Life as a Tennis Coach: My Story

After stepping out of my comfort zone, my life began to change.

Growing up, I was that shy kid who sat at the back of the classroom in school, hoping the teacher would never call on me to answer a question. Social interactions with anyone outside of my family and close friends used to terrify me to the point where I would actively avoid them all together. This became a huge barrier for me, particularly in my late teenage years when I began thinking about my career path.

I have always been a very hard working individual who possesses a go-getter mentality, but I knew I had to improve my social skills and self-confidence if I wanted to achieve my goals. Ever since I was a kid, having a lifelong career as a tennis coach has been my dream, especially after playing competitively for many years prior. I wanted to use my passion for the sport to help other players reach their full potential. That said, I had decided that my love for tennis overpowered those social barriers that I had placed upon myself, so I actively made a choice to pursue my desired career path with the hopes of gradually breaking out of my shell.

Pushing myself out of my comfort zone was the best decision I ever made because it completely transformed me as a person. Through coaching, I have gained so much more confidence in myself to the point where being in a leadership role and constantly communicating with others comes naturally to me. Due to this, I have been able to build meaningful relationships and do my job to the best of my abilities each and every day. As humans, we can do anything we put our minds to. For me as a coach, it is important to instil that same belief in my students while helping them achieve their tennis goals.

Striving for self-improvement while staying authentic in my teaching style and approach has always been crucial for me. I wholeheartedly believe that the desire to better myself every day by actively learning more about my profession on and off the court is what drives the improvement. Also as coaches our actions, behaviours and values have such an enormous impact on our players. If I expect my players to put in the work, then it is important for me to hold myself to a high standard and set a positive example by doing the same. As Serena Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou said, “As a coach, be obsessed with improving, and develop your skills as you expect your players to do the same for their tennis.”

Being a coach has also taught me that no matter where I am in my journey, the learning never stops. With coaching or any other profession in life, the goal is not perfectionism; the goal is to have a constructive mindset that allows you to use each experience as a stepping stone to improve. In addition to this, coaching has reminded me to cherish every moment spent on court; to always have fun, smile, and spread positivity. Like we teach our players, it is important to always remind ourselves that the reason why we started pursuing tennis in the first place is because we love it.

Now, it is hard to imagine my life without coaching. It has shaped me into the person I am today, and I am forever grateful for all of the life lessons it has taught me so far. I am very much looking forward to all of the future lessons I will learn on this incredible journey.

Did The COVID-19 Pandemic Strengthen Mental Toughness in Tennis?

After several months of professional tennis being suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was recently announced that the ATP and WTA Tours will be resuming tournaments in August this year, including the US Open. This was the moment tennis players and fans from across the globe have been waiting for.

Before this, players had been working hard to maintain all-round healthy lifestyles at home so that they are fully prepared to compete again. This included home workouts, eating well, and staying connected with other players as much as possible. As we are all aware, maintaining this lifestyle improves the longevity of players, as well as their overall athletic performance on court.

Throughout the quarantine, working out at home appeared to be the new trend on social media among athletes, personal trainers and coaches from across the globe. There are now a plethora of creative workout options posted on social media that are readily accessible at anyone’s fingertips. Of course, this has been extremely beneficial for tennis players. The big question that ponders my mind is, how many reps were the mental muscles getting compared to the reps gained in the physical workouts? As we all know, mental toughness is absolutely vital for tennis players and needs to be practiced. With that in mind, were the mental muscles strengthening or suffering amid the COVID-19 pandemic?

Some might say that being in quarantine was a detriment to the mental aspect of the game because players haven’t been in “match mode” for months. This may be true considering tennis players train the mental muscle by playing matches in an effort to build resilience under pressure. There have been a few opportunities to do that recently, such as Patrick Mouratoglou’s Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS), and the first leg of the Adria Tour exhibition event in Belgrade, Serbia. Players who have already started playing matches in events like these definitely have the upper-hand in August.

However, this does not mean those who are still awaiting to compete have lost their mental toughness on court. Since players have been in a pressure-filled situation every day because of the pandemic, they have actually been subconsciously strengthening that muscle for several months. This would absolutely be transferrable to tennis because they were forced to train their brains to stay calm in a stressful situation, which is highly emphasized in this sport. So, if players say that lessons learned in tennis are beneficial to other aspects of life, then it would make sense to say that lessons learned in life are beneficial to tennis. They are interchangeable.

Through the face of uncertainty and isolation, players have had the opportunity to learn new underlying lessons surrounding two crucial on-court skills; self-compassion and problem solving. This was especially true with social distancing guidelines, since players need to find comfort in being by themselves and in their own thoughts on court. Being forced to put themselves in that situation in their day-to-day life for a few months, depending on how they view the situation, will make them more conscious about mindfulness.  Similarly, the lessons they have learned on court surrounding patience and living in the moment builds their tolerance towards the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

It was up to the players to hone down this mindset by viewing this as a learning experience and an opportunity to practice mindfulness. Of course, this was a huge challenge because tennis players live an extremely busy lifestyle with travelling, competing and working on their craft every day. That said, being temporarily separated from their passion, combined with the major disruption in their routines, could really take a toll on their mental health and heavily alter the way they perceive certain situations. This is true for anyone who has been unable to pursue what makes them happiest. This is why I believe, from both a player and coach’s perspective, that pursuing their passion after so long will already put them in a great headspace while competing.  

It was important to get into that tennis player mentality away from the court so that they could look at the situation more constructively; they may have been down in the third set, but that did not mean the match was over. That said, it will be interesting see how heavily this situation will play into the mental game on court.

Do you think being quarantined for several months was a benefit or detriment to players’ mental game?   

Three Crucial Life Lessons Tennis Teaches You

I was nine years old when I first picked up a tennis racquet. My father, who plays tennis himself, introduced me to the sport by taking me to the local courts in my neighbourhood. As soon as I hit my first forehand, tennis immediately became my addiction. Soon enough, I started taking lessons and hitting against the wall as much as I could. When I reached the competitive level a few years later, I enrolled in tournaments quite frequently. Like all players at that level, I experienced an abundance of highs and lows during that period of time.

As I now reflect back to my competitive days as a 22-year-old coach, I realize that my “lows” had actually taught me some of the most valuable lessons that are applicable to all avenues of life. While I may not have grasped this at the time, I would argue that the tough lessons I learned were more life changing than “highs” I experienced. With that said, here are three crucial life lessons that any competitive tennis player will learn throughout their journeys:

How to be your own best friend

Since tennis is such an individual sport, it requires a tremendous amount of mental discipline. This is especially true when your rhythm is off and you cannot comprehend why that is. This may also be the case if you are losing to a lower ranked player and you can’t seem to turn the match around. Controlling your thoughts and staying calm in these moments may be tough, but absolutely vital. If you do not, you will start beating yourself up for your mistakes, which leads you into a rapid downward spiral of negativity. The toughest part is, you are all alone with those deconstructive thoughts on court, and are unable to seek guidance from your coach on how to pull yourself out of it. You are the one who can tell yourself to regroup, problem solve, and fight your way back into the match.

For this reason, tennis teaches you how to be your own teammate and your own best friend in the most difficult moments on and off the court. The way we treat ourselves on a day-to-day basis, no matter what we strive for, is crucial to our overall wellbeing. Once you become more conscious about that, you transform into a stronger, more confident individual. You begin trusting your abilities more in matches, which enables you to take more risks tactically. You start going for the lines a little more because you are no longer afraid of making mistakes. Physically, you feel more relaxed because you know that whatever the outcome of the match is, you would be at peace with yourself. Possessing a positive mindset like that makes you a happier person overall, wherever life takes you.

Learning is everything

This is a big one. If you are not actively seeking to learn something new every time you step on court, you will not improve at a rapid pace. Tennis teaches you that breaking down long term goals into short term goals will allow you to achieve greater results. Say, for example, your long term goal is to play ITF tournaments. Obviously, that goal is not achievable overnight if you are just starting to play local tournaments. Instead, you learn to take it one day at a time by asking the following questions: What did you learn in practice today? What is your plan for the following practice? If your plan is constructive, you will begin to improve at a much faster pace and therefore, stay motivated. This is applicable to everyday life as well because understanding how to set goals in a constructive manner reduces stress, especially when faced with lengthy tasks. More often than not, it is overwhelming to focus on the bigger picture. Construct the point before going for the winner!  

Good sportsmanship and honesty

This is especially true if you are playing a local tournament where you are responsible for calling the lines. You will learn that it is much more respectable to lose knowing you did not make any questionable calls than to cheat your way to victory. Not only are there consequences to cheating, but it is a major disruption to the match. There is nothing worse than your opponent calling an umpire to the court because of your line calls. This applies to all avenues of life; to build or maintain your credibility, you must be an honest person and stay accountable for your actions.

Conclusion

Tennis is truly a life changing sport. You learn how to stay true to yourself while building good morals and character. As someone who played competitively in my teens, I can confidently say it has helped prepare me for adulthood, particularly with handling seemingly stressful situations in a calm and composed manner. It has shaped me into the positive, hard working individual that I am today and I will forever be grateful for everything I experienced throughout my journey. To conclude this blog, here is an impactful quote that my former coach once said to me: “Like a serve, aim up high and go for it.”

Owners Of St. Lucia Private House Look For Guests To Break In Their New Tennis Courts

Freshly built tennis court at the Satori Ocean House in St. Lucia. Photo courtesy of Rob and Lori Maaskant.

Owners of a luxurious private house in St. Lucia built a breathtaking tennis court for their guests to enjoy.

 Rob and Lori Maaskant, owners of the Satori Ocean House, are two tennis enthusiasts who have always wanted to share their passion with others. After moving into their scenic, secluded property on the south east coast of the island in 2013, they decided that building a tennis court would draw more people into the sport. According to Lori, most tourists travel to the northern end of the island to play tennis, so they were destined to expand the sport in the south.

 The pair have strong ties with the island. They started travelling to St. Lucia since 2003, and have been flying there from Canada three to four times per year since then. It wasn’t until 2008 when they purchased their property, which according to Rob, was time consuming because of a lengthy government application process.

 “We purchased the land in 2008 and were able to start construction in 2011,” he said. “We found that it was important to work with people from the island who understood the process and had connections to local government officials.”

 He also said that living in Canada also made it a challenging process, since materials were not readily made and had to be shipped to the island. It was an obstacle for them, but their dedication and love for tennis was too strong for them to lose sight of their goal.

 After finishing that, they finally decided that they would build the court in 2018. They began building it in the fall, and it only took them three months to complete. The final product turned out to be a beautiful, freshly painted blue tennis court with a stunning view of the Atlantic Ocean.

 “We built the court because we love tennis,” said Rob. “We are actually quite addicted to the game. We play as many days as we can in Canada, and when we go to St. Lucia, we do the same. Playing on the court in St. Lucia is very beautiful, as there are views up and down the coast from the court.”

 Rob and Lori said that the tennis court is a great addition to what the house already has to offer. That being said, they are extremely satisfied with the final result, and believe that taking this project on was a rewarding experience.

 “It is the purest of luxuries to throw your shoes on and step onto our court,” said Lori.

 In addition to the tennis court, there are many different services and activities that guests can take advantage of at the house, from relaxing massages to vigorous hiking excursions. The house also includes a small, isolated beach that is walking distance from the rooms. 

 For more information about the Satori Ocean House, you can visit their website here. You can also follow their social media page here.

Three-month building process in chronological order

Photos taken by Rob and Lori Maaskant:

Tennis Camp Provides Opportunity For New Canadian Youth

Former Canadian professional tennis player, Daniel Nestor, playing tennis with campers on centre court.

A group of New Canadian Youth developed a huge passion for tennis after attending a four-day camp.

 The Tennis Canada Summer Tennis Camp, held in honour of tennis doubles legend Daniel Nestor, was located at the Aviva Centre from July 2-5. It was also aimed at children ages 8-13 who have moved to Canada within the past 10 years. Both Tennis Canada and Tennis Clubs of Canada teamed up to operate the camp with the hopes of expanding tennis participation across the nation. York University generously contributed as well by allowing campers to use their facilities for field games and swimming. Over 30 New Canadians registered, with the majority of them never having played tennis before.

 The Tennis Clubs of Canada staff facilitated the camp by running on-court drills and games, including Rogers Community Team Tennis. Having the camp primarily based around team activities created an inclusive and tightly-knitted environment for everyone. In response, the campers were highly engaged, showing a tremendous level of enthusiasm throughout. One of the Tennis Clubs of Canada coaches at the camp, Cassandra Webster, said that teaching these kids was an experience like no other. 

 “They are all just so excited, engaged, and want to learn more and be involved,” she said. “It is really encouraging as a coach to see kids who are so excited to play tennis. There is a spirit with all of these kids that I haven’t had with some of my other groups. They are always happy and just so grateful.”

Behind each on-court game, the Tennis Clubs of Canada staff also played a vital role in teaching these kids underlying life lessons. Competing in teams and working together enhanced their communication, leadership, and problem solving skills. The ability to lead a team to victory in a constructive manner is a quality that is important to practice in everyday life.  

 On the second last day of camp, Nestor dropped in to meet the campers and play tennis with them on centre court. In a sit-down with the 12-time Grand Slam doubles champion, he agreed that tennis teaches essential life skills that can be applied anywhere.

 “Tennis teaches lots of important values, discipline, patience and hard work,” he told the campers. “It doesn’t matter what you do in life – you will need those important factors for whatever it is you decide to do to be successful and tennis is a great stepping stone for that.”  

 Like the campers, Nestor also started his tennis journey in Canada, moving from Serbia at the age of four and beginning to play tennis at the age of seven. Being able to relate to the kids in that way, the tennis star said that having fun playing the sport at this age is key to turning it into a lifelong passion.  

 “It’s all about having fun, especially at your age,” he said to them. “It’s a great sport and it’s taught me a lot but I think if you guys want to play it for a long time, you have to enjoy it and enjoy the experience, so hopefully you guys all have fun today and we all have fun together.”

 The kids took that piece of advice to heart and did exactly that when they went to play on centre court with him. Several mini nets were set up along the court and the kids got an opportunity to rally with Nestor. He also made a conscious effort of playing either with or against everyone and maintained a high level of enthusiasm throughout.

 By the end of the camp, the kids felt a great sense of fulfillment. The progress the kids made was massive, from not knowing how to hold the racquet at the beginning, to being able to rally back and forth with a partner. Iqra Khugyani, a camper who moved from Afghanistan to Canada five months ago, said that being in the camp inspired her to continue playing tennis even now that the camp has wrapped up.

 “My favourite part about the camp was playing tennis and having fun together,” she said. “I really liked to play tennis with all of the teachers and I love them all.”

 Nestor offers advice to Khugyani and all of the other campers who plan on pursuing tennis. After reflecting back on his own career, he said that finding a balance between having fun and working hard on and off the court is key to rapid improvement and overall success.

 “It’s important to have your goals and try to be the best player you can but also to do it in a fun environment,” he said. “If you can have a situation where you are having fun and working hard at the same time, that’s ideal.”

Two campers proudly wearing their new Tennis Clubs of Canada shirts after receiving them on the last day.

To listen to my interview with Daniel Nestor, click here.

Raonic Fundraiser makes ATP Tour a reality for Canadian teenager

Tennis Clubs of Canada staff with Milos Raonic and Liam Draxl at the Raonic Fundraiser on May 12, 2019. Photo courtesy of Tennis Clubs of Canada.

Milos Raonic helped a Canadian teenager turn his dream into a reality by raising $7,560 to support his budding tennis career.

Liam Draxl is currently No. 11 in the world junior rankings and is now storming into the Men’s ATP Tour. With his success as a junior, the rising tennis star is now following in the footsteps of Canadians such as Denis Shapovalov and Felix Auger-Aliassime, with his local tennis community supporting him every step of the way.

This includes Raonic, who organized a fundraiser for the 17-year-old on May 12, to help with the expenses he will have to face on tour. He worked with Tennis Clubs of Canada to kick-start this event and arranged a silent auction and a GoFundMe campaign that is blowing up with donations. Liam’s mother, Alison Draxl, expressed how grateful she is towards Raonic.  

“It’s overwhelming for me, really. Milos has just done so much and saying thank you, for me, really isn’t even sufficient,” she said. “We’ve gotten to know him for the last two weeks and he’s an amazing person, and what he is doing for Liam is incredible.”

Tennis Clubs of Canada has also been a primary source of support for Liam ever since he first picked up a tennis racquet. He started playing at one of their clubs, Newmarket Winter Tennis Club, at the age of five and has been a meaningful member of the Tennis Clubs of Canada family since. His father, Brian Draxl, has also been a teaching professional there since 1995.

Raonic also has strong ties with the organization – as a long-time member of Blackmore Tennis Club throughout his junior years, he grew up with the same staff members with whom he’s built a strong connection with. 

With this organization holding so much significance for both Raonic and Liam, it was decided that holding the fundraiser at Tennis Clubs of Canada’s newer facility, Marilyn Redvers Tennis Centre, would make the event even more meaningful.  

The turnout was massive. Hundreds of members flooded the facility with eager faces to play with their Tennis Clubs of Canada heroes. For the first hour, recreational-level kids got a chance to be on court, while high performance kids got that opportunity in the second hour. Meanwhile, the coaching staff were running drills and hitting with members for both hours, while Raonic and Liam were bouncing from court-to-court.

Both of Liam’s parents said that through this fundraiser, the relationship between Raonic and their son has strengthened. Alison said that they had their first practice together recently and she hopes it is the first of many. From a coach’s perspective, Brian explained why this relationship is healthy for his son.

“Milos has had such a strong and positive influence on Liam because Liam’s goal since he was a young kid was to be a professional tennis player,” he said. “He has learned so much from him in terms of what it really takes to be a professional athlete and what is required to get there.”

He also said that Raonic has not only been an inspiration for his son, but for the entire tennis community. He expressed his gratitude towards him, thanking him for being a great ambassador for Canadian tennis.

“We’re just really grateful for everything he’s done – for us, for Tennis Clubs of Canada, for Liam, for the community – we just have such a strong tennis community and we can see that from the support today. Milos is certainly a huge part of what it has been able to be,” he said.

 If you want to make a donation towards Liam’s professional tennis career, you can do so here.

Tennis Canada responsible for the “Canadian takeover"

Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu battling it out in a match. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via Creative Commons.

Canadian tennis players are now smashing records and claiming titles, thanks to Tennis Canada.

This year’s Canadian takeover started when Bianca Andreescu captured her first WTA title at the Oracle Challenger in January. A few weeks later, Brayden Schnur reached his first ATP final at the New York Open, initially coming in as a qualifier. Felix Auger-Aliassime also became the youngest player to reach an ATP 500 final just a few days ago. Meanwhile, Denis Shapovalov has been soaring through the rankings, making his way into the top 30.

It is no secret that Canada’s up-and-coming tennis stars are working hard for their results and Tennis Canada is now promoting that through their Find Your Beat campaign. They do this by showcasing young, Canadian talent with the hopes of expanding tennis participation across the country. The campaign has been successful with 18 per cent of the country picking up a racquet last year, according to SIRC News Hub.

By putting this campaign into motion, Tennis Canada gives players motivation to continue following their dreams. This inspirational video reminds them about why they started playing in the first place, and how much of an impact they can truly make in the tennis world. This creates long-lasting players whose passions do not burn out.

Tennis Canada’s ongoing support paved the way for Canadians to succeed – they created young, confident players who take pride in representing their country. Having an organization that backs them up also helps them grind through big matches.

With Canadian tennis rapidly expanding across the country, tennis fans are bound to see more surprises from these young players in the future.

How Denis Shapovalov inspired me to become a tennis coach

Canadian tennis player, Denis Shapovalov. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via Creative Commons.

Tennis is like a physical chess match; with hundreds of people watching you, it requires strategic placement in every shot, and a great deal of mental toughness. In every match, you are all alone out there in your own thoughts without your coach’s help to lead you to victory.

That was why Denis Shapovalov beating Rafael Nadal at the age of 18 in the Rogers Cup 2017 was such a powerful moment. Watching him fall to the ground when he hit that forehand down-the-line winner on match point gave me goosebumps.

Before he was nicknamed “Shapo,” I remember competing in a few of the same tournaments as him. I watched him play, having no idea he would become a future tennis star. I thought he was a great player, but if you were to tell me at the time that he would beat Nadal years later, I’d call you a liar.

But there was something about Shapovalov that stood out from the rest of his Canadian competitors. Coincidently, he used to go to the same high school as me and I saw him walking down the hallways quite frequently. Every time I saw him, he wore his tennis bag with a confident look on his face, noticeably taking pride in his passion. Looking back, him doing that truly represented how much he loves the sport, and his determination to reach his goals.

As a tennis coach, the goal is to ignite a passion in players and push them to their highest potential. I want to inspire someone so much, that they get the urge to wear a tennis bag everywhere they go.

Grand Slam Pro Am Benefits Maccabi Canada

Former top 20 ATP ranked tennis players, Wayne Ferreira (far left) and Amos Mansdorf (far right) participating in the 2016 Grand Slam Pro Am Tennis Tournament at the Aviva Centre. Click the photo to read my article.

Pickering’s Brayden Schnur a tennis star on the rise

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons via Creative Commons. Click the photo to read my article.