Welcome to Season 11, Episode 27, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's episode, Coach Todd Widom joins Lisa to discuss what American junior tennis players need to do to become competitive in the eyes of Division I college coaches.
The conversation has been going on for years now - why are there so many international players on US college tennis teams and why aren't college coaches recruiting closer to home? Of course, there are many factors involved - including budget issues, parents, player attitude - but the bottom line seems to be a mix of player development shortfalls and an understanding of what it means to be the best you can be and how to achieve your highest potential.
Todd and Lisa discuss the current DI landscape, the current junior coaching landscape, the current parent education landscape, and the current USTA attitude toward college tennis, and what needs to change in order for American juniors to become desirable prospects once again.
To continue this discussion with Todd or to get information on his training, you can reach him at todd@twtennis.com. If you aren't already, be sure to follow him on Facebook 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!).
CREDITS
Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE
Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why International Players Make Up Majority of DI Tennis ft. Todd Widom

Host Lisa Stone discusses the various aspects of developing a tennis player from beginner through the juniors to college and beyond. Her weekly guests include experts in coaching, parenting, mental toughness, fitness & nutrition, technology & equipment, and college recruiting. Stone provides invaluable information for parents, players, and coaches.

Kids & Family

Sports

Fitness

Parenting

Health & Fitness

Tennis

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 19, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week brings our next episode with coaches who are part of CoachLife, a new platform for tennis coaching knowledge.
Todd Larkham, who coached Nick Kyrgios for over 10,000 hours, shares his coaching philosophy and key strategies that shaped Nick’s career, emphasizing the blend of talent, coaching, and training environment needed for success. With a career spanning 18 Grand Slams and a high rank of 136, Todd’s instructional content on CoachLife, including forehand techniques and a top-tier kick serve video, offers invaluable insights to enhance your tennis skills.
Explore over 330 videos tailored for parents, coaches, and players on CoachLife.com—the premier online resource for tennis coaching knowledge. Our extensive library covers tennis-specific sports psychology, nutrition, footwork, coaching and parenting advice, detailed shot progressions, and insights into the training regimens of top players during their junior years. Learn from coaches who have shaped the careers of tennis legends such as Swiatek, Gauff, Tiafoe, Kyrgios, Fritz, Sampras, Jack Draper, Sharapova, Pegula, Tommy Paul, Roddick, Davenport, Rafter, Nishikori, Kevin Anderson, Mardy Fish, Guillermo Coria, Fernando Gonzalez, and Reilly Opelka at various stages of their development. Additionally, benefit from a comprehensive strength and conditioning program designed to improve various performance areas.
Listeners can now take advantage of a 7-day free trial by visiting CoachLife.com. Plus, get an exclusive discount when you click the link in our show notes. Learn directly from the legendary junior coaches behind the world's top pros and elevate your game with CoachLife. Start your journey to tennis excellence today!
Affiliate link: https://coachlife.com/?ref=TODDPA
Discount code: ToddPA
The discount code gives 5% off the 1st year's subscription - click on the affiliate link and enter the code during checkout.
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

CoachLife ft. Todd Larkham

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 18, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week we take a deep dive into parenting and coaching and playing with juniors who learn differently.
*Disclaimer: ParentingAces is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific product, service, or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by ParentingAces, Lisa Stone, or Fit For 2, Inc. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program is not and does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Always do your own due diligence before purchasing, hiring, or using any product, service, or provider.
Become a Premium Member - click here to join
Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix is a former top junior and college player who tried her hand on the WTA tour before finding her passion working as a Speech-Language Pathologist. She now combines that passion with her love of tennis as the founder of Love Serving Autism, a non-profit organization dedicated to offering racquet sports to all children and adults regardless of their learning style.
In 2023, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 36 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to 2018 data with a 4 to 1 higher prevalence in boys. This means the likelihood of a neurotypical junior facing a neurodivergent junior in a tennis learning and/or tournament environment is pretty high. With that in mind, the two Lisas discuss best practices for coaching and playing with junior players who may have some type of learning challenge, including being on the autism spectrum, ADHD, or ADD.
Love Serving Autism also works with junior tennis coaches to help them develop tools to better work with neurodivergent athletes. As you will hear, Lisa is committed to helping coaches, tournament directors, parents, and players have a more positive experience on and off the court.
You can find out more about Love Serving Autism and Lisa's work on their website at https://loveservingautism.org/. You can also reach out to Lisa directly via email at lisa@loveservingautism.org. To follow them on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loveservingautism/
X: https://twitter.com/LSAAutismTennis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/LoveServingAutism/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChCbBSSTmL1vEjlyplBFI2g
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

Love Serving Autism ft. Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 17, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week brings the first of many episodes with coaches who are part of CoachLife, a new platform for tennis coaching knowledge.
Diego Moyano, a renowned developmental coach for tennis stars like Tommy Paul, Reilly Opelka, Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Fritz, has shaped top talents including Coco Gauff and Kevin Anderson, blending rigorous South American footwork with insights from French and US tennis. His extensive experience is showcased in CoachLife’s video series, offering transformative coaching strategies for developing top juniors globally.
Explore over 330 videos tailored for parents, coaches, and players on CoachLife.com—the premier online resource for tennis coaching knowledge. Our extensive library covers tennis-specific sports psychology, nutrition, footwork, coaching and parenting advice, detailed shot progressions, and insights into the training regimens of top players during their junior years. Learn from coaches who have shaped the careers of tennis legends such as Swiatek, Gauff, Tiafoe, Kyrgios, Fritz, Sampras, Jack Draper, Sharapova, Pegula, Tommy Paul, Roddick, Davenport, Rafter, Nishikori, Kevin Anderson, Mardy Fish, Guillermo Coria, Fernando Gonzalez, and Reilly Opelka at various stages of their development. Additionally, benefit from a comprehensive strength and conditioning program designed to improve various performance areas.
Listeners can now take advantage of a 7-day free trial by visiting CoachLife.com. Plus, get an exclusive discount when you click the link in our show notes. Learn directly from the legendary junior coaches behind the world's top pros and elevate your game with CoachLife. Start your journey to tennis excellence today!
Affiliate link: https://coachlife.com/?ref=DIEGOPA 
Discount code: DiegoPA
The discount code gives 5% off the 1st year's subscription - click on the affiliate link and enter the code during checkout.
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

CoachLife ft. Diego Moyano

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 16, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, you get to hear all about my experience at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, as well as information from the Head of Men's and Women's Tennis at the Academy, Project Manager for Avanza Sports, and several junior players who were training there during my visit. This episode is a little longer than usual, but I hope you'll watch/listen to the entire podcast as each person offers a unique perspective on the Academy.
Marc Gorriz is the Head of Men´s and Women Tennis for the Academy. He is a former 88 ATP singles and 73 doubles player as well as the former coach of ten Top 100 ATP/WTA players. Marc was brought on to help develop the tennis curriculum for the Academy at the beginning stages of its creation. He works closely with Rafael Nadal and Toni Nadal to ensure the methodology stays true to their own training regimen. My interview with Marc starts around the 13-minute mark of the podcast.
Daniel del Val is a project manager for Avanza Sports and was our point person throughout our visit in Barcelona and Mallorca. He works with coaches and clubs around the world to provide a 5-star experience to everyone who participates in a junior or adult camp or full travel experience that includes premium seats at a top professional tennis tournament (ours was the Barcelona Open). My interview with Dani starts around the 35:30 mark of the podcast.
Alayna, Millie, Ashwin, Yashwin, Nigel, and Mateo are junior players of varying levels with a variety of tennis goals. You will hear about their different experiences at the Nadal Academy, what they learned, and what they will take away from their visit. My interviews with the junior players starts around the 49-minute mark of the podcast.
Daniel and Avanza Sports have set up a nice discount code for the ParentingAces community to attend any junior or adult camps during Summer 2024. You can see the full schedule of North and South American offerings at https://rafanadalacademycampusa.com/.
For a discount to the camp (this will apply to all available camps during Summer 2024):
Junior Camp code $75 off: parentingacesjuniors
Adult camp code $50 off: parentingacesadults
For a discount on the International Travel Experience I did, which includes a city/tournament experience in addition to a week at the Nadal Academy, you will need to contact Daniel directly at dval@rafanadalacademycampusa.com. *Be sure to mention ParentingAces in your email*.
If enough people are interested, Avanza Sports will set up a trip for the ParentingAces community, so please let me know if this is something you'd like me to pursue with Dani and the rest of the Avanza staff.
Follow both Avanza Sports and the Rafa Nadal Academy on social media to see updates and new offerings.
For Avanza Sports:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/avanzasports
Website: https://rafanadalacademycampusa.com/
For the Rafa Nadal Academy:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/rafanadalacademy
Website: https://www.rafanadalacademy.com/
Here is a short promo video produced by the Academy about its Junior programs:
[youtube id="O-HB-Ibvpj8?si=WgsFAWMzw-B3i4Lr"] [/youtube]
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

What It's Like to Train Like Rafa

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 15, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, father-son duo, Scott and Bode Campbell, share a real-world example of a family from Minnesota (please ignore my mistake in the opening to the episode - I do know the difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin!) trying to navigate high level junior tennis utilizing the resources and content created and curated by ParentingAces. In this episode, you will learn how a parent and family has used this forum to answer questions they had about junior tennis and become exposed to the latest trends in training, college recruiting, and parenting well.
Scott grew up in a tennis family and has played - and coached - throughout his life, including having a wonderful college tennis career at DePauw University. When his children were born, Scott knew he wanted to introduce them to tennis as well as other sports due to the lessons he learned through being an athlete. Oldest child, Greta, found her passion in dance (following in her mother's shoes). Middle and youngest sons, Bode and Gus, found their passion in a variety of sports including soccer, hockey, basketball, and, of course, tennis.
Though Scott felt he knew a lot about junior tennis and the developmental pathways available, he also knew there was a lot he DIDN'T know. When Bode was 12, Scott stumbled upon the ParentingAces podcast and website and has used our extensive resources to inform his family's journey ever since.
Bode continued to play multiple sports throughout middle school but realized last year that if he wanted to fulfill his dream of playing college tennis, it was time to bow out of hockey and the others. He feels like the resources his dad discovered through ParentingAces have made an enormous difference in terms of his on- and off-court training and his college recruiting efforts. Finishing his junior year of high school, staying in traditional school throughout, Bode is excited for what the summer will bring in terms of his development and competitive opportunities.
Both Scott and Bode recognize the wealth of resources ParentingAces brings to families who are just trying to understand if and how high-level tennis (college and beyond) can be figured out. They have used those resources to help Bode get to his goal of playing in college and hope other families understand how valuable ParentingAces can be from start to finish.
Scott has graciously offered to field any questions you may have via email: sccsearch@msn.com. You can find both Scott and Bode on Instagram as well. Scott is https://www.instagram.com/scottcoulter5/ and Bode is https://www.instagram.com/bodecampbell_tennis/.
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

Why International Players Make Up Majority of DI Tennis ft. Todd Widom

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