2015 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, 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
Cesar Andrade is the director of operations for Tennis Innovators, who has academies in New York City and Westchester’s Delfino Park. A native of Ecuador, Cesar moved to Queens, N.Y. as a child, and during his high school days, spent four months out of every year training at the Bolleteri Tennis Academy. He went on to play collegiate tennis at Iona College and began coaching afterwards.

Vinicius Carmo
The Ross School Tennis Academy
Vinicius Carmo is tennis director of The Ross School Tennis Academy and coach of the boy’s and girl’s varsity tennis teams. As a player, Vinicius was ranked among the top five junior players in Brazil and played several international junior tennis tournaments. He attended the University of Tennessee for four years on a full scholarship.

Tom Clear
Roosevelt Island Racquet Club
Tom Clear is a tennis professional at Roosevelt Island Racquet Club (RIRC). Most recently, he was a USTA player development coach at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He has extensive experience developing and training tournament players. Previously, he worked at several clubs in Brooklyn, including Mill Basin and Parkview Tennis Center. Tom is a certified member of the PTR.

Lisa Dodson
Servemaster at The Total Serve
Lisa Dodson is owner of Servemaster at The Total Serve, a USPTA Elite Pro, a former world-ranked player and radio show host.

Thomas Gilliland
The West Side Tennis Club
Thomas Gilliland is the assistant tennis director at The West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, N.Y. Thomas is a graduate of Columbia University’s masters in sports management program. Some of his past experiences include serving as regional vice president for the USTA Eastern Metro Region, coaching and managing the 2010 18 & Under Junior Team Tennis National Championship Team from West Side Tennis Club and is currently serving as chair of the Nominating Committee for the USTA Eastern Metro Region.

Brian Helm
Stadium Tennis Center
Brian Helm is a tennis professional at Stadium Tennis Center. He teaches with fast-paced drills, with an emphasis on footwork, and an aggressive approach to stroke perfection on each swing. He was born in Tacoma Park, Md. and cites Andre Agassi and John McEnroe as early influences and favorites to watch. He has trained with many well-known tennis professionals, including Maria Sharapova.

Justin Hogh
Super Stars Tennis
Justin Hogh is founder and director of Super Stars Tennis in New York City. He was an honorable All-American junior, NCAA Division I college tennis player, ITF Junior competitor and USPTA Pro 1-Elite coach. He was the founder and director of Knickerbocker Sports Tennis Academy, located in New York, N.Y., and also served as the head teaching professional at the Southampton Bath and Tennis Club in Southampton, N.Y. In addition, Justin also served as director of junior tennis at the Scripps Ranch Swim and Racquet Club in San Diego.

John Joyce
Boca West Country Club
John Joyce has been the director of Boca West Country Club since 1994. He has been on the USPTR board since 2000, and was Florida’s division president from 2006-2007. He has been ranked number one in the USTA Florida Men’s 25 Doubles Division, as well as number one in Men’s 50 Doubles. He is a five-time recipient of the USPTA Florida Professional of the Year (2001-2003, 2005, 2007 & 2009).

Lawrence Kleger
John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime Randall’s Island
Lawrence Kleger is the director of tennis at John McEnroe Tennis Academy at Sportime Randall’s Island. He is recognized as one of the top developmental coaches in the nation. Lawrence was named the USTA/Long Island Region Tennis Professional of the Year in 2006 and the USTA/Eastern Section Tennis Professional of the Year in 2013.

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, 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, Fla. and as president of the local CTA, Broward Tennis Association.

Xavier Luna
Advantage All-City Junior Tennis Programs
Xavier Luna is the director of junior tennis for the Advantage All-City Junior Tennis Programs. Xavier has more than 30 years of experience in tennis, commencing as a ranked junior. He was the director of junior programs at Stadium Racquet Club, the owner and founder of Metro Tennis Academy, and has held many other positions in the tennis industry.

Nino Muhatasov
MatchPoint NYC
Nino Muhatasov is the co-founder and director of MatchPoint NYC in Brooklyn. He is a former coach of top WTA and ATP players, former captain and number one singles and doubles player for St. John’s, a Big East Conference Finalist, as well as a two-time MVP. With 15-plus years of coaching experience, Nino, an ITF- and USPTR-certified coach, founded and directed Stars Only Junior Tennis Academy, where he developed one of the strongest tournament training programs in the Tri- State Area. Many of his students have won Super National and Sectional tournaments, including Two Golden Ball Championships.

Ron Nano
Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning
Ron Nano is general manager of the NYJTL’s Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning. Ron has dedicated his career to developing and delivering tennis programs. He is USPTA- and PTR-certified and is a graduate of the USTA’s High Performance Coaching Program. Ron is a former top-ranked junior and played varsity tennis at the University of Michigan.

Rob Polishook
Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group
Rob Polishook is the founder and director of Inside the Zone Sports Performance Group. He works with athletes and teams focusing on helping athletes gain the mental edge.

Andy Stuber
Stadium Tennis Center
Andy Stuber is the head tennis professional at Stadium Tennis Center. A native of Basel, Switzerland, Andy has been known to use his outstanding, European work ethic to teach and inspire our juniors. Andy is comfortable teaching all levels of players.

What are the main reasons for the loss of U.S. dominance at the professional level?
Tom Clear: The world is getting smaller. More people from other countries are playing tennis. There is better coaching throughout the world. The best athletes from foreign countries are playing tennis. Our culture, at times, lacks the discipline to develop top 10 tennis players.

Brian Helm: There can be multiple factors playing into the loss of U.S. dominance. The U.S. kids have become lazy and complacent because everything has been given to them with helicopter parenting and the idea that everyone gets a trophy deal.

There are two main reasons I believe that tennis has lost its dominance: Americans draw their tennis talent from about the 50 percentile athlete. Tennis does not get the best athletes in America, as they tend to play other sports. Second, tennis in other countries is a top three sport, while in America, it’s not even in the top five in popularity and affordability. You could extend this and say the USTA needs to be a federally-controlled entity and the money is used differently, i.e. private clubs and growth amongst the coaches that have produced talent instead of taking the talent and moving them to new coaches with more of a support system instead of what has been done.

Whitney Kraft: That’s a great question with lots to consider. Tennis is becoming such a global sport, whereby in some countries it currently ranks as the second most popular sport behind soccer. The U.S. has added more and more choices for youth with video gaming not helping! Navigating the competitive/developmental pathway remains a tough puzzle for parents to sort out in our country. Tournaments historically hosted in the U.S. (1980s-1990s) went overseas. This—combined with geographic advantages, innovative ranking systems along with feed-in draws—yielded more frequent and competitive match environments with France as an example.

Some nations did a superior job over the past 20 years with the “tennis-sized right” youth pathway to excellence and long term development, such as the nations of France and Belgium.

Many foreign players play and train more on clay, thereby developing excellent defensive skills, superior point construction, variety of shots and higher fitness levels.

Collegiate tennis in the United States shifted to more foreign players being recruited, thus providing support/training grounds for the likes of Kevin Anderson of South Africa/University of Illinois. Many foreign pros have lived and trained in the U.S. since infancy, for example Maria Sharapova. Are they foreign or American?

For many years, a mistake was made in thinking that U.S. players were ready to turn pro in their teenage years. As a result, many players never reached their full potential and/or caved from expectations and the pressure more easily mitigated from a more mature athlete.

Could it just be cyclical? It would be interesting to ask Sweden, Argentina, Germany and Australia the same question. Where are the top 10 men and women?

Rob Polishook: The USA tennis system needs to always view junior players of all ages as “more than an athlete.” Working through this lens will encourage coaches, parents and players to leverage and bring to the court the “whole person.” This includes the player’s personal spirit, story, support system and inspirations not just the athletic skills and talent. In my experience working with athletes, the unity of bringing who you are (the person) to what you do the athlete) creates a powerful and unique athlete, process and personal peak performance.

Andy Stuber: The development of 10 & Under Tennis, that started more than 20 years ago in Europe, has not had enough attention paid to it. Federations and most academies kept training kids in the more traditional way. Luckily, the USTA is now a strong promoter of the 10 & Under program, and things should change for the better. Also, the fact that the whole game is played on hard courts from an early age is definitely a disadvantage. You learn consistency and constructing points much better on a clay court, and it is easier to transition from clay to hard than from hard to clay. A third reason is that the talent pool of athletic tennis kids gets limited by competing with other very popular and prestigious sports (football, basketball, baseball, etc.).

What should be the ratio between the time spent on the court and the time spent on fitness for juniors?
Cesar Andrade: The ratio depends on age, players between 10- to 13-year-old should only focus on working basic calisthenics with their own body weight. At the age of 14 and up, the addition of weights and weight resistance becomes necessary. At that point, muscles are closer to full development and can be pushed to increase strength.

High performance players typically play 10 to 14-plus hours per week. Our academy’s system allows a player to focus on fitness for 30 percent of their weekly schedule. This is necessary for any high performance player. More importantly, it mentally builds the right routine for a true success for years to come.

Justin Hogh: Depending on the age and experience of the player, there should be a positive correlation between court time and fitness. For example, the more time spent on the court, should result in more time spent on fitness and conditioning.

Nino Muhatasov: I would say the ratio should be around 65 percent time on the court, to 35 percent fitness for juniors.

Ron Nano: The ratio varies for each individual player, especially in junior tennis. The most important thing for parents to do when faced with this question is to have their coaches conduct a comprehensive evaluation of their child's tennis skills and physical conditioning in order to craft an individual player plan.

What advice do you have for tennis parents in dealing with their kids during training and before/after matches?
Vinicius Carmo: My advice is for the parents to always be supportive and give their children strong confidence and self-esteem. The well-being of the child outside of tennis is very important for any player's performance. If the kids are happy off the court, there is a good chance that they will have a good training session. If the child has a bad training session, parents should listen to their children and provide mental support off the court, so the child can come back next time and improve upon their training.

Tom Clear: I sit down with all new perspective students and their parents. I tell the parents that they are an integral part of their child's development. I explain to them their role and how they must support their child both emotionally and financially. I explain to the parents there must be communication among the coach and player, and parent and coach and that there is nothing wrong with questions, discussions and disagreements. I don't ask parents to say much after practice or a match because that's not their role. Their child must trust me & have that type of relationship with me … it’s key to the child's development. I do ask the parents what they saw in a match, but that is communicated to me and me only, not the child.

Lisa Dodson: At competitive levels, the role of the parent is to be supportive of the player and of their coaches. The coach is the coach and the parent is the parent, and it usually works best if these roles are adhered to. Parents should do what they would instinctively do for all of their children, regardless of tennis: Provide a loving, structured and supportive environment in which their child can thrive, grow and succeed. Being positive and supportive is critical. Many kids leave tennis when the parent gets a little too pushy. If kids don’t live up to their parents’ expectations, it creates an uninspired student. There is too much pressure to succeed everywhere. Kids want to achieve for their coaches. We are one step removed and can be more demanding, so gains are more measurable and appreciated.

Rob Polishook: The role of a parent in a junior’s developmental process is to support their individual child's process. Each child’s process will be unique. It’s imperative for parents to avoid comparisons, help their child focus on improving, and keep the energy on what can be controlled. Before matches, parents should avoid talking about technical issues, the outcome, and their expectations. The key is to focus on competing.

After the match, parents should allow the player to unwind from a loss. No car time should be spent discussing “You should have or you could have done this.” In the event of a win, the focus should be on what the player did well and how they can continue to improve.

How has coaching changed in the time you’ve been involved in it?
Lisa Dodson: The change in the style of play has been massive. Keeping up with the times and deciding on what I believe is the best way to get through to the student is ever-evolving. With the Internet and online coaching sites, coaching has become much more of a business. There is an endless supply of online teaching and programs to learn from which can be positive and negative. A lot of players are receiving conflicting information from a variety of sources, and this can be confusing. For some, it replaces the special relationship between the student and coach. Those players don’t know what they are missing.

Thomas Gilliland: Over the years, the schedules of our players have become busier between increased tournament play, training, school work and other interests. As coaches, we have had to become more aware of the many other things going on in the players’ lives to make sure we are allocating our time in the most effective way and creating a schedule that will maximize progress and success.

John Joyce: When I started playing, the classical tennis game was taught. There has been a tremendous change with the way the game is being taught today, partly due to the equipment. The rackets are built more powerful and lighter. The strings also help with getting more power. As far as the strokes, I feel the biggest difference is the forehand and positioning. The grips allow you to hit with more spin and take the ball earlier on the bounce which produces more powerful shots. Thirty years ago, most players were using the Eastern Forehand Grip and most of today’s players are using Semi-Western Grips.

Lawrence Kleger: They say the game changes every three or four years. I don’t know who they are, but I think that’s true. So given that I have been around for more of those changes than I will admit to, one’s coaching has to have changed. Technologically, there are more tools to help a coach than ever before and the Internet has made sharing knowledge as easy as a click. However, in my opinion, what has changed the most is the students themselves. Students’ attention spans have shrunk to that of a housefly. I tell my coaches, if I bring all of the kids in and start talking, stop me after one minute and 45 seconds because there is no way anyone will be listening past that point. Concepts that I once explained eloquently to students “back in the day” have to enter today’s students by a different route. And for almost any student, that “route” could be very different from the norm. I was never a great biology student, but I am becoming a big advocate of whatever is.

Rob Polishook: Answering through the lens of a mental training coach, coaches are recognizing the importance of the mental game and the impact it plays in competition. Because of this, I have had many coach/player/mental training coach collaborations to help players work through the all-important mental game within the game. It’s important for coaches to help players raise their awareness, once a player is aware of a situation they are then able to adapt, adjust or make choices.

Which coaches do you admire in other professional sports?
Thomas Gilliland: I admire the coaches of the NFL. They have huge teams, large coaching staffs, a very short season and have to deal with more injuries than the other main sports.

Justin Hogh: I admire coaches in a variety of sports. I especially admire any coach who can encourage a positive path in life for his students, regardless of which sport they play. A good coach has to find the way to be able to communicate and "get through" to his students. If he or she can, they will find success!

Xavier Luna: One thing about coaches, no matter the sport, is that we love watching other coaches. It's fun to see how they react in pressure situations and what type of message they send to their teams when faced with adversity, whether they're on the sidelines, behind a bench or courtside. In saying that, there are coaches I admire from all sports. I love watching Bill Belichick, Doc Rivers and Joe Maddon, just to name a few. Then there are the legends … Vince Lombardi, Mike Ditka and Phil Jackson. You can learn a lot from them.

Nino Muhatasov: I look up to coaches like Pat Riley, Bill Belichick and Bobby Knight.

What is the one thing you hope any student of yours learns from you?
Tom Clear: I hope they learn life lessons and believe in themselves. They need to learn to keep a cool head during difficult times. They need to find solutions to problems. Life is not fair and there will be many trials and tribulations along the way. It's how you deal with those situations that makes you who you are. And always, on the tennis court, respect the game and your opponent. If my students can do those things, not only will they be good tennis players, but they will be good people as well.

Thomas Gilliland: I hope that my students appreciate the process of learning and getting better. These days, there is such a focus on finding a quick way to achieve a goal. Many people miss out on the full reward of a job well done. Vince Lombardi once said, “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.”

Brian Helm: I hope they learn life lessons through tennis. Tennis puts you in many different positions where you have to learn how to get out of them or improve them from a weaker state. Just like in life, there will be obstacles and adversity along the way. You have to learn how to figure them out.

John Joyce: Learning the value of hard work and giving your best effort all of the time. This is a life lesson and there are many to learn from tennis. Every day is a new day in tennis and learning the game is a process. You only get better by putting in the time.

Lawrence Kleger: I hope that there is a lot more than just “one” thing, but if I had to choose one, it would be how tennis mirrors life. In tennis and in life, strength of character, determination, hard work and fair play always lead to long-term success. There will be ups and downs, but you will make it through. Hopefully, my students will be better off having gone through the process of trying to be the best tennis player they can be.

Nino Muhatasov: The one thing I hope my students learn from me is that hard work pays off.

Andy Stuber: Besides teaching them the basics, I would really hope that my students understand and respect the game of tennis. I hope that they learn that effort is the key to everything, not only in tennis, but also in life.

Do you think it is important for kids to play other sports in addition to tennis?
Cesar Andrade: Up until the age of 12, the concept of playing multiple sports allows kids to enjoy the traditional lifestyle of their peers. In the U.S., most kids play basketball, soccer and baseball growing up and all have their benefits and similarities towards tennis.

After 12 years of age, the focus on one sport is necessary in order to master that sport. It’s very difficult to master more than one skill in life. It is very rare to see people become engineers and doctors in one lifetime. Mastering one trait is more realistic and fair to the individual, the same applies to sports.

Whitney Kraft: Absolutely, research across numerous sports has shown that over-specialization at too young of an age doesn’t yield long-term results. Becoming a great athlete is more important. Diversity in sports prevents burnout and overuse injuries. Remember the sport of soccer that John McEnroe, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer played as juniors.

Xavier Luna: While I'm certainly biased toward tennis, I do think it's important for kids to play other sports in addition to tennis. For one, tennis is largely an individual sport, so it's always good for young athletes to play team sports and get a feel for teamwork and working together toward a common goal in that regard.

I've always believed that if you are a good athlete, then you are good at far more than just one sport. How many high school kids play two or three sports these days? If you are a good athlete, why not play as many sports as possible to see which one you like best or which one can take you the furthest? Obviously, for me, I hope a child decides on tennis as the one to focus on, but I would never discourage one of my students from giving another sport a try. Like I said, good athletes are good at not just one sport, but many sports.

Ron Nano: Playing other sports can be included in individual player plans since it can provide additional fitness and skills that players may need to help develop their tennis. Players might also benefit from the camaraderie that exists in team sports. The one downside may be in time management and finding a balance if the player experiences success in other sports.

What are some of the teaching/coaching adjustments you have to make when going from outdoors in the summer to indoors in the winter?
Brian Helm: When moving from outdoors to indoors, there are adjustments to be made typically in movement/footwork/shorter strokes and the pace of points. The footwork/movement/strokes has to be faster, as courts are usually slower outdoors and faster indoors. Typically, faster people hit bigger and points are shorter. So you have to be able to gain control of the point earlier, instead of being able to develop them outside over a few shots.

Lawrence Kleger: Other than no longer needing sunscreen, here are a few …

Because in most indoor facilities there is not the normal amount of room behind the baselines, strategies and tactics have to be adjusted. There is often not enough room to back up and play defensive or neutralize shots. This will put a premium on one’s ability to take balls on the rise, to hit effective half-volleys and take balls out of the air with swing volleys. There is often very little room between courts indoors, so serving out wide becomes a key weapon. Similarly, being proficient at hitting angles is a huge advantage.

Most indoor facilities are constructed with a roof that is just high enough to accommodate low lobs. For many, baseliners who rely on their passing shots and lobs, this is a disadvantage. Many indoor facilities have heating and air condition such that if you are on one side of the net, you need thermal underwear and a ski suit; while on the other side of the net, you could have a sauna. A Har-Tru court indoors usually play a lot different than they do outdoors. Indoors, they play like a cement court, with some gravel tossed on it to slip on.

Andy Stuber: The warm up becomes a much more defined role, as it is very important in cooler conditions as an injury prevention function. Outdoors, elements such as the sun and wind are around, and tennis can be played a little bit riskier, thus the emphasis can be on more of an aggressive play style.

Lisa Dodson: The biggest adjustment is the playing surface. I teach on Har-Tru in the spring, summer and fall, and on hard courts in the winter. I also go from a country club environment to a more high-performance program indoors. Pretty much everything is different, so it really keeps things interesting. What stays the same is teaching solid technical basics, good grips and most of all, an all-court game.

Whitney Kraft: You can leave the sunscreen and hat at home, along with the excuses about wind, shadows and temperatures. A static playing environment is optimal, thus take full advantage!

For younger players, do you emphasize mental toughness/attitude more than technique? How do you find balance between the two?
Cesar Andrade: The younger players (12&U) are like sponges when it comes to learning, they absorb everything. We feel this age is the time to perfect and/or adjust technique, and mold their foundation to perfection as much as possible. Toughness and attitude typically go along with their ability to follow a tough practice regimen. You can build a player mentally, but provide a demanding practice environment at the early stages.

Tournament play is a totally different animal, as it is difficult to re-create the feeling of competing in a real tournament. Overcoming nerves and performing is natural to some, while others need to develop that skill. The practice court and good coaching can certainly build that in a player at the younger ages to better prepare them for true development in the future.

John Joyce: When learning the game, technique is extremely important in order to get better. But attitude is significantly important to learning the game. As one starts to compete and his/her technique is becoming ingrained, they don’t have to think about how to hit the ball. They must now focus on how to strategize more to defeat an opponent.

Justin Hogh: I always emphasize mental toughness/attitude over technique. The reason is because the mental toughness and attitude of a student has such potential for growth. Technique can be modified, however, mental toughness and attitude can also be positively applied to other areas in life.

Do you think it is important for top junior players to play high school tennis, or are they better off focusing on individual tournaments?
Vinicius Carmo: I think that top junior players should compete in high school tennis as long as the high school tennis coaches have flexibility with the player’s practice schedule. It is important to be part of a team if you were to play college tennis one day. It also improves self-confidence for the player to represent a school.

Xavier Luna: This is a difficult question to answer, as it depends both on the individual and the level of competition that a particular high school tennis division is able to offer. Generally speaking, the level of competition and pace of individual improvement is much more evident playing tournaments. College coaches are much more likely to take notice of how well you performed at individual tournaments than they are for your high school team.

But on the flip side, there's something special about playing on a team and representing your high school … there's a great deal of pride that you can take from that. In some high school divisions, the competition is similar to that which you would find playing in an individual tournament. It all depends on what type of player you are, what your end goal is and whether you want to represent your school and be a part of a team. There is no reason you cannot do both.

Ron Nano: As chairman of the Mayors Cup, the largest All-Scholastic Tennis Tournament in the nation, I am a little biased. Generally, top juniors should seriously consider playing high school tennis for many reasons. Teamwork is the obvious benefit. To take it further, players benefit from the social aspect of being on a high school team, as it provides the mentorship of a coach or upper classmen. It also provides the experience of a family environment where parents and the school community show support during four important years of a player’s development.