Wearing the Badge
I watched WTT for the first time last year while in Orlando and loved it, this year I would have have attended the event in Virginia had I not been 4000 miles away on the other side of the Atlantic. I was intrigued by the format the camaraderie and the almost open access to players. It
Welcome to Klingon 101 – Does your kids program have purpose?
The thing about sports is despite how fast the world spins, the fundamental driver behind sports doesn’t change! It’s about meeting fundamental human needs through play! Some people suggest that play is when you don’t have a score and so it is somehow devoid of competition but in fact many of us need the score element
Tennis Program Health Check!
Are you tracking the right numbers? We work with programs all over the world and no matter where we are there are five measures that tell us which way a program is heading! Developing a great kids tennis program is a challenge but by making sure you are tracking the right numbers and making your decisions based on
What Did You Say?
When you open your mouth on a tennis court what comes out? It has been an interesting months reviewing lessons with coaches from around the world, sometimes via video and sometimes in real time. Reflecting on what we say and how that has an impact on our player(s) has always been an interest of mine. It dates back
How Tennis Got into a Pickle!
Ok before we start here are a few confessions. I love tennis! It has given me a life that I could not have imagined, that I am grateful everyday. Tennis people are amazing (for the most part) and as a sport it has all the things that as a third brother I love. Other sports range from.. “Wow!”
Stephens and Keys send a message to every girl on court!
Having spent the last week up until the early hours of the morning watching the open I left the Women’s final with an unexpected message. I have always been a huge fan of the Women’s Tour. The unpredictability of matches and my British love of an underdog means it appeals much more to me that the
The First Principle of Coaching Girls – Build Trust – Excerpt from the GTN Manual
Being a child means that you come with a range of needs that are individual to you. Being secure means that you will be prepared to express yourself, be creative and start to connect. If you are a young girl this puts you in a male dominated world where most people are bigger than you. Now think
Are you really listening? – The first skill in coaching! Girls Tennis Network
The words of a child are a gift and their value should not be underestimated. They help us to develop a greater understanding of who they are and what motivates them. They allow us to open the door to learning and help a child to reach their potential as a player and a person. That is
Where am I? Why where you are changes what you need! – Girls Tennis Network
Understanding the Participation Pathway As part of the GTN Workshop we discuss the participation pathway. As we don't like to badge children at a young age it's something we are big believers in, and it's particularity relevant to girls. We don’t use terms like performance or recreational. Instead we look at their commitment and love of
Learn before you teach! Six principles to opening the door when teaching girls!
There are many reasons that we started the journey that led us to creating Girls Tennis Network. Being a coach, father of a daughter, and boyfriend, I have come to realize that the only thing I am 100% sure of in this world is that in all those roles I have so much to learn. The
The 6 Moments of Truth – Parenting a Tennis Kid!
Hit the web and you will find a lot of articles. posts and clips about tennis, and sports, parents. Most will bemoan the involvement of parents and create lists of rules that parents should follow. The theme is usually, Parents create pressure and pressure is bad for kids, so do these these things. We would like
Learn to Love the Battle – Little Court Warriors
You know that point in an arm wrestle when two evenly matched opponents seem to always get to. The part where their arm starts to shake and you know they are in for the long haul. Loving that part is the nature of being a great competitor and if you love this part the chances are you
It’s All Their Fault!
Dear Tennis Coach, Just in case you need to complain, here is a list of things you can blame for the lack of development in the global tennis market. Computers, phones and online gaming Equipment Finances Parents Facilities Government investment Competition from other sports Officials Tennis Federations Manufacturers TV Coverage Busy lives Tournaments Venting over? Now look at
All Hail The Warrior – Lessons for kids from Angie Kerber
By Winning the US Open at 28 Angie Kerber could not be further away from Tracy Austin’s victory at 16 in 1979. Having her best year ever and hitting World Number One in the age of Serena says something about the German with that slightly weird lefty forehand. She is a worker, at 5’8” she is
Coaching or Coping Developing Circuits
Running a circuit of activities can be a great way to manage groups, but get some of the key principles wrong and the circuit can become a complete disaster. Everything twice If you have 20 players and want to do each task with two players then you might assume that you need 10 different activities but that
What your child should learn from an Olympic Tennis Champion!
Andy Murray shouts, he cries, he may seem moody, some love him and some are just not fans. He does not fly, shoot webs from his wrists or save the world, but he is the greatest British Tennis Player ever. He is a pretty normal guy who gets frustrated sometimes, doesn’t court the camera but hits
6 Keys to Giving Feedback to Kids so Learning will Happen
Communicating with and giving our tennis kids feedback on their performance is our most powerful coaching tool. But not all communication and feedback has the effect we are hoping for. On the positive side feedback can be motivating, reinforcing or informational. On the negative side it could create too much dependency on the coach; or confuse the
Coaching or Coping – Discipline
You may have times when children get over excited or misbehave this may be part of “testing the boundaries”; finding out what is acceptable and what is not. Sometimes the reason children are over excited is because of the behaviour of the coach! When we act over animated and a little crazy, this can send a
Make Learning Stick – Part 2
In our previous article we explored the learning concepts of: Open vs Closed Skills Light the Fire Challenge In part 2 we dive deeper into the learning techniques which are proven to make learning stick. Implicit Learning is Superior Implicit learning happens in an unconscious way, kids are not aware they are learning but the environment you have created