Coach Carla McKenzie is one of the nicest and kindest people I know in the tennis world with a passion for helping others and a gift for coaching. She is the Director of Tennis at The Shore and Country Club which has an incredible membership base of passionate tennis players and Carla has been instrumental in growing the program by 300% since her arrival. She has had wonderful mentors along her journey (whom she credits in this episode). Carla is clear on her coaching philosophy, what makes a great coach and leader, and what she looks for when recruiting tennis coaches. She is a self-confessed "educational junkie" who was recognized as the Profesional Tennis Registry (PTR) Coach Developer of the Year in 2019. She believes that a great coach is passionate, a great listener, and can adapt especially when they are under pressure. As a leader, Carla would never ask her team to do something that she is not prepared to do herself. We hope you enjoy this episode.

 Some of the highlights include;

TFFI 

T – Topic 

This is the issue. Assume positive intent and check-in first; is this a good time or block out a time to meet. What I want to talk to you about today is…

F – Facts

What I have observed is, the facts are…

F – Feelings

This is how I feel, or this made me feel upset, this made me feel really frustrated…

I – Impact

Here’s the impact on the team, organisation, the business…

When you get through the first part of TFFI, briefly pause and take a deep breath. It’s not easy to have this type of conversation and this is not an opportunity for them to respond. Remember to assume positive intent, show that you care and continue to move through the entire formula before asking them for their reflections.

We Can Fly

WE: WANT – This is what I want, here are the options, provide some solutions, moving forwards…

CAN: CONTRIBUTE – This is where I acknowledge how I have contributed to the situation, and take responsibility for my role in the issue. Note that this is how you take responsibility and acknowledge your contribution to the situation, to really open up some healthy dialogue.

FLY: FORWARDS – So moving forwards, this is what I am proposing... I would love to hear your thoughts.

The Coaching Podcast is sponsored by The Sampson Agency - a talent entertainment and sports management company owned and operated by Tina Samara.

Visit: www.thesampsonagency.com or  email: [email protected]

To learn more about becoming a workplace coach or advancing your coaching skills, visit: www.opendoorcoachingusa.com or email: [email protected] 

About Carla McKenzie

Carla McKenzie is the Director of Tennis at the Shore and Country Club. She is a graduate of Methodist University where she is a three-time All-American, two-time National Doubles Champion and still holds the school record for the highest percentage of wins in doubles at 93.5%. She was ranked #1 in the country for three straight years with her doubles partner Elena Blanina. In 2010, she was inducted into Methodist’s Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual and again in 2016 as a Team of Distinction and was recently inducted into her high school Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.

Carla is a PTR Master Professional and 2019 PTR Coach Developer of the year. She is certified by PTR with Professional standards in 10&U, 11-17, Adult, Senior and Performance development. She’s a USPTA Elite Professional, a certified RacquetFit professional and a Master Racquet Technician. She is a certified Master of Tennis Performance Specialist (MTPS) by the (International Tennis Performance Association), certified Mental Tough Specialist by the (Human Performance Institute), a Tennis Serve Specialist (Kovacs Institute,) Pickleball Certified and Coach Developer for PPR, a licensed Cardio Tennis Provider, USTA Sport Science Level 1 specialist, CPR/AED certified and has numerous leadership certificates from Harvard, Cornell and Open Door Coaching.

Connect with Carla below.

Website: https://carlamckenzietennis.net 

Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-mckenzie-mba-ptr-ppr-uspta-itpa-usrsa-6b912a42/