For Tennis Parents by a Tennis Parent

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Welcome to Season 8 Episode 21 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this episode, we chat once again with Coach Todd Widom as a follow-up to last week’s episode with the parents of 2 of Todd’s players.

The focus of this week’s conversation is the importance of following a step-by-step plan in junior development. Todd discusses the dangers when coaches and players try to rush the process, oftentimes leaving the player with shortcomings that are very difficult to fix down the line. Whether it’s the type of ball being used or the level of tournament being played, there is a logical progression that needs to be followed in order to wind up with a player who can compete with his or her peers throughout the juniors and into college and even the professional tour.

Todd has had many young players come to him who were not taught proper technique or proper footwork or who aren’t physically fit enough to withstand the rigors of junior tennis competition. As he says, it’s much easier to teach those things properly from the beginning than to try to make up for deficiencies later on.

Thank you to my son, Morgan Stone, aka STØNE, for our intro and outro music this season! You can find more of his music at SoundCloud.com/stonemuzic. If you’re interested in House Music, please be sure to check out his social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your tennis community. You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the ParentingAces website. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces – we have 4 options for you – by clicking here. Thank you!

News & Notes

• The NCAA DI Championships Elite 8 begin this Thursday at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, FL. I will be there Sunday for the Men’s and Women’s Team Finals as well as for the first round of the individual tournament on Monday. If you’ll be there, too, please let me know so we can connect! The tournament will be partially televised on the Tennis Channel. For more information, click here.
• The NCAA DIII Championships Elite 8 begin Monday, May 20th, at Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, MI. For more information, click here.
• The NAIA Championships begin today at the Mobile Tennis Center in Mobile, AL. For information on the men, click here. For information on the women, click here.
• We have added a Certified Coach Membership to our options. If you are a tennis coach certified by USPTA, PTR, WTCA, or iTPA, you are eligible to join our site at a discount. For more information, click here.
• If you are a Premium Member (or are considering upgrading your Free Membership), be sure to take note of all the amazing discounts and offers from our “partners”! Premium Members, click here to see everything available to you. Free Members, suffice it to say if you take advantage of just one of these offers it will more than pay for your upgrade!

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