My Tennis Journey (Rob Salmon)

Andrew Jarrett has had a remarkable tennis journey. He grew up in a sports mad house and was soon playing tennis in Derby. He went on to play and coach GB before then becoming the tournament referee of Wimbledon. Hear all about his tennis journey and how he encourages young players to be better tomorrow than they are today.

Hear all about Tom Rushby's epic tennis journey from how he started playing to being doubles partner to Andy Murray at Junior Wimbledon and facing the no.1 seed at Wimbledon Gael Monfils. Tom also talks about the joy of being part of the Derbyshire Team that won Men's County Cup in 2015.

Derbyshire's Vic Allen has had an inspirational tennis journey from the park courts of Ashbourne to representing GB, playing at Junior Wimbledon and being named ITA All American in her first year at Florida State University. Hear about her journey and what the next chapter may hold...

Keith is one of the UK’s most celebrated tennis coaches and won the LTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. In this episode, Keith talks about how the ‘Tennis Experience’ can bring juniors incredible life lessons that bring many benefits away from the court…

Are you ready for the new ITF / LTA rating system? Check out my blog on the World Tennis Number.

Take a listen to Katy's Tennis Journey and you’ll see she is an inspirational coach with an inspirational story…from an outstanding junior career to being co-Captain of Derbyshire Ladies and an Ambassador for the LTA She Rallies programmes.

For one episode only My Tennis Journey becomes My Coaching Journey. Today’s guest Jon Woodward has worked with or for The FA, LTA, Burton Albion, Derby County and UK Coaching. In the interview Jon, who is now a lecturer at the University of Derby, and I passionately put forward the case for why sports coaching deserves to be recognised as a 'proper profession' because of the incredible difference coaching can make to peoples' lives.

Sam Jalloh has a remarkable story and an inspirational personality. Sam was born into poverty in Sierra Leone. As Civil War ripped through Sierra Leone, Sam encountered some horrific situations but his dream of playing tennis for for his nation and going on Tour kept him going. Sam now lives in England and as you’ll hear in this the first of two podcast interviews he has a truly remarkable and inspirational tennis journey - a story he tells in his book ‘How Tennis Saved My Life’.

Adults Only: Sam’s story is a tennis story but it also a story of growing up in the midst of the destruction of Civil War. As such, my guidance would be it isn’t suitable for children. You may listen and decide otherwise but I just wanted to let you know.

If you've listened to the first part of Sam's interview, you'll know he has a truly remarkable story. Sam grew up in a Civil War torn Sierra Leone and went through some horrific experiences but his dream of playing tennis for his Nation kept him going. In this second part of the interview, Sam talks about playing for Sierra Leone, the continued challenges he faced and his experience and approach to tennis in the UK. Despite all the adversity he has encountered, Sam has such a life affirming positive outlook on life.

Sam has written a book about his experiences which is called How Tennis Saved My Life.

Derbyshire’s Ashley Broomhead has won numerous national titles, is a leading coach educator and along with Keith Reynolds founded the legendary Watchorn Tennis Club which was a stop off for some of the World’s best young players on their journey to the top. Whatever your profession, if you’re interested in creating a winning environment, take a listen to the wise words of Ashley Broomhead…

Derby's Yasmin Clarke has had a remarkable tennis journey and there's much more yet to come. From GB No.1 Junior to turning Pro, becoming a Master coach and a key member of Team Clarke which supports Jay Clarke on his pro tennis quest. And now a commentator too! As you'll hear, Yaz's tennis journey is a truly compelling ongoing story...

The remarkable story of how a chance encounter saw Derbyshire’s Chris Archer go from a US tennis scholarship to playing for Burton Albion and scoring a free kick against Nottingham Forest! As you’ll hear though, his proudest sporting moment is still a Derbyshire Tennis one and it is tennis that has opened many doors in Chris's life…

When I see Pav at the Derbyshire Tennis Awards I tell him he should be doing a podcast and now he’s on this one to tell us about his tennis journey and share his Australian Open preview and predictions. As you’ll hear, Pav is passionate about every element of tennis from playing for Rolls Royce in Derby, to following British Tennis and the pro tours at every level. And of course he’s a MASSIVE Novak Djokovic fan!

What decides who wins and loses a match? Technique? Tactics? Or the hidden power of momentum? Alistair Higham’s a leading momentum expert and explains why it’s so important. He’s also responsible for GB University tennis and is a former LTA National Team Manager. Finally, as you’ll hear, Alistair was my first ever coach in Cumbria and he’s as passionate about our brilliant sport now as he was back then.

Alistair has just launched his new online courses on making the most of the opportunities momentum presents. Find out more here: www.coachingedgeuk.com where you can try the taster course for free or use the promo code MOMENTUM for 20% discount from the full courses.

You'll also find lots of information on momentum here: www.momentuminsport.com.

For information on GB University tennis, please visit: www.lta.org.uk/universities

Charlie Pick and Chesterfield Tennis Club did the double last year! Charlie won LTA Midland’s Development Coach of the Year - an award I know he’d love to share with the whole team - and Chesterfield won LTA Midland’s Club of the Year. It was great to chat with Charlie and hear the ‘magical’ formula behind Chesterfield’s success.

If you’re in to tennis and / or digital then Ian’s Essential Tennis journey is (hopefully) an essential listen! Essential Tennis, which Ian founded, delivers compelling tennis content to players around the Globe. And we’re not talking one or two fans here and there. Indeed, Essential Tennis has over 240,000 YouTube subscribers. Listen to Ian’s tennis journey and find out what drives him and the team to deliver innovation after innovation…

If you get a second while listening, it would be amazing if you’d please SUBSCRIBE or FOLLOW.

Find Essential Tennis here:

Website: https://www.essentialtennis.com/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/essentialtennis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/essentialtennis

Twitter: https://twitter.com/essentialtennis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/essentialtennis/

Podcast: essentialtennis.podbean.com/

Discover why schools offering tennis is so important to the future growth of our game! John is a font of knowledge when it comes to making a thriving schools program happen. Indeed, he led a coach collaboration that resulted in tennis videos being sent in to 2,000+ school during lockdown. Plus find out why John feels the key to success is collaboration…

FURTHER INFO

John's website is: https://www.tennisworks.net

The excellent Tennis Coaches' Support Network Facebook Group for tennis coaches that John and I discuss is: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TennisCoachesSupportNetwork

John's Tennis Unlocked Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/tennisunlocked

Yay! It’s my birthday…a good time to reflect, say thanks for those who’ve supported my coaching and podcast and look to the future. It’d be amazing if you could have have a listen (it’s just over a minute long) and give a birthday subscribe / follow! R x

PS I’m a (sort of) poet and I didn’t know it…

PS I’m a (sort of) poet and I didn’t know it…

What is it like to be on a sports scholarship at one of the top tennis universities in the US? Find out as we speak to Derbyshire’s Vic Allen who has gone from starting to play on park courts to Junior Wimbledon and now Florida State University where she is a key member of their highly successful tennis team.

You can follow the progress of Vic and the FSU Women's tennis team on Twitter @FSU_WTennis and Instagram @fsuwtennis

Alex is a multi award winning coach at a multi award winning club and in this episode he shares his recipe for how he and the team at Ashby Castle have made it happen. Alex and the club have been incredibly active during lockdown(s) and as you’ll hear he managed it whilst having and recovering from a heart operation. It’s quite a story…

David Rawlinson’s passion for tennis shines through in this episode. We hear how David’s tennis journey began and as LTA President he gives an insight into the inner workings of the game in Britain. David explains the role the LTA Council play and what he’s excited about for tennis in 2021…

It would be AMAZING if you could hit Follow / Subscribe so you can be notified about future episodes.

Dear friends, I have a big career change announcement to make today. It’s a decision I’ve not taken lightly. I hope you’ll understand…can you spare a minute to hear about the exciting next chapter of my career!? R x PS It’d be amazing if you’d hit FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to help my new career get off to a flying start!

The persistence and resilience Dom learnt on the tennis court helped prepare him for life as a football commentator working for the BBC covering teams like Manchester United. If you’re interested in tennis and / or football this is an episode for you! Plus we hear how Dom ended up making national headlines with a genius idea involving the Eat Out To Help Out scheme…

You can find Dom's ever so ace The Next Best Thing podcast here: https://linktr.ee/TNBTpodcast

I loved speaking to Wingfield CEO Maik Burlage about their connected tennis court solution which can deliver a pro court experience to amateurs up and down the land via the Wingfield app. Watch that unbelievable lob you made on the video highlights or check out your first serve speed or percentage of unforced errors with a wealth of Wimbledon like data. As you’ll hear, the Wingfield system is more affordable than you might think…

You can find more info on the Wingfield website: https://www.wingfield.io/

Please do hit SUBSCRIBE on Apple or FOLLOW on Spotify or Amazon and say hello at www.serveandvolley.net

In this episode, I give a quick fire update on my tennis journey! How buzzing I am about my first day at school, my new role as a County Captain of not one but two teams and how and why I ended up getting a letter from Downing Street about my podcast…

To find out the ace LTA Schools initiative I mention in this podcast please go to: https://lta-tennis.force.com/schools/s/

If you’re a tennis coach and would like to find out about the  Facebook group that I mention in the podcast, please head to Facebook and search for Tennis Coaches' Support Network or visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TennisCoachesSupportNetwork/

Jane Rushby has been a player (representing her County Derbyshire 126 times), a coach (playing a key role in developing a thriving tennis scene at the club she helped establish) and a parent (all four of her children have played to a high level and have an ongoing love for the game). So it was great to hear about Jane's journey and her experiences. I hope you’ll enjoy hearing about it too…

If you have any questions about My Tennis Journey or my tennis coaching up here in Derbyshire, please do contact me at my website. I’d love to hear from you.

Tom plays a pivotal role in the new LTA Youth Schools initiative which is designed to give huge numbers of primary school children the chance to give our brilliant game a go.

With a £250 voucher available to primary schools to spend on coaching or equipment as part of the programme, it was brilliant to hear how well the programme is going and learn about Tom's journey to becoming LTA Head of Education and Community.

If you have children at a primary school or know a primary school teacher please do share this episode with them! Let's spread the word...

To find out all about the LTA Youth Schools programme and how primary schools can qualify for the £250 voucher, please visit: https://lta-tennis.force.com/schools/s/

Tennis has been a positive part of my life for as long as I can remember, but a year ago I took the plunge and delivered my first lesson as a full time tennis coach. And what a year it has been! I’d love it if you’d take a listen to my reflections on my first year, the challenges, the things that have made me happy and why I started coaching on an old milking parlour… A massive thank you to each and every one of you who has supported me on my tennis journey!

If you’d like to get in touch please just hit the link, I’d love to hear your feedback on the My Tennis Journey tennis podcast.

Are tennis players and parents adequately and effectively prepared for the psychological demands of the game? And if not, how should we go about it? These questions lie at the heart of what I found to be a fascinating and insightful conversation with leading UK Sports Psychologist Julie Blackwood. The mental side of our game is massive, so take a little time to listen find out how you can help yourself, your players or your children thrive when it comes to competing and find out why I believe sports psychology deserves a place at tennis’s top table…

Here are the links for this episode:

Julie Blackwood Sports Psychology website

LTA Parental Support Programme

And if you’d like to get in touch at all, please check out my website here:

Serve & Volley Tennis Coaching

Exciting! The French Open is upon us and we welcome tennis aficionado (and MASSIVE Novak Djokovic fan) Pav Gill back to share his knowledge on who is going to fly high at Roland Garros and who we both think will be lifting the trophies...

Whilst you’re listening, it would be AMAZING if you could hit SUBSCRIBE so you can keep up to date with all our podcasts!

To find out about my MISSION to get as many as people as possible playing tennis in Staffordshire and Derbyshire please head to my tennis website.

You’ve only got to read this quote from Howard Green, who is one of the UK’s leading Strength and Conditioning (S&C) coaches to understand why I am so FIRED UP about the Tennis SuperMovers Mission to get kids active! ‘Kids are starting WEAK and they are getting WEAKER. They are all on their IPADS.’

I’ve experienced this first hand and I think it’s time for a crusade to increase exercise time! Join us and as you’ll hear, that’s exactly what Howard - who has had an amazing journey from The Marines to being S&C coach for a former world no.1 and Head of Sports Science at Bolton Arena - and his fellow S&C Coach Simon Brundish are hoping to achieve…

SIGN UP TO TENNIS SUPERMOVERS HERE: https://www.tennissupermovers.com/

Get ready for the World’s finest tennis tournament by listening to Andrew Jarrett’s reflections on the annual rollercoaster ride that he went on as Championships Referee at Wimbledon from 2006 to 2019. You’ll also hear about Andrew’s future plans plus his passions for County Week, Derbyshire Tennis and, of course, Derby County!

I’d love love love it in a Kevin Keegan stylee if you’d hit SUBSCRIBE and if you’d like to say hello please head to https://www.serveandvolley.net/

In the first of a new series, Cal Loveridge delivers out first tennis podcard*. You’ll get the lowdown on Cal’s journey from Church Broughton primary school to playing for Derbyshire u18s, heading off to an American Uni and building a life with his family in the U S of A! It’s an inspiring story which shows just what an ACE role tennis can play in your journey through life…

* A short 10 min audio update - the podcast equivalent of a postcard!

PS If you have any ideas on guests that would make a great tennis podcard please comment on Apple Podcasts or visit my website at www.serveandvolley.net R x

PPS Please hit SUBSCRIBE or FOLLOW!

A lovely little story of how one of the World’s best tennis players ended up calling one of my pupils at Church Broughton Tennis Club a ‘legend’! It's a story that really does shows a positive side of social media.

Please follow John on Twitter @johnisner and check out our chat @rsalmonuk

Thanks very much to SiRobbiTennis.Photos for making the picture of John available on a share alike basis. Please check out https://www.sirobitennis.photos

I love LTA County Cup and it was brilliant to speak with Danny and celebrate the 125th anniversary of the event many know as County Week! Danny has played in every Grand Slam, he’s played Pete Sampras in the third round at Wimbledon and reached 170 in the World in singles. As you’ll hear, his record with Surrey, who he represented as a player or Captain for 35 years is remarkable. Find out why Danny, who now runs an amazing charity called Bright Ideas For Tennis, and I and thousands of others around the Country think LTA County Cup is such a fantastic event.

If you enjoy the episode please do subscribe or follow!

To find out about Danny's charity work please head to: https://www.brightideasfortennis.org/

County Week is back and as James Rushby, Captain of Derbyshire Men says: ‘We are buzzing for it, we can’t wait!’ Listen to James’ preview of the action and hear which Grand Slam winners he’s managed to defeat in his time on LTA County Cup…

Please do hit SUBSCRIBE if you enjoy the podcast!

Over the Summer Term I have LOVED teaching tennis in two schools near where I live - John of Rolleston and Outwoods. In this short episode, I look at why teaching tennis has been so rewarding for me and why I believe sport can make such a positive contribution to the education and lives of pupils as well as being a whole lot of fun…

What a County Week it was for Derbyshire Men! The team played five and won five to win Division 3. In this episode, Derbyshire Men’s Captain James Rushby takes a look back at what was a memorable week in Ilkley…

I’m such a fan of what County Tennis can bring to you as a tennis player but also the amazing adventures and friendships it can bring to your life! Today’s podcard is from a man whose passion for County Tennis and Derbyshire Tennis absolutely shines through. Andy is now Head of Tennis at The Caesarean Tennis Club in Jersey and as you’ll hear he is as passionate now about County Tennis as he was when he first became involved as a lad growing up in Chesterfield…

Chris McPherson has had a remarkable sporting journey from the courts of Derbyshire to representing Brazil in hockey at the Olympic Games! Find out how it happened…

Please do check out my website if you’d like to get in touch: www.serveandvolley.net

In this short podcard, Lee Taylor explains why tennis coaches and players from 10 upwards should be wearing sunglasses on court to protect their eyes from the sun! As the Moorfield Eye Hospital website says: ‘Excessive sun exposure can cause irreversible damage to your eyesight.’ 

You use suncream to protect your skin so surely you should use sunglasses to protect your eyes when playing tennis? As you’ll hear from Lee, who is the distributor of Solar Bat tennis sunglasses in Australia and Europe, the case for wearing sunglasses whilst coaching or playing is a compelling one…

To find out more, please read my blog post here on Solar Bat tennis sunglasses:

If you'd like to contact Lee, please email him on lbtaylor44@gmail.com

Abbie Breakwell may only be 18, but she’s already had a remarkable journey into the world of Wheelchair Tennis which has seen her rise to no.3 in the girls world rankings! Abbie is from Long Eaton in Derbyshire and also has a strong affinity to Nottingham. I loved our chat because Abbie is great fun and as you’ll hear destiny really did come calling to start her on court adventures. Adventures which are set to get more exciting over the coming months and years…

Further Info…

Give wheelchair tennis a go with the LTA’s wheelchair tennis initiative

The ever so ace Dan Maskell Tennis Trust who Abbie is an Ambassador for

Please click this link to find out more about my tennis podcast and to get in touch

Derbyshire’s Millie Devey Smith had a glittering junior tennis career and after attending Repton School decided to head to the University of Bath rather than go on a US tennis scholarship. Find out why it’s a decision she’s glad she made as well as what it’s like to play Emma Raducanu and how she has ended up working at Nottingham Forest FC…

To celebrate becoming a member of the coaching team that delivers County Training in Derbyshire, I’ve put a short little six min episode together on why I love County Tennis and why it can be a constant positive companion as tennis players make their way through life…

In today’s episode Keith Carder, the LTA’s Head of Competition, tells us all we need to know about the new ITF World Tennis Number. We get to the heart of this exciting new ITF system which is being adopted by the LTA and tennis federations around the World. As you’ll hear, the World Tennis Number is kind of similar to the golf handicap system. It aims to be at the heart of a new global tennis community…

David Haggerty made a commitment to tennis aged five and many years later he is still delivering on it! His adventures as a player, an exec at Prince, Slazenger / Dunlop and Head, the Chair, CEO and President of the USTA and now ITF President form a compelling story. A story with a passion for tennis at its heart…

Could sport be a force for good that unites us in these most challenging of times? That’s the question which today’s guest - the highly respected sports business leader - Matt Rogan looks to answer in his ace new book ‘All To Play For: How Sport Can Reboot Our Future’. The answer - of course - is that it most certainly can! Speaking to Matt and reading his book have really got me fired up to do all I can to get more children to start a life of sport and more adults to realise the benefits of sport. I hope that after having a listen to our chat that you’ll be fired up too…

Today’s episode has an important life lesson as well as many tennis ones and at the heart of it is the importance of BRAVERY in making things happen!

Bravery has been a constant theme in Rob Morgan’s rapid ascent from a promising junior to Tour Coach helping Joe Salisbury and Rajeev Ram win Grand Slam titles. Enjoy listening to Rob's journey…

You can find Rob on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/robmorgan91/

Today’s episode focuses around a really important topic - coaching and mental health. And we’re discussing it with a guest who is making a really positive contribution to a subject that can be tricky at times to talk about. Callum Gowling from Liquid Sport Psychology hosts regular coach catch ups where coaches come together for self and collective reflection. They are brilliant sessions. Callum recently ran a get together in aid of Movember where mental health and coaching were discussed - I couldn’t make that one so I thought it would be brilliant to chat to Callum - and he kindly agreed…

To find out more about Callum's courses please head to https://www.liquidsportpsychology.co.uk/

To find out about more about Movember please head to https://uk.movember.com/

Coaches can inspire players to start a life long journey with our brilliant sport. Today’s guest is Merlin Van de Braam, the Head of LTA Coach Development. It was great to speak to Merlin and hear how passionate he is about the new Coach Development Plan and how he believes it will help support coaches be the best they can be. As Merlin says: ‘I hope we can reach all coaches out there to let them know we DO listen.’ Listen to.find out all about the new plan...

PS If you enjoyed listening and would like a chance to chat with Merlin, please do head to the Tennis Coaches’ Support Network (TCSN) Facebook Group. Merlin is due to be a guest on an online event TCSN are hosting on Wed 8 December. To find out more, please head to: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TennisCoachesSupportNetwork

PPS To have a look at the full LTA Coach Development Plan, please head here: https://www.lta.org.uk/workforce-venues/coach-teach/coach-development-plan/

Louise Holtum is Derbyshire Ladies Co-Captain. In this episode, we find out what’s in store for Derbyshire Ladies at the LTA Winter County Cup from 10-12 Dec and we hear about Louise’s journey from the beautiful courts of Bamford to Loughborough University and beyond. A journey accompanied by a passion for County Tennis!

If you enjoy listening, please do hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you can find out about future episodes.

Early on in my journey as a Tennis Coach, I joined the Tennis Coaches’ Support Network - a Facebook Group for tennis coaches. It didn’t take me long to realise that is was going to be a really helpful resource for learning and a fantastic place to meet coaches around the UK. During lockdown the webinars and catch ups were so useful at a time when no tennis was possible. The Group is run by a tennis coach called Jonty Solomons. In this episode, we hear about Jonty’s journey to becoming a Coach, how and why he started the Tennis Coaches’ Support Network and all about an exciting new Tennis Coaches Network Forum that Jonty and John Cavill are hosting on 10 January 2022. The forum will feature a keynote presentation from Dan Kiernan from the excellent Control The Controllables podcast.

Find out more about the Tennis Coaches’ Support Network and their networking event on 10 Jan 2022 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TennisCoachesSupportNetwork

As I write this, we were supposed to be on a plane to the Dominican Republic - but as you’ll hear it wasn’t to be!! This short episode is kind of my end of year reflections with a load of massive thank yous (one of which is for you - yes you!). Do take a listen and if you make it right to the end you’ll hear me doing the Wham Rap! Seriously…

Ned Salmon (who is my 8 and three quarter year old son) made his debut for Derbyshire u9s in 2021. I was recently doing a sound check in preparation for a forthcoming episode and Ned kindly agreed to help. I asked him a few questions about his debut for Derbyshire and the answers were ace - so I thought I’d publish them! I particularly liked how Ned talked up how great LTA County Cup can be for developing friendships and how it is not all about winning. I hope you’ll enjoy…

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Psst! I have a new job and it's a load of spin! Let me tell you all about it...

To find out more about TopspinPro, please head to my blog post here: https://www.serveandvolley.net/tennis-gadgets-gifts/topspinpro-my-favourite-tennis-innovation

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Matt Allen and Steve Davies from tennis holiday company Active Away went inside the BBC’s Dragons’ Den and ended up receiving investment from Peter Jones who is a big tennis fan.

Find out how the appearance came about, the inside story of their Dragons’ Den appearance and what has happened to Active Away since their television adventure including their biggest challenge to date...

To find out all about an Active Away Tennis Holiday please visit: https://activeaway.com/

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Tennis parents know that being a tennis parent can be testing at times! This episode is for all you tennis parents out there.

Mark Tennant is a hugely respected tennis coach and coach educator who co-founded inspire2coach (i2c) - the leading coach education provider. Mark is a Level 5 coach, a Coach Education Master Tutor and has a huge amount of tennis experience having worked for the LTA and the ITF.

Mark has tutored or presented in approaching 100 countries around the World. What’s more, Mark is also a tennis parent! So what a brilliant guest to start our series of Top Tips For Tennis Parents…

If you enjoy the episode and find it useful, please do head to i2c’s Tennis24/7 website which has material for parents in the Kids Zone here: https://tennis247.co.uk/kids-club/parent-guides/ . All access to this material is free but you’ll just need to sign up first here: https://tennis247.co.uk/join/

If you are a coach and would like to find out about the courses which i2c run in your area, please visit: https://i2ctennis.co.uk/coach-education/

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Prepare to be inspired! Roy Turnham was registered blind from birth but as you’ll hear he has never let his sight hold him back. Indeed, Roy’s made over 100 appearances for the England Blind Football Team, he’s won the National Singles and Doubles championships in the GB National Visually Impaired Tennis Champs and he’s combined it all with a spot of rock and roll - having toured as a drummer with the fantastic Liverpool band She Drew The Gun. I found Roy’s story incredibly inspiring, I hope you will too…

To find out more about British Blind Sport, please visit: https://britishblindsport.org.uk/

If you’d like to contact Roy, he is on Twitter @royturnhammusic

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SwingVision is the tennis app featured in Apple’s TV commercials!

If you’re a tennis coach or player with a liking for apps, then I reckon you should find out about SwingVision - and a great place to start is my interview with co-founder and CEO Swupnil Sahai! 

SwingVision brings you video highlights, shot speed and placement analysis and even the ability to challenge line calls. It’s easy to set up and use and is backed by Andy Roddick and James Blake. Swupnil has a great story of his first encounter with Andy Roddick - let’s just say if you ever lose your phone, you’d do well to have Swupnil in your locker room!

As you’ll hear in the podcast, Swupnil has a fascinating story! A story of making contacts and making things happen. An encounter on LinkedIn led to Swupnil getting a placement and then job at Tesla where he worked on the auto pilot team and got to know and hang out with Elon Musk.

Yet he gave that role up to follow his passion for tennis and use his expertise to launch SwingVision. And I for one am glad he made that decision…

UK COACHES: If you are an LTA Accredited+ Coach, you can currently get a 100% discount on SwingVision meaning it is completely free!! That is a saving of $149.99 per year. Find out how to claim here: https://www4.lta.org.uk/Members-Area/coach/resources/benefits/swingvision_discount/

UK PLAYERS: If you are an LTA Advantage Member (it’s free to join) you can get 20% a SwingVision subscription. Head here: https://www.lta.org.uk/advantage-home/benefits/detail/?benefit=BF-0049

For everyone else, please find out more about SwingVision here: https://swing.tennis/

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Hello everyone and welcome to this impromptu podcast episode. I’m delighted to say I’ve won an Award in the Derbyshire Tennis Awards!! Let me take two minutes to tell you all about it…

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Tips for tennis parents really is the specialist subject of today’s guest. Lisa Stone is a tennis parent, a tennis broadcaster and the person behind the ever so ace podcast called ParentingAces whose slogan is For Tennis Parents by A Tennis Parent. So who better to deliver our next Top Five Tips For Tennis Parents? As you’ll hear, Lisa has some fantastic advice for all of us tennis parents!

To find out more about ParentingAces, please visit Lisa's website: https://parentingaces.com/

You will also find Lisa on these social channels

https://twitter.com/ParentingAces

https://www.instagram.com/parentingaces/

https://www.facebook.com/ParentingAces

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Ellen Taylor is a Coach at Church Broughton Tennis Club. Ellen has put a tremendous effort into organising a She Rallies Fun Day at the club on Sat 2 April between 2-4pm. Everyone is welcome at the day, but the aim is to get as many women and girls playing tennis as possible. It was brilliant to hear from Ellen about why she is so passionate about the She Rallies initiative which is brought to us by Judy Murray and the LTA. Enjoy listening and if you’re anywhere near Church Broughton on 2 April, do come on over for some tennis and amazing CAKE!

If you'd like to book a spot on the Fun Day, please visit: https://bit.ly/SheRalliesCBTC

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He’s so excited and he just can’t hide it, Paul from online retailer PDHSport is a massive fan of padel and he thinks you’ll like it… 

Find out why in this introduction to padel as we discuss why Paul is enjoying the sport so much at the brand new court at Church Broughton Tennis Club where I coach. 

As you’ll hear, Paul has a number of reasons why he thinks padel is a fun sport for the whole family…

The court at Church Broughton is Derbyshire’s first padel tennis court and we are preparing for a big Open Day on 1 May. If you’d like to come along please visit this Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1pgBrwqse (you don’t have to be a Facebook member to view). You can book a free slot to give padel a go at the Open Day here: https://bit.ly/PadelDay. As well as all the padel action, we will have loads of tennis fun going on to. It should be an ace day

For all your padel rackets, padel balls and padel gear, do head on over to PDHSports.com.

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Tom Murray has had an amazing journey from teaching English to a future World No.1 at a Spanish Academy as a young tennis hopeful to heading up one of the World’s fastest growing sports at the LTA. Hear how Tom has helped drive the growth of the game in the UK, what the future holds for padel players and coaches and which World Cup winning footballer he played padel against…

My club Church Broughton Tennis Club has just opened the county's first padel tennis court. We are having an open day on Sun 1 May - find out all about Church Broughton here: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/ChurchBroughtonTennisClub/ and if you'd like to come along please email me at rob@serveandvolley.net

To find out more about padel in the UK please visit: https://www.lta.org.uk/play/ways-to-play/padel/

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Fantastic news! John of Rolleston Primary School where I coach has been named the LTA School of the Year for the Midlands! This follows on from the school being named LTA School of the Year for Staffordshire.

The recipe that has led to this Award has featured six main ingredients that when mixed together produces an ever so ace tennis programme. Find out what the ingredients are in this short episode…

For more info about the LTA Youth Schools programme, please visit: https://lta-tennis.force.com/schools/s/

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Tennis is a game for life and today’s interview proves it! Professional tennis players may retire on average at 27, but for amateur players your tennis career can run and run up to and beyond your 80th birthday. Seniors Tennis GB are passionate about inspiring players who are over 35 to get involved in the game from giving it a go, to playing competitions and even having a chance of representing GB. As you’ll hear from Seniors Tennis GB Head of Selectors for the men’s teams Edward Oakenfull, whatever your level there are some fantastic opportunities to get involved…something I’m planning to do!

Head here for more info on Seniors Tennis GB: https://www.lta.org.uk/compete/seniors/

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It was fascinating to talk to Michael Gradon, the CEO of Game4Padel - one of the fastest growing companies in one of the fastest growing sports in the UK.

Padel was described recently as the biggest fitness trend of the Summer by GQ magazine. Jurgen Klopp loves it, Pep Guardiola loves it, Annabel Croft loves it, Zlatan loves it, my Mum loves it and so does my wife and my children. 

Michael has a wealth of experience within the corporate World and the tennis World having been on the board of Wimbledon and Game4Padel is growing quickly and has Andy Murray among their investors.

As you’l hear, Michael doesn’t just believe that padel is going to be big, he believes it is going to be MASSIVE.

From a participation point of view in the UK, can it grow to be bigger than rugby? Bigger than cricket? Bigger than netball?

Listen to this episode and find out just how MASSIVE Michael believes padel can become…

For more info on Gsme4Padel, please visit this website: https://www.game4padel.com/

What a journey Derbyshire’s Andy Wood has had from promising badminton star, to becoming a GB Olympic Head Coach and co-founder of Derbyshire Institute of Sport. Along the way, he’s inspired huge numbers to play sport and from a badminton perspective coached Simon Archer and Joanne Goode to GB’s first ever Olympic medal for Great Britain (Bronze) in Sydney 2000 as well as coaching Nathan Robertson and Gail Emms to Silver Medal at Athens Olympics 2004. Andy has an inspiring story and an exciting current chapter with the Derbyshire Institute of Sport. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to Andy as much as I enjoyed speaking to him.

Find out more about the Derbyshire Institute of Sport here: www.derbyshireis.co.uk

The Laver Cup is coming to London and what an event it is set to be! In this edition of My Tennis Journey, Laver Cup CEO, Steve Zacks talks about his passion for tennis, the origins of the Laver Cup and the ever so ace story of how Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray ended up joining Team Europe. Hopefully this episode will whet your appetite for the excitement of the forthcoming Laver Cup…

For more information on the Laver Cup please visit: https://lavercup.com/

I’m a tennis coach and a tennis player but I spend a lot of time in another tennis role - a tennis parent! This podcast shares the things that I’ve learnt from going along to a whole lot of tennis tournaments, plus the tips that experts such as Lisa Stone and Mark Tennant have shared. I also did the excellent LTA ‘Supporting Parents of Competitive Juniors’ course just the other day and felt there was no time like the present to do my little bit to try and make the role of being the tennis parent a little bit easier…hope it helps.

If you'd like more tips on being a tennis parent, please search for these My Tennis Journey podcasts...

Mark Tennant: My 5 Top Tips For Tennis Parents

Parenting Aces: Lisa Stone's Top 5 Tips For Tennis Parents

The LTA also run an excellent course for tennis parents. Please visit www.lta.org.uk/compete/parents-area/

This is the link to the Tennis Parents Community on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/476342577251252

This episode shows what a wonderful adventure sport can bring you both on the court and off it! Thaddea Lock is the UK’s no.1 pickleball player and is enjoying a fantastic chapter in what is America’s fastest growing sport. I’d heard how pickleball is taking America by storm in the way The Beatles did in the 1960s. I knew from a work point of view that the ace TopspinPro pickleball version has received a very warm welcome in the community. If truth be told though I didn’t know too much about pickleball, what it is, why it is becoming so popular and whether there is a scene in the UK. Thanks to Thaddea, that has all changed! Thaddea has had an amazing journey in tennis and followed it up with a really exciting chapter in pickleball. I’m sure you’ll enjoy hearing all about it…

Useful Links

Please click the following link to find out about pickleball in England from Pickleball England. Do use this pickleball club locator on the Pickleball England website if you’d like to give the sport a try!

And head to this link if you’d like to find out all about the new and ever so ace TopspinPro for Pickleball: https://topspinpro.com/pickleball-training-aid/

Finally, if you are looking for a Pickleball paddle please head over to our friends at PDHSports.com.

October is the LTA’s Parents in Tennis month so it was a perfect time to speak to Kay Gilbert in the latest of our series of My Five Top Tips For Tennis Parents.

Kay is one of the driving forces behind the Tennis Parents Community Facebook Group - which I highly recommend - and as you’ll hear has some brilliant tips for tennis parents! If you are a tennis (or sporting) parent please do take a listen, I’m sure you won’t regret it…

If you’re a tennis parent, please do consider joining the Tennis Parents Community Facebook Group - practical advice, discussions and tips which I’m sure you’ll find useful: https://www.facebook.com/groups/476342577251252

Alternatively, head to Facebook and search for Tennis Parents Community.

When I was researching today’s guest, I came across an article on the LTA website with a headline that said: ‘How Tennis Saved My Life.’ As I read the article, I immersed into the World of a man who has faced some incredible challenges, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012 and who has had some dark days. Yet through the challenges and the dark days, tennis has always been a beacon shining bright.

Oli Jones is a tennis coach and Mental Health Ambassador for the LTA as well as Movember. As we’re in the midst of Movember, it seemed the perfect time to hear Oli’s story and discuss how we can keep ourselves and our friends and family mentally well. I found listening to Oli moving and inspiring, I hope you do as well…

EPISODE LINK

Movember website: Find out about the Movember movement and their work in mental health

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What if you could put on a Virtual Reality headset and be transported to a tennis court when you can train like you do on a court in the real world? Not a game, but a fully immersive, impressively real training environment. That’s what Sense Arena have made happen! 

Find out all about Sense Arena from their Tennis VP, Yannick Yoshizawa and World renowned Coach Claudio Pistolesi who has worked players like Monica Seles and Robin Soderling…

If you’d like to find out more about Sense Arena please head to the Sense Arena Virtual Reality Tennis website

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Exciting news! A friend Hugo and I have launched a new Community Interest Company called We Say Play. A Community Interest Company is - in the words of Wikipedia - ‘designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good.’ And that’s exactly what we want to do!

I’d love it if you’d have a listen to this short little podcast to hear about our We Say Play mission to inspire children to get playing…

To find out more about We Say Play or to get in touch - we’d love to hear from you - please head to the We Say Play website

Abbie Lench (LTA Head of Clubs, Parks, Counties and Volunteering) and Simon Spalter (Tennis Volunteer Community Facebook Group) join me to look at the amazing contribution volunteers make to the clubs and counties of British Tennis. We cover a range of topics which will hopefully help existing volunteers and inspire new volunteers.

As a Coach and tennis parent, I am aware of just how much work volunteers do in our club and our county. And I know it is the same throughout the Country - this episode is a big thank you!

If you are a chair, treasurer, secretary, maintenance manager, social poster, fixtures and tournament and event organiser, committee member or are interested in volunteering - this one is for you…

Please do take a look at the excellent Tennis Volunteer Community Facebook Group.

And the LTA has a wealth of material for tennis volunteers on their website.

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'What affects my tennis and training the most?' Today's guest Mylène Petitpas posed this question and explained the answer is nutrition because food affects every part of our body from head to toe!

As a tennis parent, I find what foods to give the children before, during and after tennis tournaments puzzling. I try my best when it comes to providing decent nutrition options - but if truth be told I haven't found much information out there to help. So I've tried to go and find some answers!

Mylène is passionate about the area of tennis nutrition and I hope you'll enjoy our conversation - as you'll hear I learnt a lot and get the feeling the food offerings are going to more nutritious and if truth be told a whole lot tastier too...

In this episode on tennis nutrition we cover:

What to eat before a tennis tournament (I wasn’t getting this quite right!)

What to eat during a tennis tournament (I’m a changing my ways!)

What NOT to eat during a tournament (you might be surprised at this!)

Should you be using energy gels or electrolytes? (I’ve noticed them at tournaments!)

What to eat after a tennis tournament (are our trips to the Golden Arches advisable?!)

Mylène has very kindly put together a tennis nutrition ebook that talks you through her thinking - do take a look here:

And you’ll find Mylène’s Instagram here so you will.

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I'm writing this on my 50th birthday! Having successfully navigated through to my half century, I figured that it would be a good time to tell My Tennis Journey. My good friend and LTA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Keith Reynolds kindly offered to do the honours of interviewing me. I loved chatting to Keith about my early tennis years, my time working in beer and football and meeting some of the game's biggest stars and why I left that all behind for a chapter in tennis! I hope you'll enjoy listening...

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You might not be aware but we are currently in the midst of the LTA Junior Nationals. These are singles and doubles competitions for 16U and 18U girls and boys. You might not be aware but I think you should be aware and I think your tennis playing children or pupils should be aware to!

Today’s guest is Richard Joyner, the Tournament Director of the LTA Junior Nationals and together we’d like to put forward the case on why the LTA Junior Nationals are worthy of your attention.

The events showcase the future stars of British Tennis and as you’ll hear there are some amazing rewards for the winners and runners-up…

Click the link to follow the LTA Juniors National LIVE

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I truly believe that listening to Sandi Procter’s tennis journey is worth an hour of your time! The LTA President has an incredibly compelling back story within our sport!

Ever wondered how the red, orange and green balls came about? Wonder no more! Been impressed with the LTA’s Tennis Leaders programme? Find out how Sandi made it happen! Having listened to Sandi’s journey, I'm confident she'll make good things happen as LTA President.

Whether you’re a tennis player, coach, parent, official or volunteer, I feel sure you’ll enjoy hearing about Sandi Procter’s inspirational tennis journey…

If you get a sec, please do hit the SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW buttons so you get notifications on forthcoming episodes - we have some exciting ones planned!

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Ben Bartram may only be 17, but as you’ll hear he’s already had a series of amazing adventures in the wheelchair tennis world!

He’s won the Junior US Open, risen inside the top 20 men’s rankings and recently returned from being a member of the winning GB World Cup team alongside Alfie and Gordon.

Ben’s passion for the journey shines bright, but just don’t ask him to play FIFA - you’ll hear why! Enjoy…

Andrew Jarrett has had an amazing tennis journey from the early years in Derbyshire, to playing Davis Cup for GB, Coaching GB at The Olympics - and then going on to Wimbledon as The Championships Referee from 2006-2019.

Andy has talked all about this and a whole lot more in his book Championship Points which has gone to the top of the Amazon charts!

In this episode, we talk about a subject which is close to our hearts - County Week or LTA Summer County Cup as it is also known. An event we know is incredibly important to players and GB tennis families. 

County Week is one of the oldest competitions in the British sporting calendar having first been played in 1895. This year’s event will see Counties compete in a women’s and men’s event in seven divisions at grass court venues across the land.

Players like Emma Raducanu, Dan Evans, Harriet Dart, Joe Salisbury, Jodie Burrage, Jack Draper, Sue Barker, Tim Herman and Andy, Jamie and Judy Murray have all played County Week.

It is an event we know is incredibly important to players and GB tennis families and is my favourite tennis competition. Mr Jarrett and I would like to tell you why we believe it is such an important event…

PS If you are a tennis fan, I highly highly recommend Andy’s book Championship Points which is available at Amazon. It’s the perfect read for the coming holidays!

Dear Tennis Parents, I totted up recently and our three children have played around 800 matches at tournaments. I know what attending tournaments with your child/children can be like. I know it can be rewarding, inspiring and joyful. I also know it can be stressful, challenging and frustrating. Today’s episode is with a leading sports psychologist who can help us tennis parents with our journeys! I know this is an episode I will listen to again and again…

For more info on Callum Gowling please visit his website: https://www.liquidsportpsychology.co.uk/

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Hello everyone, as anyone who knows me knows…I love Church Broughton Tennis Club. I love the role we play in the Community and seeing so many players of all ages enjoying our brilliant game(s).

Today, I’m announcing that I’m going to be stepping down as Head Coach at Church Broughton at the end of Dec. And I want to explain why…

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What does it take to make the journey from a talented junior to being a rising star on the pro tennis tour? There’s many variables and if there was a set recipe I’m sure thousands of parents and coaches would cook it up for their little proteges!

But I firmly believe lessons can be learned from those who have made the journey. Today, I’m really excited to talk to one such stakeholder. Shane Deacon is an LTA GB National Pathway Coach, he’s the inventor of the amazing TargetBound tennis coaching aid and he has also played a key role in the journey of the British Tennis player Toby Samuel who made his Wimbledon debut back in July.

Shane’s passion for the journey and what it takes to thrive shines through…enjoy the episode!

If you haven’t yet seen the amazing TargetBound which Shane invented, please take a look at this amazing tennis rebound board!

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Ceire Mullins has had an action packed journey from GB tennis junior to international padel player and now Head Coach of Church Broughton Tennis Club where she will take over from me! As you’ll hear, Ceire has an infectious energy for the the sports of tennis and padel…

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Sally Appleton is the Mum to Emily Appleton. Following a successful junior career which saw her reach World no.10, Emily has gone on to be a professional tennis player competing around the World on the Tour.

Today’s episode is an episode of two halves. In the first half, I asked Sally about her experiences as a tennis parent to Emily as a junior. Then in the second half we get to chat about a parent’s perspective of being a Mum to a pro player!

Sally’s in a brilliant position to do this as she publishes a blog called Reality Tennis which gives a parent’s perspective of what it’s like for a player trying hard to make it in the pro world. The good, the bad and the reality of life on the Pro Tour.

As you’ll hear, the rollercoaster ride of what life is REALLY like for large numbers of pro players may be somewhat different to what you think life is like…

Visit Sally's ace blog here: https://realitytennis.wordpress.com/

There’s loads of podcasts about tennis from the Pros to the grassroots - but I’m not aware of any podcasts that are hosted by juniors with a focus on junior tennis - until now!

In today’s episode Stan Salmon (13) a junior tennis player from Derbyshire interviews Emily Appleton about her journey from the juniors to the Pro Tour.

Emily had an amazing junior career reaching no.10 in the World and is now making strides as a Pro. As you’ll hear,

Emily has some great guidance for juniors on how they can enjoy their tennis journey and gives a great insight into the highs and the challenges of being a Pro Player.

One area which Stan speaks to Emily about is what guidance she would give her 13 year old self knowing what she knows now. I think Emily’s answer is brilliant - and worth sharing part of it here:

‘I don't think when you are 13 anything means so much that you need to get stressed about it when you're on court. It should be a place where you're just having fun and getting better and growing as a person on and off the court.’

Emily's Mum, Sally, writes a really insightful blog about the reality of being a parent to a Pro Player. It's an amazing read! Please click to take a read of Reality Tennis.

Ever read a book that has changed the way you think, the way you behave? Today’s interview is with the co-author and a stakeholder in the publication of a brilliant book that has had such an impact on me! 

The book is called Sports Performance Parenting and the co-author in question is Gordon MacLelland from Working With Parents in Sport. This edition of the book is a collaboration with British Gymnastics and joining Gordon and I to talk all things sports performance parenting is Alex McGregor, the Head of Performance Pathway at British Gymnastics. 

The subtitle to the book is Child First - Gymnast Second - A Holisitic Approach To Sports Parenting. To be honest you can easily replace the word Gymnast with Tennis Player as it is a book that is relevant to all sports parents. Its suitability as a read for tennis parents is highlighted by the fact that the introduction is written by Judy Murray. 

As a tennis parent to three players, I know the joy that the tennis journey can bring. I also am very aware of the challenges, the emotional rollercoaster and the tough times. I hope you will find today’s episode as useful as I have for taking on these challenges and making the most of the adventures you have with your players.

The Sports Performance Parenting. book is co-authored by Gordon and Sarah Murray. The edition I read has been published by British Gymnastics. I really do strongly recommend it. Do please click the link to buy a copy of the Sports Performance Parenting book.

Gordon is the CEO and founder of Working with Parents in Sport (WWPIS). Gordon has a background in education and coaching and after a successful career coaching all age groups from U7’s through to adults and running sports programmes in schools, he is now a leading figure in the ‘parental engagement’ space. He is also a sports parent himself of two children who are involved in performance sport and aware of the many challenges that parents face.

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Calling tennis parents, tennis coaches and tennis people - please do play today’s episode as Alison has an inspirational story and shares inspirational guidance on her tennis journey and her approach to coaching which has kickstarted a love of tennis in some of the UK’s rising stars like Hannah Klugman and Arthur Fery.

From a tennis parent perspective, I loved hearing Alison talk about the importance of the relationship between the coach, the player and the parent too. The importance of being a team together! Can you honestly say that about your relationship with your coach? Alison also talked about how maybe competing week after week here and there and everywhere isn’t necessarily necessary and the importance of fun! Listening will give you some inspiring guidance on the parental journey.

From a coaching (and parental) perspective, there’s so many words of wisdom in this episode from what it takes to be an effective Head Coach to her reflections on coaching Hannah Klugman and Arthur Fery to the characteristics promising juniors share. Fascinating insight after fascinating insight!

From a playing perspective, have I mentioned that Alison has Captained her country?! We’ll cover that too.

As you can probably tell, I’m very excited about this episode! Hope you’ll enjoy it too…

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What happens when you put one of the world's most famous tennis coaches together with an outstanding neurologist with a passion for our beautiful game?

The answer is a fantastic book that can help shape the approach you take to tennis and the approach you take to life. The book is called Billion Dollar Mind, and in today's episode, we have the two authors.

The coach is the world famous Rick Macci, who featured prominently in the King Richard film as he coached Serena and Venus as juniors, as well as Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati and a whole host of others, including our other guest, Dr Nivedita (Niva) Uberoi Jerath.

Dr Niva is an accomplished player and an equally accomplished neurologist.

Rick takes us through his approach to tennis and life alongside some amazing anecdotes about his approach with players who went on to become global stars, whilst Dr Niva brings neuroscience based strategies to help you achieve your full potential.

Whether you are a coach, player or parent, if you believe in the power of positivity and want to get practical tips on how to be more positive, I highly recommend the Billion Dollar Mind book and I think you're going to enjoy this episode.

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This is episode 91 of My Tennis Journey. As you’ll probably know, the vast majority of the episodes have been dedicated to the sport I’ve loved since I first picked up a racket in Skelton in Cumbria aged 9 or 10.

But dear, lovely tennis - I’ve got a confession to make. Whilst as Whitney sang I will always love you - I’ve also fallen for another sport.

And that sport is pickleball.

I’d like to explain why and what I plan to do in the world of pickleball.

I’d also like to tell you one MASSIVE reason why I think pickleball can play a really positive role in our society moving forward.

Let me explain…

Amazing adventures can be had by tennis players at American Universities! However, if you’re going to make it a great adventure rather than an OK or not so good adventure you’ve got to plan and prepare effectively. And that is where this episode comes in!

Today’s guest, Marleyna Trifunovic, is in a unique position to tell you all about the US uni experience as she has just returned from three years at Wilmington University in Delaware. Marley’s story and guidance can, I think, give players and / or parents the info they need to know if a US tennis scholarship is right for them, understand what to watch out for and know what you need to do to make it happen. Let the adventures begin…

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You know in life there are some people who are amazing at making things happen. Who are driven to get things done. And when it comes to tennis I think Fabio Molle is absolutely one of them.

Fabio runs a successful tennis e-commerce business called Functional Tennis. He came up with an idea for a brilliant tennis product called The Saber which he took from concept to manufacture. A process I loved talking to him about on this episode.

He’s a very successful tennis podcaster - having recorded over 200 episodes of The Functional Tennis podcast - often on a weekly basis. He’s interviewed big stars and he’s also interviewed guests who can give a tremendous insight into the tennis parenting journey.

And Fabio is a prolific social media publisher - indeed his Instagram has over 975k followers - which is testament to the ongoing stream of brilliant content which he publishes.

I loved chatting to Fabio, hearing about his journey, his tips for tennis parents and just how he makes so much happen on Functional Tennis. Enjoy…

To find out more about Fabio, Functional Tennis and his podcast please head here.

For the Functional Tennis Instagram account please visit @functionaltennis

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Sporting parents, coaches and players - today you’re in for a treat! Wayne Goldsmith is an international coaching expert from Australia who has influenced the thinking and teaching of some of the world’s leading athletes, coaching and teams.

But if I’m honest that’s not why I was so excited about speaking to Wayne. The reason I was buzzing to chat with Wayne is because he is my no.1 go to source for wisdom on navigating the challenges of being a sporting parent and a coach too.

As you’ll hear, Wayne gets it. I know at times the journey of a sporting parent can be stressful and downright hard. From a coach perspective, it’s sometimes difficult to know what is important and what isn’t.

The approach which Wayne puts forward in his utterly compelling Aussie fashion has helped me as a parent and as a coach and I believe it can help you too. Enjoy…

Find out more about Wayne and his approach here: https://wgcoaching.com/

And do join me in subscribing to Wayne's YouTube channel too: https://www.youtube.com/wgcoaching

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Just to be clear, County Cup’s one of my favourite things in the whole wide world. I want to start with this as everything you are going to listen to comes from a starting point of love and wanting to make something that is great even better!

And you see, I do think Junior County Cup (focusing in on 11U, 12U and 14U) can be improved as a result of a couple of flaws - and I’d love to know if you agree and what improvements you’d make to LTA Junior County Cup.

For avoidance of doubt, this is research I’m undertaking. It’s not affiliated to the LTA although I will look to share the findings with the relevant parties at the LTA.

So have a listen and then please please HAVE YOUR SAY by visiting this link: www.serveandvolley.net/my-tennis-journey-podcast/lta-junior-county-cup-lets-make-it-even-better

You might have heard of tennis coach Todd Larkham for a host of reasons.

It was Todd who spotted a young Nick Kyrgios and coached him through to the Pro Tour and beyond. It’s brilliant to hear about that journey on this episode. You may know Todd was some player reaching no.136 in the World and that he played at each and every Grand Slams. Or have you seen Todd is one of the Coaches who feature on the ace Coachlife website which brings hundreds of video lessons from the Junior Coaches of some of tennis’s greatest players? More on Coachlife below.

After listening to this episode, though, I believe you’ll know Todd for giving some of the BESTEST guidance EVER for parents and coaches of aspiring junior tennis players. That’s not a throw away line. I mean it. Todd speaks with experience and from the heart. Whether you are a parent or coach, I 110% believe Todd can help you. Let him just do that by listening now…

As I mentioned above, Todd is one of the coaches on the ace new Coachlife tennis coaching site. The site brings video lessons from the childhood coaches of Swiatek, Gauff, Fritz, Tiafoe and Jack Draper. The guidance dispensed is incredibly useful for parents and coaches. I really recommend you check it out and not just because there is a load more top guidance from Todd!

Visit the Coachlife site here for your free 7 day trial: https://coachlife.com/?ref=TOL

A big thanks to Peter Clarke who set up the Coachlife website and helped put me in touch with Todd.

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Do you ever read a book and love it so much that you go round telling people about it? Like everyone you meet. That’s exactly what happened with myself and Conor Niland’s book The Racket! From his experience as a junior on the tournament circuit (one I know a lot of tennis parents will recognise) to his days on a tennis scholarship in the US to the rollercoaster ride that is the Pro Tour, Conor’s book is a compelling read. If you are anything like me, you’ll finish it in a couple of sittings.

BUY THE RACKET BY CONOR NILAND HERE

https://amzn.to/3Cg6ZAQ

This is the first book review I’ve done on My Tennis Journey - and I hope it will be the first of many. It was inspired by my friends at Ashby Castle Tennis Club who when I went on about the book said we should start a Book Club. This podcast episode is dedicated to my friends at Ashby Castle and all the other friends I have made on the tournament circuit which Conor brings to life so eloquently in the book.

If you’re a player, coach or tennis fan I think you’ll devour this book. It’s no surprise to me that it has been shortlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year for 2024. It would be a perfect Xmas present for you to give or receive!

The podcast episode is a short one - it gives you six reasons why I think you’ll love the book. Enjoy.

BUY THE RACKET BY CONOR NILAND HERE

https://amzn.to/3Cg6ZAQ

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Back in 2023, changes were made to LTA Junior County Cup 11U-14U that undoubtedly had good intentions but have resulted - I think - in a competition that just isn’t quite as good as it used to.

The objectives behind the changes were worthy but as I hope my original blog post on LTA County Cup 11U-14U shows the actions taken are not resulting in the objective being met.

I set out to find out if County Coaches and parents of players think the same way as I do or if they believe the changes are a good thing.

To do this I put a survey live with some questions and a section where people could add their thoughts and ideas. I’m delighted to be able to share the survey results with you alongside news of my meeting with a member of the LTA competitions team and what the next steps are.

A massive thanks to each and every person who took the time to share thoughts and ideas.

Suffice to say, I see this as the beginning of a campaign for change not the end of one.

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Over the past 20 years, Spanish Tennis has established itself as the World leader when it comes to producing world class players and establishing world class academies. Led by coaches like Pato Alvarez and Louis Bruguera and players like Nadal, Muguruza and Alcaraz as well as foreign stars who have trained in Spain like Murray, Spain has been a leading force in World tennis. It’s little wonder therefore that players and parents have headed to Spain to aid their players’ development at the host of amazing academies.

But what are the secrets of Spanish tennis and with powerhouses like France and Italy emerging, is Spain still as dominant as it once was and if not why not? In this episode we will find out from an absolute expert in the Spanish game. An American coach who was so passionate about Spanish tennis that he bought a plane ticket as a young man and headed to the academies of Spain where he became friends with Alvarez, Bruguera and a host of other top coaches.

I’m passionate about Spanish tennis, our boys have trained at the Ferrer Academy near Alicante and when I studied for my Level 3 coaching qualification I took the RPT course - which is a Spanish organisation.  I also bought a book by today’s guest called the Secrets of Spanish Tennis and I used the drills in it to drive my coaching.

The book is now newly updated with new material including a chapter on Toni Nadal - and today author, coach and social media influencer Chris Lewit is going to share the six Secrets of Spanish tennis with you! Enjoy…

BUY SECRETS OF SPANISH TENNIS ON AMAZON UK

VISIT THE SECRETS OF SPANISH TENNIS WEBSITE

Alternatively, to get hold of a signed copy of Secrets of Spanish Tennis Volume 2 please contact Chris Lewit directly on WhatsApp on +1 (914) 462-2912.

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Welcome to the 100th episode of My Tennis Journey. And what an episode it is!

In many ways, Conor Niland has had the ultimate tennis journey.

He’s taken the unbelievably hard step from promising junior to pro player. He’s played Grand Slam tennis. He’s played Davis Cup tennis. He reached number 129 in the World! Some achievement. Since retiring he’s become a Davis Cup captain.

However, what Conor has become best known for is bringing the whole journey kicking and screaming to life in an absolutely brilliant book called The Racket. A book which became the first tennis book EVER to win the prestigious William Hill Sports Book of the Year. A book that is about the rollercoaster of tennis and the rollercoaster of life.

Whether you are a player, parent, coach or someone interested in what life is really like as a sporting professional, I reckon you’ll find the book a compelling read. And I think this podcast episode will give you a whole load to think about and reflect on. And that is why I’m very happy that the 100th episode of My Tennis Journey features Conor Niland! Enjoy.

READ MORE ABOUT THE RACKET BY CONOR NILAND AND BUY IT NOW:

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