ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 8, Episode 6 of the ParentingAces Podcast!

This week, we chat with Jeff Bearup, Tim Donovan, and David Benzel who founded CrossCourt Consulting in the New England area. Between them, these three gentlemen have extensive experience working with not only Tennis Parents, but all sorts of Sports Parents, to help their children have a more positive experience.

Realizing there was a gap in the tennis space, Jeff and Tim joined forces to help families better navigate the junior development process to maximize their child's tennis experience. Crosscourt Consulting provides families with the knowledge and framework necessary to help them design a master plan that includes key benchmarks in the player’s tennis development through proper goal setting, tournament planning, periodization schedule and developmental planning. They work with the child's personal coach to ensure the best process and outcome for all involved.

Crosscourt Consulting and Parenting Aces are teaming up to give one lucky junior tennis player a Crosscourt Consulting Gold Plan Consulting Package. 

The 12-month Package Includes:

• Developmental Planning
• Tournament Planning
• Periodization Schedule
• Phone Meetings
• Coordination with your Private Coach

To get more information and to enter, click https://crosscourtconsulting.com/crosscourt-consulting-and-parenting-aces-2019-drawing/. Entry deadline is May 12, 2019.

They are also offering a 10% discount to ParentingAces Families on any package through May 12, 2019. For more information on CrossCourt Consulting and/or to contact them, be sure to visit their website here. The Contact form that Jeff mentions is located online here. I hope to have other members of the CrossCourt Consulting Performance Team on the podcast in the near future.

As promised, for Tim Donovan's site, click here. For David Benzel's site, 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.

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!

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A few weeks ago, I received an email from a member of the ParentingAces Community asking if ANY coach can develop a champion if the family has enough time and money to invest in the child's tennis. I posed that question to one of my favorite coaches, Todd Widom, and in this week's episode we discuss the query in depth.

There is so much more to high-level junior development than simply time and money. The proper mindset, the proper work ethic, the proper attitude . . . all these things are contributing factors that affect how far a player can take his/her tennis skills. And do not underestimate the impact the right - or even the wrong! - coach can have.

Yes, it helps to have a player with unlimited financial resources. Yes, it helps to have a player who isn't bound by traditional school hours (however, please note, there are so many benefits to attending traditional school!). However, there are some players who are born with skills that can't be taught, regardless of time or money. There are some players who don't have the internal drive to succeed, and that can't be bought or taught.

It is crucial that parents understand the factors that go into high-level tennis development and make decisions impacting the family accordingly. This week's episode helps to shed light on many of those factors.

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our 2019 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.

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Several months ago, I had the pleasure of talking with Dave Miley, the Executive Director of Tennis Development for the International Tennis Federation (ITF) from 1991 until 2015 who was responsible for the non professional activities of the ITF including junior tennis, senior tennis, wheelchair tennis, technical and anti-doping as well as the ITF’s Development Programme. Dave has been very vocal about the ITF's World Tennis Tour and its possible ramifications for our sport.

In Season 8, Episode 4, Dave and I delve deeper into the World Tennis Tour and how it's impacting tennis so far. Dave shares his thoughts on why this is important to Tennis Parents in the US and around the world, especially as it affects College Tennis. 

Dave also discusses his candidacy for President of the ITF and what it could mean for tennis as a whole. He explains the election process and details of his campaign platform. As he will likely be running against current ITF President - and former USTA President - David Haggarty, Dave is not betting on the support of our governing body this year. That said, if you are interested in learning how YOU can support Dave Miley, please contact me for more information.

NOTE: We recorded this episode using a new (for me!) platform since Dave was in Abu Dhabi, so please excuse any wonky sound quality!

To listen to my previous podcast with Dave on the Transition Tour, click here. To read the series of Dave's articles on the State of the Game, click here. To read Dave's latest article on the ITF World Tennis Tour, click here.

To access the ITF website, click here. To sign up for the ITF Newsletter, scroll to the bottom of their homepage and enter your email address.

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.

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Jeff Salzenstein has been involved in tennis pretty much his entire life. In Season 8 Episode 3, Jeff shares his tumultuous junior career, going from #1 in the 12's to #69 in the 16's, eventually making his way to the Stanford Men's Tennis Team playing for the inimitable Dick Gould.

After giving the pro tour a go then getting side-lined by multiple injuries, Jeff moved into coaching, developing a variety of online platforms to reach players around the world. Today, his focus is the power of language and the power of communication and how to help others improve. How you talk to yourself, how you communicate as an influencer, and how we're being "programmed" by our larger community are all aspects of Jeff's work as a coach. 

Simply becoming aware of how you speak with your child is Step One of improving communication. Not just the words but also the tone of voice can impact how your junior interprets what you're saying. As parents and coaches, we have to model good communication for our children so they will grow and develop into better communicators as adults. Jeff offers some concrete advice on how we can hone our skills in this arena.

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.

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Welcome to Season 8, Episode 2 of the ParentingAces Podcast!

This week, the discussion focuses on the nuances of Division III Recruiting and how it differs from Division I. For example, did you know many DIII schools no longer require Prospective Student Athletes to take the SAT or ACT? And according to the NCSA website, for DIII schools, official visits begin January 1 of junior year, and they are unlimited? These are two very important things to know!

Lauren Egna and Leslie Schleimer have each gone through the DIII recruiting process with their own children, Lauren in tennis and Leslie in soccer. After discovering how complicated and convoluted the process can be, they decided to go into business together to help other families avoid the pitfalls and maximize the opportunities available. College Athlete Consultants was born!

Thank you to Lauren and Leslie for shedding some light on how rewarding the DIII athletic experience can be and helping the ParentingAces audience learn more about how to get started with recruiting. To connect with Lauren and Leslie via their College Athlete Consultants website, click here. You can find them on Facebook here. You can reach them via email here. For a free phone consultation, call Lauren at 917-887-8930.

**Mention ParentingAces to receive a 20% discount

off College Athlete Consultants recruiting services!**

You may notice we have new music in our intro and outro this season. That’s thanks to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE. 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.

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It's hard to believe another season of the ParentingAces Podcast has come to a close! Over the past 7 years, I've had the opportunity to chat with some amazing Parents, Coaches, Players, and Industry Folks who have been incredibly generous with their knowledge and offers to help.

It seems only fitting to close this season with one last conversation with Coach Todd Widom. In this episode, Todd addresses the Millennial Player and how best to coach them to their highest potential. You will hear Todd (and me) reference a video we both watched a few months ago. You can watch it here: https://www.facebook.com/100000013386147/posts/2186232288053863/. It's only 16 minutes long, and I promise you it's worth your time!

While I won't be releasing any new episodes between now and the end of the year, rest assured I will be RECORDING new ones in anticipation of 2019 and Season 8! I urge you to use these next few weeks to catch up on any episodes you may have missed, to re-listen to those that sparked something in you, and to share our podcast and website with anyone you think will benefit from their content. Also be sure to subscribe to ParentingAces here so you don't miss a thing!

Please enjoy the holidays with your family and other loved ones. Let's all come back together the first week of January to jump-start another great year of learning and sharing. Happy holidays!

As always, a big thank you to STØNE for our music! I'll be seeing him perform live in San Francisco this week! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

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

Patricia Hy-Boulais has worn many hats in the tennis world: junior player, professional player, coach, parent. Her latest hat is that of blogger as she recently entered the online world to share her thoughts on the Junior Tennis Journey from the perspective of both a parent and a coach.

When I saw Patricia's announcement of her new blog, I couldn't wait to read it! After interviewing her earlier this year for ParentingAces, I knew she had a lot of wisdom to share. As you'll hear in this newest episode, her goal is to speak to Tennis Parents from the coach's perspective as well as to Tennis Coaches from the parent's perspective. I am looking forward to learning from her and sharing it with all of you.

You can find Patricia's blog here: https://www.patriciahy.com/

To listen to my earlier podcast with her, go to https://parentingaces.com/from-pro-to-parent-with-patricia-hy-boulais/

And you can contact Patricia through her website at https://www.patriciahy.com/p/contact-me_4.html. She has graciously offered to answer any questions you may have about your own child's journey.

As always, a big thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

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

Like many young kids, Jordan Belga played several sports, but it was tennis that lit a spark in him. The sport seemed to come easy to him. He was the #1 ranked player in the US in the 12-and-unders, seemingly on an upward trajectory toward his dream job of playing professional tennis. 

However, an injury at age 14 meant significant time away from the sport for young Jordan. And he wasn't sure he had what it would take to make his way back to the top of the game.

In this week's episode, Jordan Belga shares his tumultuous journey along the junior and college tennis pathway with brutal honesty. Never fear, though: the story does have a happy ending!

This episode is a bit longer than usual, but please do stick with it to the end. Jordan's story is a common one, sadly, and it's an important one for parents, players, and coaches to hear and understand.

If you'd like to contact Jordan Belga, you can do so via his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/jordan.belga and via his Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jordan_belga/.

To read Jordan's account of his experience with the USTA Player Development Coaching Fellowship, click here. To learn more about the Fellowship and how to apply, click here.

As always, a big thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

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

When you're a 10-and-Under Faculty Coach for the USTA, you have access to the latest information on junior development and the best way to navigate the process. When you're also the parent of a college tennis player, you have something even better: first-hand experience!

Coach/Parent Ellen Miller has seen the process unfold not only with her young players but also in her own family. She is the mother of 4 children, two of whom played or are playing college sports, all of whom grew up participating in multiple sports. Ellen competed in multiple sports as well, finally choosing to play college tennis at Rice University in Houston and now competing as a Senior Master Swimmer.

I'm sharing all this with you so that you understand this woman knows her stuff when it comes to youth sports development and college recruiting! She has been through it herself. She has parented her children through it. And now she is guiding families as they enter the Junior Tennis Journey.

I encourage you to listen closely to Ellen's advice. This episode is full of good stuff that will help all parents and coaches do a better job. 

Ellen has graciously offered to help anyone needing some guidance through the Junior Development Pathway. You can reach her at [email protected]. 

To get information on the Houston NJTL and how you can get involved or donate, click here. To get information on your local NJTL chapter, click here.

As always, a big thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.

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

While I was in New York for the WTCA Conference and the US Open, I had the opportunity to learn from some incredible coaches and parents. One of the most unique learning opportunities came on the final day of the Conference when I heard Jure Ko and Anja Prislan explain how they use numerology to help coaches understand the mindset of their players. I know this sounds kind of "woo-woo" when you first hear it, but please give this week's episode a full listen and click on the links below. I think you will be as surprised as I was to learn what this ancient methodology can teach us!

According to Jure and Anja, the majority of coaches are closed to accepting new ways of doing things because they are comfortable with the conventional and familiar. This makes them feel secure. So a lot of the coaches and players are simply doing the same old same old and are not risking anything with a new approach. But why not try something new because what is old and proven now was new not so long ago.

Why not open yourself to a new horizon and broaden your approach to coaching, to the understanding of your players, and enjoying the tennis game? Numerology is not for everyone but something that might just change the way you work with a player that you previously really couldn’t understand! These same skills apply to your relationship with your child and can help you communicate more effectively.

So, check out these links to learn more and to connect with Jure and Anja: 

https://www.trainyourvibration.com/

https://www.facebook.com/puntacanatcnow/

https://www.instagram.com/puntacanatcnow/

To see how Anja and Jure used their method to evaluate Serena Williams's performance in the 2018 US Open Final, click here.

A big thank you to STØNE for our music! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on our website and on iTunes.

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