ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 16 of the ParentingAces Podcast! I hope you've used the last couple of weeks to catch up on any episodes you may have missed!

Matt Knoll had an incredible career as the Head Coach of Men's Tennis at Baylor University. A 2008 Baylor Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, Matt was the Bears' head coach since their first season of Big 12 Conference competition in 1997.

Before retiring at the end of the 2018 season, Matt Knoll amassed a 510-150 record as Baylor's Director of Men's Tennis. His teams captured 13 Big 12 Conference regular season titles, including eight consecutive from 2002 through 2009, and they added eight Big 12 Tournament championships.

Coach Knoll brought Baylor University its first team national championship when he led the Bears to a 4-0 sweep of UCLA in the 2004 National Championship title match. He also guided BU to the 2005 National Team Indoor Championship and four additional runs to the NCAA semifinals, including a runner-up finish in 2005.

A three-time National Coach of the Year, Matt was also honored as Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year six times. His teams finished seasons ranked top-four nationally six times and top-10 nationally in 13 of 22 years. Baylor joined UCLA as the nation's only programs ranked top-10 in the final national rankings every year from 2002 through 2011.

Since leaving Baylor, Matt decided to move into the other side of college tennis, helping Prospective Student Athletes (PSAs) find their best fit. He started American College Placement in order to help players and their families during the recruiting process. You will hear more about how Matt and his staff work with families and what sets his service apart from the other recruiting companies out there.

This June, Matt will be putting on a college tennis showcase at SMU in Dallas, Texas. The showcase is open to any tennis player currently in 8th, 9th, 10th, or 11th grade. It will take place June 22-23, 2019 with Saturday reserved for boys and Sunday reserved for girls. I will be there as well, talking to the players and parents as part of a panel discussion, and I hope to see you! For more information and to register, click here.

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

To join the ParentingAces Community and have full access to all content, including discounts on a variety of products, services, webinars, and camps, click 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 the ParentingAces website. Thank you!

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Welcome to Season 8, Episode 15 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week’s episode, we chat with Cindy Brinker and Carol Weyman of the Maureen Connolly Brinker Foundation and Little Mo series of junior tennis events. Not only will you hear about one of my favorite junior tennis events, but you will also learn some Tennis History! 

Maureen Connolly, or Little Mo as she was fondly dubbed by a journalist early in her tennis career, was the only woman to win tennis's Grand Slam. Sadly, her life was cut short by ovarian cancer but not before she established the Maureen Connolly Foundation in 1968 to give back to the sport she loved.

Now, the MCB Foundation runs several events throughout the year, including the Little Mo series of tournaments for players age 8-12 and the Big Mo tournaments for players age 13-16. These are some of my favorite tournaments in all of junior tennis, so I hope you will listen to the podcast then consider adding one or more of them to your player's schedule! Grants are available to those in need.

2019 BNP Paribas Open Champ Dominic Thiem in Little Mo/Smrikva Bowl 2003

If you have a business or company that is looking for sponsorship opportunities, the MCB Foundation is very interested in talking with you! It uses the sponsorship money to put on events as well as to fund its various grant programs. Contact Carol Weyman at the email address below for more information.

You can find out more at mcbtennis.org - click on the Tournaments link at the top of the page. To apply for a grant, contact Carol Weyman at [email protected] and ask for an application to be sent to you.

To learn more about the Little Mo postage stamp, pictured so beautifully above, click here. You will be able to buy the stamp through the US Postal Service at your local post office or online here beginning April 23, 2019.

FYI we won't be releasing Episode 16 until April 9th, so please use the next 2 weeks to catch up on any episodes you may have missed!

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. You can also support ParentingAces by clicking on the ads on the right sidebar at ParentingAces.com. Thank you!

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

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 14 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's episode, we take a detailed look at hydration and nutrition for junior tennis players. My guest is Certified Sports Nutritionist and Sports Nutritionist for the Boston Bruins, Julie Nicoletti. Julie also now works with CrossCourt Consulting to help junior tennis players maximize their performance both on and off the court.

Julie provides DETAILED information on what our young players should be eating and drinking before, during, and after practices as well as before, during, and after tournaments. She mentions several products throughout the podcast, and I've provided links to each one below (NOTE: ParentingAces may receive a commission if you purchase the products through these links; however, ParentingAces does not endorse these products to the exclusion of other similar products on the market).

Julie also mentions The Clean Label Project (click here to visit its website) as a reliable resource for clean and healthy products and foods. 

To reach Julie, click here for her website, email her here, or call her in Boston at 617-921-4237.

I will be at the Miami Open for one day on Thursday, March 21. If you're going to be there, too, please let me know so we can connect!

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. Thank you!

Hydration & Nutrition Products

Click the product name to open a new window and go to it in the ParentingAces Amazon Store:

Nuun Tablets

Skratch Powder

Fuel For Fire

Munk Pack

Clif Shot Bloks

Honey Stinger Chews

Honey Stinger Waffles

Nordic Naturals Omega3 & Vitamin D supplement

Barlean's Omega3 supplement

Sol Raiz Organic Maca Powder

Vital Proteins Collage Protein Powder

Vega Clean Protein Powder

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Welcome to Season 8, Episode 13 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's episode, I chat with coach Matt Manasse, the women's Associate Coach at 4th ranked Duke University, about college tennis recruiting.

Matt is a former college tennis player himself and offers incredible insights into recruiting and playing at the college level. What questions should your junior ask the college coaches during recruiting visits? How do you choose a college? What should prospective student athletes look for during college visits? What's the best way to transition from college to pro? These are all questions Matt addresses in this episode of the podcast this week.

Matt also shares his own college tennis experience and his decision to transfer. As he says, transferring is something that happens more often than we may know. It's very tough for a 17- or 18-year-old to know what he/she doesn't know when making that college tennis decision, so it's no surprise that the initial decision doesn't always work out as expected.

I love getting an inside look at the life of a college tennis coach as well as recruiting, and Matt does a great job of letting us inside his world. You can reach Matt via email here and find him on Twitter @Matt_Manasse.

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. You can also support ParentingAces by clicking on the ads on the right sidebar at ParentingAces.com. Thank you!

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

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 12 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's episode, I chat with Mark Kovacs, PhD, founder of the International Tennis Performance Association (iTPA) and fellow Atlanta resident, about the concept of Periodization and how best to use it with our junior tennis players.

This conversation came about after I received an email from a ParentingAces listener asking for more information about what periodization really is and how she can incorporate it into her child's training and competition schedule. After sending her a few articles to read, it occurred to me that Mark Kovacs would be the best person to address this topic on the podcast. 

Dr. Mark Kovacs is a renowned performance physiologist, researcher, university professor, author, speaker and coach with an extensive background training and researching athletes at all levels. He serves the iTPA membership as its Executive Director. He formally directed the Sport Science, Strength & Conditioning and Coaching Education departments for the United States Tennis Association (USTA). He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the ITPA. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed scientific articles and abstracts in top journals including the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Sports Medicine, Sports Health, International Journal of Sport Physiology and Performance, Strength & Conditioning Journal, Journal of Sports Science and Medicine among many others. He is currently the Associate Editor-in-Chief of the Strength & Conditioning Journal and is on the editorial board for multiple other journals including the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. He has presented workshops and keynote addresses on four continents and well over 100 presentations. Along with his academic and scientific background Dr. Kovacs is also a coach and former professional athlete. He was an All-American and NCAA doubles champion in tennis at Auburn University. After playing professionally, he completed his graduate work at Auburn University and earned his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from The University of Alabama. Dr. Kovacs is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association, a certified Health/Fitness Specialist through the American College of Sports Medicine, a United States Track and Field Level II Sprints Coach and Certified Tennis Coach.

In other words, Mark knows whereof he speaks!

As he mentions in the podcast, Mark was scheduled to host a Tennis Fitness Combine on March 9 in Atlanta. Unfortunately, he had to cancel that event and offers his apologies.

To contact Mark via his website, click here. To find Mark on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), search @MKovacsPhd.

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. You can also support ParentingAces by clicking on the ads on the right sidebar at ParentingAces.com. Thank you!

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

Welcome to another Bonus Episode of Season 8 of the ParentingAces Podcast. In this one, I chat with former University of Iowa and current professional player, Shelby Talcott, regarding the possible underlying reason for the ITF's new World Tennis Tour which is implemented beginning January 1, 2019.

My conversation with Shelby was prompted by an article she posted on her blog entitled THE ITF'S DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.

You can reach Shelby via her blog here or via email at [email protected].

Please go to ParentingAces.com for more details.

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Welcome to another Bonus Episode of Season 8 of the ParentingAces Podcast. In this one, I chat with brothers Jared and Aron Hiltzik and their father, David, about how the new ITF World Tennis Tour is impacting their ability to pursue a professional tennis career.

Please visit ParentingAces.com for more details.

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Welcome to this Bonus Episode of the ParentingAces Podcast! 

Growing the game of tennis is the mission of many organizations and individuals out there, including Yours Truly. However, there seems to be a disconnect between the marketing experts and those on the ground, and we aren't seeing the increases in players and fans that we hope and work for. One young professional player is working to change that.

Noah Rubin, whose mom, Melanie, you've heard on this podcast in the past (click here, here, and here for my conversations with her), realized that in order to grow the sport, there needed to be a way to get the individual players' stories out to a large audience. He decided to use his large social media presence to create a new Instagram account and do the story-telling himself.

Behind the Racquet has only been in existence about a month, but Noah has already amassed a following of almost 5000 people. There are other professional players, coaches, parents, and fans who have found these stories to be inspirational and a real way to connect with players and the game. As you'll hear in our podcast, Noah is getting messages from people all around the world who are moved by the honesty and rawness of what he's presenting via Instagram.

You can find Noah's Behind the Racquet on Instagram here and on Facebook here. He is also on Twitter here. I hope you'll share his platform with your young players, too, so they get a better understanding of the challenges faced by pros that may not look any different from what they're going through themselves.

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. You can also support ParentingAces by clicking on the ads on our right sidebar. Thank you!

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

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 8 of the ParentingAces Podcast!

In this week's episode, former college coach, Dave Mullins, joins us from Ireland to talk about what we should really be looking at in terms of player development. Dave recently wrote a 2-part article on this topic (see http://www.davemullinstennis.com/news/2018/11/2/shaky-foundation-part-1 and http://www.davemullinstennis.com/news/2019/1/8/shaky-foundation-part-2) which also appeared on the Tennis Recruiting website.

Dave lived in the US for many years, coaching at several different schools, before returning to Ireland to raise his family. He is now working with the Irish Tennis Federation as well as coaching individual players and playing a bit himself. Dave provides the ParentingAces Community with an honest look at player development, college recruiting, and life beyond tennis. We are lucky to have access to his vast experience and in-depth knowledge of our sport! 

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. Thank you!

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

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 7 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's show, the focus is on level-based play. That is, playing tennis against opponents of a similar skill level regardless of age or gender.

My guest, Greg Chambers, is the Director of Tennis at the Ensworth School in Nashville, TN. He has a long history in our sport and is bringing his experience and passion to players of all ages through the tournaments and events he runs at the school. 

Ensworth has an amazing tennis facility, made possible through funding by a very generous sponsor. The facility rivals that of top Division I colleges with both indoor and outdoor courts, a covered viewing area, and ample parking for players and fans.

Greg was one of the Early Adopters of UTR, putting on one-day events and multi-day tournaments over the past 4 years. We discuss the pros and cons of these events and how they compare to those sanctioned through our governing body. We also discuss how parents and coaches can use UTR to help their junior players reach their highest potential in the sport.

You can find out more about the Ensworth School here. To contact Greg Chambers directly, email him at [email protected].

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our new 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: Facebook, Twitter, 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 the ParentingAces website. This podcast – and all of the work ParentingAces does – is supported by donations from our audience. If you are getting value from these podcasts, please consider making a donation – any size is much appreciated! – through PayPal here. Thank you!

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