2014 New York Tennis Magazine’s Coaches Roundtable Discussion
The New York metro tennis community has some of the sport’s best facilities, both indoor and outdoor, and best coaches in the world. With this wealth of talent available right in our own backyard, New York Tennis Magazine recently took the opportunity to pick the brains of some of these top coaches. What you will find below are some of the sport’s top instructors sharing their ideas and strategies from coaching those new to the game to skilled juniors, the state of tennis in the metro New York area, the role of the parent in a player’s development, to what the U.S needs to do to produce the sport’s next top star and much more. Even the best coach can always learn an extra tip or two, and the following article will provide all players and coaches with a chance to learn from the cream of the area’s crop.
Meet the participants …
Cesar Andrade
Tennis Innovators Academy
After his family immigrated to New York, Cesar Andrade frequently played at a local park in Queens, through the warmer months of the year. The head pro at the park courts recognized Cesar's natural ability and took him under his wing at 11-years-old. After three hard working years on the court, Cesar picked up sponsoring from a company based out of Long Island, N.Y. during his freshman year in high school. This opened many doors in the tennis world and his training took off towards high-level competition in the USTA junior circuit reaching the top 20 in the Eastern Section and top 80 in the nation. During Cesar's high school years, he spent four months out of every year training at the Bollettieri Academy. While spending those summer months in Florida, Cesar was able to compete in the ATP Satellite circuit from 1998-2000. He moved on to play NCCA Division 1 tennis, being offered a full tennis scholarship to Iona College in Westchester. Once his bachelor's degree in international business was completed at Iona College in 2004, Cesar began a year-round role with Sportime at Harbor Island. Currently, Cesar is director of operations of Tennis Innovators Academy.
Elena Bantovska
NYJTL
Elena Bantovska oversees player identification, selection and development for NYJTL’s Advanced Training Programs Winter and Summer Tournament Teams. She is also in charge of tournament operations and the School Time Tennis program at NYJTL. Through the Advanced Training program, Elena focuses on building players on the court and preparing them for overall success in life. Over the past 10 years, 100 percent of NYJTL’s Advanced Training Program participants have continued their education in college and received numerous academic and athletic scholarships. Elena was ranked amongst the top juniors in Bulgaria and is a former varsity women’s tennis player at St. John’s University, graduating in 2001 with a degree in computer science. She is a USTA High Performance Coach and is USPTR-certified, currently perusing her master of science in sports management degree at Columbia University.
Clay Bibbee
Centercourt Athletic Club
Clay Bibbee is the CEO of Centercourt. He is the founder of the Centercourt Sports Academy and Centercourt Athletic Clubs. Clay is an expert in the club/sports business and has successfully provided the vision and leadership for Centercourt. He has served as the CEO since the inception of Centercourt Athletic Club in 2007. Clay oversees and supervises Centercourt’s executive management team, while also managing the relationships with Centercourt’s investing partners. The portfolio currently consists of eight facilities located in New Jersey, and more in development, representing over 600,000-square feet of field, ice and court space; more than 570,000-square feet of which is enclosed either seasonally or year-round. Clay has organized a top management team in all functional areas, from professional coaching staff in tennis, soccer, lacrosse, fitness, and nutrition to professional sales, customer service, administration, purchasing and accounting teams.
Eric Faro
Stadium Tennis Center
Eric Faro, director of tennis at Stadium Tennis Center, grew up in Riverdale and attended Horace Mann, where he played number one singles for all four years and subsequently at Ohio State University. Eric is excited about his role as a director at Gotham Tennis Academy and this new phase of his tennis career in New York City and the Hamptons. Eric has an engaging personality that kids enjoy, and he brings a wealth of coaching experience from his extensive background at Stadium Tennis and Central Park Tennis Center.
Lawrence Kleger
Sportime/John McEnroe Tennis Academy
A native New Yorker, Lawrence Kleger is recognized as one of the top developmental coaches in the U.S. He has trained more ranked juniors than anyone in the history of the USTA/Eastern Section. Lawrence is also the personal coach of Noah Rubin, who trains at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy and who has been Lawrence's student since the age of seven. Noah is a top American tennis prospect and reached a career-best number six ITF junior world ranking at the age of 16. He has won two Level 1 ITF singles titles and reached the quarter finals of the 2012 Junior French Open. Lawrence’s students have won countless National and Regional Championships and 18 USTA Eastern Year-End Sportsmanship awards.
Whitney Kraft
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Since 2007, Whitney Kraft has been the director of tennis at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y. and director of player operations for the U.S. Open. Previously, he was director of tennis for the City of Fort Lauderdale Park & Recreation Department (1998-2007). He was a 1983 Singles All-American for Florida Atlantic University, and inducted into their inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2006. He is a National 10 & Under Trainer, a USPPTA Platform Tennis instructor, member of the Beach Tennis USA Board of Advisors, as well as a member of the National Cardio Tennis Speakers Team. A USPTA member since 1983, Whitney served as district director for Broward County, Florida and as president of the local CTA, Broward Tennis Association. Whitney has been the tournament director for many prestigious events, including the National Public Parks Tennis Championships (2007), ITF World Championships (2002), the inaugural U.S. Open National Sectional Playoffs (2010), USTA Boys 14 National Clay Court Championships (2000-2007) and the USTA National Open Clay Court and Indoor Championships (1998-present).
Ed Krass
College Tennis Exposure Camps
Ed Krass coached the Harvard Women’s Tennis Team to four consecutive Ivy League titles from 1986-1990. Ed is the founder and director of the Annual College Tennis Exposure Camps, which are taught exclusively by all Head College Coaches for high school-aged players (15-18). Ed is also the founder of One-On-One Doubles tournaments, which have been played at USTA, ATP, ITA and USPTA national events.
Howard Moore
Saddlebrook Resort
Howard Moore has been the tennis program director at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Fla. since 1986. Howard worked under the legendary Harry Hopman, the most winning Davis cup coach of all time, from 1976-1985. Howard was also the camp director of Harry Hopman International Tennis in Bologna, Italy from 1982-1984. Howard holds a BA in hotel management from Florida International University, is a USPTA Elite Professional, an RPT Master Professional, and serves as a faculty member on the U.S. Tennis Congress.
Paul Rose
Midtown Tennis Club
Paul has been a tennis pro at Midtown Tennis Club for more than 20 years, where he enjoys teaching players of all ages and levels. He began his tennis career in Montego Bay, Jamaica, where he was appointed to head the Western Region Junior Tennis Program. Paul is certified by both the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Richard Thater
West Side Tennis Club
Richard Thater is a long-time teacher and player on New York City courts. He is PTR-certified in both Junior and Adult Development, and has played in senior tournaments in the Greater New York area. Richard currently teaches at the West Side Tennis Club.
What traits must a top player possess—mentally and physically—to set them apart?
Eric Faro: A top player must be mentally strong enough to believe in themselves no matter the situation. When a match gets tight and into those crucial situations is when you must remember that your opponent is more nervous than you are. You need to stay loose, focus on moving your feet, and play your style that made you successful. Just focus on playing that next point. No matter what happens you need to play with confidence and believe in yourself.
Do you think tennis players should have an off-season to rest?
Clay Bibbee: I truly believe the issue of rest during an off-season depends on the type of student-athlete highlighted. If the athlete is a highly national or ITF level player, then I believe periods of active rest and recovery are essential during off-peak times. Rest is not only important for physical recovery, but also for both mental and emotional components, as well to recharge the competition battery. The active recovery period could also include other activities to keep a player’s fitness level at a reasonable level, such as cycling, jogging, strength training etc. Many of our players use the time after Hard Court Nationals in mid-August as their active-recovery period. We always look and adjust our players’ schedules to break time into “blocks,” which include high-intensity training blocks, pre-tournament blocks, tournament blocks and active recovery blocks. Currently, our players are in training blocks preparing for the two upcoming Grade A ITF’s, Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl, and the Winter Nationals.
Paul Rose: Yes, as in all other professional sports, I believe that tennis players should have an off-season. The athlete needs to rest and work on the areas of his/her game to improve the quality of competition without the stress of tournaments. This, in turn, will help elevate the level of competition throughout season. I think the ideal time to begin this off-season would be the first six weeks after the U.S. Open.
Richard Thater: Absolutely. But the issue then becomes when should they rest, and for how long. Would there be a true off-season similar to the ones used by most of the major teams or leagues? Would that mean players could not pick up extra money playing in exhibitions? Because tennis is a series of individual tournaments unrelated to each other, coordinating an off-season would be an administrative nightmare. Some tournaments would have to fold, and many venues would lose money. The plus would be that with everyone having the same time away from competitive play, there would be more time to address some of the larger issues in the sport.
How can we get more people watching college tennis both in person and on television?
Lawrence Kleger: Some schools actually get pretty good turnouts, and I believe that in order to achieve this, it takes a lot of promotional work by the coaches, team and athletic department. They are getting more than the girlfriends and boyfriends of the players to come to matches. Those schools make an entire “event” out of it, rather than just playing the matches. They make the entire experience “fun!” Fans become part of the event. But they don’t change the rules or formats of the actual matches to draw the crowd.
As far as making it more appealing for a TV audience, that is a tougher question. You will always get die hard tennis fans watching college matches; and probably relatives, neighbors and friends of the actual players. The casual tennis fan does not seem to be all that interested in watching college matches. If golf can get TV viewers, tennis should be able to do better than we are doing. How about televising a college tennis match like a golf tournament? On a golf tournament broadcast, they jump from hole to hole based on what is exciting (as if anything at a golf tournament could be exciting!) or significant at that time. Sometimes, they have to tape something happening on another hole and replay it if they believe it is of interest. “Let’s go to the 15th where just moments ago, Tiger was putting for birdie.” Is that more exciting than? “Let’s go to Court 4 where Bobby Smith is down match point.” And then you show the replay which is a 15-shot rally ending with Bobby hitting a tweener winner! Then breaking serve to even the match at five-all in the third.
And maybe it makes sense to not televise a college match live. Have it taped delayed just enough time to allow showing the action in a way that makes the overall team match exciting. If you televise it live, and one team blows the other out by winning the doubles point and then the first three singles matches shortly after, the rest of the broadcast better be showing Jimmy Connors beating Aaron Krickstein! Just an idea.
Ed Krass: We can get folks to college matches if we play the matches after work, say around 6:00 p.m. or on the weekend in the afternoon. These events need to be very fan-friendly, and include music, concessions and announcers with an exciting atmosphere. The format needs to be shorter in length and not last five hours! I like the no-ad scoring to speed up the matches and showcase more pressure points for the audience. Music could be played low throughout the matches, but kept in the background. The racquet companies could give away a free racquet, and there could be speed serve contests at halftime, along with other contests to entice folks to participate. College matches would be cool to watch on TV if it was easy to understand and follow. All of the singles and doubles matches may be best served by showing the highlights of each match. The TV producers will need to do an excellent editing job with this part to build in a 30-minute or 60-minute show. If college tennis is seen more on TV, the game will grow fast with bigger crowds attending the college tennis matches in the future!
Is there a difference between coaching girls and boys?
Lawrence Kleger: That is like asking, “Is there difference between girls and boys?” I wouldn’t know where to start, but I do know that it would take a lot of time to type and there are still things that I would like to do before the end of the month. So, yes … there is difference!
Ed Krass: I think it is a good idea to tell the girls a few things they are doing well, before telling them what they are doing "wrong.” This may hold true with some boys, as well. I have found the direct approach works better with the boys, but not all the time. Each person is different, so your approach to coaching men and women should differ a bit. The women should both like their coach and respect their coach. The men need to mainly respect their coach and can actually not like their coach and still produce winning results. I've seen plenty of this type of scenario over the years!
Howard Moore: One of the best lectures I ever attended was given by Lynn Roley from the USTA who discussed, in detail, the differences in coaching female athletes compared to male athletes. When coaching female athletes, coaches must be very specific in giving instructions. Female athletes take every instructional word and have a tendency to internalize so much so that they cannot sort through all of the informational pieces as quickly as male players. Female players take coaches’ statements much more personally, and often, it can turn into an emotional setback!
Is it better for a junior to play up or down in ability level and why?
Ed Krass: Juniors need to control their own level/age bracket before playing up. Championship-level college players learn how to become "pressure" players at the junior level. One feels the most pressure playing in their own age division, as they feel they have more to lose in that scenario. Whereas, playing up gives the players the feeling that they have nothing to lose, hence not enough pressure to truly develop into a champion. There are a few exceptions to this. For example, if a player wins 80 to 90 percent of their matches, all the time, in their age division, then it is a good idea to challenge them by entering them into an age level up.
At what age level, if any, does home schooling become necessary for a serious tennis player?
Clay Bibbee: I believe this comes down to the players’ maturity level, both emotionally and physically. Here at Centercourt, we have more than 45 full-time student-athletes, ages ranging from sixth grade to graduating high school seniors. A lot of it comes down to the simplicity of the athletes’ desire and level of passion. Being a full-time student-athlete is much like playing college tennis, they have to first be committed and not just compliant. Student athletes must be able to manage their time wisely and take responsibility in the details, both on and off the court.
If a player is lacking confidence, what is the best thing to do on the court to get them to relax and gain their confidence back?
Cesar Andrade: Rituals, rituals, rituals. Like in life, we have routines that make us feel ready for our day, in a match you need routines to bring you back to feeling ready to engage in the next point. Fixing your strings, looking at the back fence while bouncing light on your toes, grunting, etc. Rituals tend to help us find our zone and feel confident about starting the next point.
Elena Bantovska: Lack of confidence has a very negative impact on performance. Confidence returns with improving what we do wrong on court. Players should take their time and slow down between points—walk slower, adjust their racket strings, practice deep breathing, towel off. Focus on how to correct mistakes, instead of feeling bad about them. Think about the opponent's strengths and weaknesses, adjust and change strategy. Remember their individual strengths and use them as much as possible. Take one point at a time—doing the right thing and the best you can will build confidence up.
Clay Bibbee: I focus on two areas. First, is to identify whether the player is putting the work in both off and on the court, where confidence follows. Also, I assess whether they are taking care of all the details and training properly. We tell our players that every practice is a rehearsal for a tournament. We communicate with our players daily and tell them if they do the right thing day in and day out, confidence will be there when they compete.
The second is winning. Winning breeds confidence. Tournament scheduling is very important. Parents and coaches should strive for a 3:1 win ratio. I feel there are times when parents or coaches rush the process and have their athletes playing up in age groups or tournament levels too fast, which can often hinder a player’s confidence. It is a simple fact that when kids are winning on any level, they feel more inclined to practice more and are more, and become just as passionate and confident about putting the hard work into their games.
What is the most ignored aspect of footwork today and how could it be improved?
Lawrence Kleger: I cannot imagine ignoring any aspect of footwork given the physical demands of our sport as it has evolved. The athletes are bigger, stronger and faster. Advancements in racquets and strings add speed and spin to the ball. This requires one’s movement and footwork skills to be at an extremely high level. Every aspect, from reaction, to first step quickness, to movement to the ball, to positioning, to stance and balance, to contact, to recovery are critically important.
Whitney Kraft: There is so much within this question … however, players learning to take and give space at appropriate times is one area, service returns for example, when to approach, etc. As well, a greater focus on feet “alertness” immediately after the serve is crucial to mitigate the deep aggressive return hit directly back at the server.
How important is a physical size advantage on the junior and pro levels?
Eric Faro: It is extremely beneficial to have a physical advantage on both levels. A player must be physically strong enough to go the distance in any match. They must be in better shape than their opponent so a match is never lost due to fatigue. In fact, a top player should feel like they can impose their will on a match and break their opponents down physically.
Whitney Kraft: Having a size advantage is beneficial at certain ages of in the junior ranks, and disadvantageous at other times if an awkward growth spurt accompanies the size increase as it takes time for youth players to adjust. At the pro level, it becomes more evident as people like Marin Cilic demonstrated at this year’s U.S. Open, combining both his height/strength to dominate his service games and nimble movement to gain his first U.S. Open and Grand Slam title.
If you had to choose one player on the pro tour to serve as a role model for your students, who would it be and why?
Howard Moore: I would have to say Roger Federer. His position of being considered the greatest player of all-time was cemented when he became the most renowned winner of tennis Grand Slams in the history of the sport. This is an outstanding statistic, as Federer currently has 17 to his name, three more than his closest challengers, Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras. Federer truly exemplifies the embodiment of sportsmanship and athleticism. On and off the court, he is the personification of true altruism. Federer always seems to have time to talk to the media, to his sponsors and to his fans and never has a bad attitude.
Richard Thater: I think Roger Federer is the obvious choice, but not just because of his overwhelmingly positive attitude. Federer has displayed a very real diversity of emotions. He cried after losing the 2009 Australian Open to Rafael Nadal, and does not seem to feel that he always has to be a “Boy Scout.” During a match with Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S. Open, he expressed his anger at the officials for allowing DelPotro extra time with his challenges by telling the man in the chair, “I don’t give a s*#@!” Anyone who helps put perspective on the game is worth singling out as a worthy role model. During TV interviews following her loss to Svetlana Kuznetova in the 2004 U.S. Open final, Elena Dementieva said it was hard to be too disappointed in the loss so shortly after Chechen rebels slaughtered 334 people in a school in the town of Beslan.
Is it better for a junior player to play up or play down in ability level and why?
Cesar Andrade: Our philosophy with choosing the "right" level for our juniors is to track their winning percentage from the conventional starting point of a regional USTA tournament, all the way up to national level tournaments. If a player is winning more than 60 percent of their matches at any specific level, they should play "up" at the next level to get a sense of the next goal. In the meantime, they get to master their current level as they prepare to increase winning percentage and ultimately move on.
If a player's winning percentage is below 60 percent, there has to be an analysis on whether they should play down or keep fighting at improving within their level. Coaches need to analyze this through the player's performance while taking losses. To be clear, any player under a 60 percent winning percentage at any level, that is losing "badly" will lose confidence in their ability to compete and win, and might lose interest in the sport.
Eric Faro: I believe it is equally important. It is important to play up for obvious reasons. The primary reason being you want to play with better players to improve yourself against better competition. However, it is also equally important to play "down" matches, because a top player needs to learn how to play when they are expected to win. It is important to play with pressure because it will make you mentally stronger when you play your tournaments. Remember how you train in practice will directly lead to how you play in tournaments.
How important do you think it is for a junior to participate in doubles as well as singles?
Cesar Andrade: At our Academy, we believe that players who engage in doubles at the 12 & Under or below levels tend to stay at the baseline, which defeats the purpose of doubles play, to improve transition, volleys, overheads, reflexes and court coverage. From the 14 & Under age group forward, we feel strongly about having our juniors play doubles one out of every two tournaments. This is excellent preparation for high school and collegiate tennis.
Elena Bantovska: In order to be a top player, juniors have to have an all-court game. Doubles play develops many skills and improves player's singles game overall. It helps a ton with developing volleys and approach shots—great doubles is played at the net. Players look for opportunities to move to the net and put away the volley; they become more aggressive. Doubles improves the serve, forward movement, forces creativity, shot variety, instincts and reaction at the net. All and all, doubles play provides a tremendous benefit, improving a player’s all-around game.
Lawrence Kleger: I would love to say critically important, but I cannot. Unfortunately, at the highest levels, most top singles players do not play doubles. In college tennis, your number one singles player may not be one of the top six doubles players. That would not make that singles player any less valuable.
As a developmental coach, I do believe that the skills needed to be successful in doubles do translate to singles. So at John McEnroe Tennis Academy, we give doubles play its due in terms of emphasis. John McEnroe was one of the greatest singles players of all time. Where he ranks in singles is debatable. There is not much debate as to whether or not he was the greatest doubles player.
If you had to choose one player on the pro tour to be a role model for your students, which player would it be and why?
Paul Rose: The player I would choose as a role model for my students is Roger Federer because he is personified as the perfect example of discipline, work ethic and professionalism. Federer seems to always be there to compete and to give it his all. He takes pride in the game by always being respectful to the officiating crew, by never losing his temper, and by always being elegantly put together.
Who are greatest players of all-time on each surface?
Elena Bantovska: On clay, I would say Steffi Graf and Rafael Nadal. On grass, it would be Martina Navratilova and Pete Sampras. On hard surfaces, I would go with either Steffi Graf, Serena Williams, Roger Federer or Andre Agassi.
Whitney Kraft: I would say David Ferrer. He is hard-working, steady emotionally, selfless, humble and respectful of opponents. For example, this year after receiving a walkover at the U.S. Open, he proceeded immediately to the practice courts to not only hit, but also work with his strength and conditioning coach doing ball chase downs, sprints and other taxing and exasperating exercises to prepare for his next match. Impressive work ethic!
Howard Moore: On grass, I would choose Martina Navratilova who won nine Wimbledon singles titles. I would also have to consider both Roger Federer, who has won seven Wimbledon titles, and the awesome Pete Sampras, who also has won seven men's singles Wimbledon titles. On hard courts, there are three gladiators, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Touch, power and excitement all rolled into great crowd-pleasing matches. On clay, I believe Chris Evert had one of the greatest winning streaks on the clay surface (125 matches). Nadal is a heavy grinder who has rocked with seven Roland Garros titles and the always elegant Steffi Graff went to nine Roland Garros finals.
Paul Rose: This is a subject that I have delight in debating with my friends. The greatest players of all times is subjective to the era in which they played: Rod Laver, Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf. For sheer numbers, Nadal would be the logical choice on clay, and on grass, it would Sampras. On hard courts, it would be Federer.
But overall, who, in my opinion, is the greatest ever? The conversation can begin with Laver, because of all the players mentioned, he must be seen as the greatest achiever of them all. He's the only player on the list to have won the Grand Slam twice and who knows how many he would have won if he wasn't banned for turning pro. Borg's name has to be mentioned in the conversation for his exploits on clay as well as on grass. For him to get to six consecutive Wimbledon finals after moving directly to clay is no easy achievement.
On the women's side, Graf for her 22 Grand Slam titles in the modern era, and Martina for her 50-plus Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed-doubles are worth mentioning in this conversation, but my choice of the greatest of them all would be Federer. My only reservation is his inability to dominate his contemporaries, and therefore, the verdict is still out.
Richard Thater: Rafael Nadal and Bjorn Borg seem the best choices on clay. Their records for successive wins at Roland Garros seem to support this argument. How many readers think they have the stamina to watch a complete match between these two on clay? Definitely extra chips and cold drinks.
I would opt for Rod Laver as the best ever on grass. There is a reason they named a stadium after him in Australia. Despite his use of the Continental Grip for all of his shots, he was still able to hit either a topspin or underspin from either side.
Pete Sampras gets my vote for the best on hard courts. He persevered, despite bouts of nausea and the death of his coach.
It is hard not to choose Steffi Graf as one of the best on all surfaces because she simply bludgeoned her opponents anywhere. And Chris Everett and Martina Navratilova seem to have changed major titles on all surfaces during their peak playing years.
