and other athletic and academic staff who knew about it sat by and did nothing to protect Jade nor punish the football player. You will hear details of the violent incidents and the frustration of a parent helpless to rescue his daughter. Below is a timeline of events as they unfolded as well as a list of media articles investigating these events.

My hope is you will watch this podcast, read through the timeline and articles on ParentingAces.com, then do whatever you can to help us prevent anything remotely resembling these incidents from ever happening again.

Our plan is to do another podcast with Title IX and Clery Act experts to help all of us understand the laws put in place to protect college students.

That some students still fall through the cracks of these laws is inconceivable, especially when it involves violence against those same students.

That the perpetrators of the violence are permitted to not only remain on campus but also continue to receive scholarship money and compete on athletic teams is appalling.

That the Tennis Coaches themselves did not protect their player is unfathomable.

That the Athletic Department and University employees who were aware of the abuse - and did not report it through proper channels nor ensure the safety of the victims - have not been held accountable goes against all reason.

ParentingAces will continue to inform parents and is working to establish better systems to protect our children on college campuses.

Note: ParentingAces reached out to the LSU Women's Tennis Coaches for comment and an opportunity to come on the podcast. The coaches did not respond. Mike and Julia Sell are still the LSU Women's Tennis Co-Head Coaches as of publication.

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Welcome to Season 10, Episode 6, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, the topic is Mental Toughness but with a twist!

To watch the video version of this week's podcast, go to https://youtu.be/PzEKjiWGO_4.

Dr. Anthony Ross grew up in the Australian Outback, not exactly a Tennis Mecca. He went on to become a top junior player and was recruited to join the Pepperdine Men's Tennis Team where he earned All-American status. After college, Anthony turned pro but retired when he realized he couldn't make a living on tour. While completing his professional run, he transitioned to coaching and got involved with his home tennis federation, Tennis Australia. Once Anthony started working with juniors, he quickly realized the importance of parent support for developing players so he created parent education workshops in conjunction with Tennis Australia. The parents bought right in to Anthony's process, and he's had tremendous success educating parents throughout his home country.

In recent years, Anthony has brought his approach to Tennis Parents worldwide. He realized he needed to create a course to share with parents and has now launched the Parenting Healthy Mental Toughness Project, a 6-part online series that coaches and academies can purchase for the parents of their junior players. A portion of the proceeds go to charity, making this even better. Guest presenters include Rob Barty, father of Ash Barty, and Peter Smith, former Pepperdine and USC Men's Tennis Head Coach and father to 3 tennis-playing sons.

Hear more about Anthony's philosophy on coaching mental toughness and why he feels the parents are Key Players in the process by listening to or watching this week's episode. If you are a Tennis Parent who would like to participate in the course, please share this episode with your child's coach or academy so they can purchase it at a discount!

Anthony has generously offered a 10% discount to anyone purchasing the program using code PARENTINGACES. For more information on the project, you can reach out to Anthony directly at [email protected].

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 5, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network!

To watch the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/V7ERtfMqXZ0

This week's guest, Brian Wilson, is a former top junior player, member of the National Championship University of Illinois Men's Tennis Team, and top 100 professional doubles player. Brian now works as the Associate Director of Junior Tennis at the Darling Tennis Center in Las Vegas and also as the US Scout for Head Tennis.

Brian not only shares his own experiences growing up in the Southern California Tennis Scene but also offers specific information on how junior players can qualify for sponsorship for racquets, string, grips, and other vital equipment. He shares his upcoming UTR Pro Series events that he will be hosting at Darling later this year.

For more information on Head Tennis, follow them on Instagram @teamhead_northamerica. If you'd like to reach out to Brian via email, his address is [email protected].

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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

Welcome to Season 10, Episode 4, of the ParentingAces Podcast, part of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network! With the 2021 College Tennis Season underway, it's a great time to check in with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for an update.

To watch the video version of this episode, go to https://youtu.be/qspzISgxGVo.

Dave Mullins is the Managing Director of the ITA. As such he works closely with the Tennis For America (TFA) program as well as other areas of the organization and is an incredible resource for us at ParentingAces. In this week's episode, Dave updates us on the application process for Year 2 of TFA and what changes are in store as the program continues to grow and partner with more sports.

Dave also discusses the 2021 College Tennis Season and the challenges ahead for the coaches and players as they continue to navigate life during a pandemic. The ITA maintains a good working relationship with the NCAA and offers input on rule changes, including the current recruiting dead period and when it might end. Dave also shares his insights on how coaches and college tennis programs are innovating so they stay relevant in this trying economic environment.

For more information on Tennis for America, go to https://www.tennisforamerica.com. For more information on the ITA, go to https://www.wearecollegetennis.com. You can reach Dave Mullins directly via email at [email protected].

As always, a big thank you to Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season. You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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 clicking here.

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