“Anonymous (May 12, 2011-9:59)” and Steve Smith’s contrasting positions on the issue of whether or not possessiveness of coaches with a player is right, is what gave way to the birth of tennis academies. I am affectionately known as Coach D. I fit perfectly into the category Steve terms “car trunk coaches” especially when I started out, not so much now. Although I feel Steve may have mentioned it in an unfavourable light, I wear it with pride because I feel like I epitomize a successful trunk coach meaning it is not necessarily bad if you have a firm grasp and structure. I quantify success firstly by improvement of my players, secondly by clientele retention rate and lastly by the mixture of new clients and referrals. The reason I differentiate referrals to new clients is because referrals tend to be more sophisticated buyers who see right through a business pitch IF they are/were players themselves.

Qualifications, I am that kid which all of you have congregated upon this blog to raise! I say that light heartedly by the way but seriously, I was groomed for as long as I can remember, to hopefully one day break into elite pro status. Emphasis is on “elite” because that is the elusive part for many of us. I have played ITF Futures, USTA Pro Circuit, ITF/CAT Money Circuit all but Money Circuits are ATP sanctioned events as this level marks the onset of the ATP points accumulation system (ATP sanction event does not necessarily equal an ATP event). I have worked with some of the best coaches but have never stepped onto a court blind folded by false admiration for that coach. I have always been a well informed and an objective junior working with my instructors on both sides of their profession, as a student and as well as their subordinate. The big reason is I HAD to work a perceptive and smart game hence NEEDED a clever/smart/creative/dynamic/in-themoment-responsive/reactionary coach because I wasn’t the best (“cleanest”) ball striker. I had to outsmarting opponents mentally out of necessity. When that failed I out ran opponents. I looked for practical proof to see if “this stuff” works, I did not simply digest. I knew exactly which coaches blew smoke, knew their stuff or were just plain tennis illiterate in their sincerity. It is easy to be 30 and have accrued 14 years of teaching experience if your first coaching job was at 16. All that coupled with a USTA certification for those who believe in papers. Partially, as a result of the reasons mentioned above, I have always considered myself a student of the game first among my list of relationships with tennis.
With that background information let’s get back to my introduction to academies. One thing I do want to point out is, although Steve and Anonymous draw hard lines on their seemingly differing positions on the issue, they both share the same sentiment, that it takes and requires time and patience to develop a player. Where Steve might handle a player’s departure with grace Anonymous feels slighted. I am also convinced Anonymous’ reasoning favours his keen sense of business judging by his credentials or experience while Steve, as a coach past the need for recognition for his abilities, lets his “portfolio” do the talking and therefore handles the situation less grudgingly. It is easy to see why Ian Kraijeck, whose last name is associated with tennis royalty by the way, maybe too quick to dismiss Anonymous’ knowledge as a coach. Academies demand a long term commitment especially if the player is “sponsored”=long term commitment. Unfortunately, most paying players at academies will never receive the same level of quality in their tutelage once the coaches deduce that you will not break into pros. For this reason Steve is dead on when he says assess a coach’s ability by their worst players that is one sure way of differentiating out check-takers to player developers. Academies allow a situation where the coach honing the player’s skill and therefore has the “bigger picture” of which direction the player’s game should be coerced to, has 100% percent control. From which coaches to work on what aspect of the player’s game, who to hit with, what tournaments to play to what logos go on your clothes are placed. An example would be if I spend the month working on your attacking game, all the hitting lessons I set up the following month might be against the best defenders in the academy for re-enforcement.

In affording control, the academies route or a private coach’s scenario, the path to being a good tennis player requires consistency and structure. Tennis is dynamic and therefor offers a high degree of flexibility/leniency for THE path to greatness. Two stellar but alternative schools of thought can be detrimental where either one would have sufficed singularly. A player is groomed into a distinct style of play with 3-4 back-up styles of play and it is a coach’s job to make this “configuration” but it can be difficult if two coaches are promoting different directions. That is why players are as varied in style as Agassi is from Sampras, is from Coria, is from is from Rios, but have all reached a level of undeniable success. Where Steve wins the toss up is he is open to accommodating “specialty/consulting” coaches. Murray/Roddick/Djokovic legitimized this trend and there are reasonable arguments that Venus on her forehand could have benefitted from a consulting coach, Davydenko on his volley game, Nalbandian on his serve etc as long as these coaches’ work is complimentary to the bigger picture it is fine.

To parents a finding the right coach is not an easy job but when you do, do not be too quick to jump ship. The player+coach, coach+parent relationship can be as delicate and sensitive as personal relationships. After there are months or better yet, years of commitment blood sweat and tears invested literally, it becomes increasingly difficult not to get emotional during testing times, past the romance. Read Sampras’ book “A Champion’s Mind”, he went through a phase of stagnation and getting annihilated before things got better. The higher your kid scales the rankings the less visible the improvement, matter of fact the graph begins to level. Returning to the court and rehashing old lessons to compliment the new is necessary to maintain this slow but steady growth.