Intercollegiate Tennis Association

Dave & Chris discuss coaching transitions, from volunteer to full-time assistant, and across schools. Chris shares his perspective on the importance of staying in one place, working for good people and learning the ins and outs of the profession. They also discuss recruiting and the impact of NIL on tennis, the ways in which he continually learns how to improve as a coach, and new ideas he impleneted with his team.

Welcome to the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast with your host Abi Wild, a former women's tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players for college tennis players to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world.

Paul Settles enters his 21st season as the Head Men's Coach at Claremont Mudd Scripps. He has led the program to the  NCAA DIII National Championship finals, six times in the last 10 seasons, and earned CMS its first NCAA Championship in any sport, in 2015. Paul has served on numerous committees throughout his career and is currently the co-chair of the ITA's Division III Operating Committee, and sits on the ITA's Board of Directors. Additionally, Paul serves as a Professor of Leadership studies, oversees a not for profit foundation with his wife, and is an actively competitive tennis player. In this podcast, Dave and Paul discuss his transition from working as the Head of Players Services on the ATP Tour, to becoming a college tennis coach, despite having no previous coaching experience. Paul reflects on some of his biggest mistakes as a new coach, and how he's evolved throughout his career. They also talk about how being a professor of Leadership Studies at CMS and continuing to compete in tournaments, helps him as a coach.

With over 25 years of experience working within or with collegiate tennis programs, Scott has worked with the USTA for the past eight years in the collegiate and facility departments. With a passion for college tennis and the facilities in which tennis is played, Scott is the go to person when it comes to finding opportunities to upgrade tennis facilities and what opportunities are available to collegiate programs to help offset some of the costs associated with facility upgrades. Listen to the podcast above to hear more from Scott and the opportunities available to college programs from the USTA.

In this podcast, Erin and Dave discuss what she and her staff do to achieve a 120-0 record in conference play, early lessons learned when going from student-athlete to head coach, the impact of additional duties on her role as head coach and what Dave needs to consider about DIII tennis, in his new role as CEO.

In today's episode, Abi sits down with recently graduated Northwestern and Maryland women's tennis player, Hannah McColgan. As an influential player on two Big Ten teams, McColgan has turned her passion for the sport of college tennis into a career, becoming the assistant coach at UMass after graduation. Stepping in and immediately making an impact, McColgan earned ITA New England Region Assistant Coach of the Year honor in just her first season as an assistant. Her efforts helped lead UMass to a 15-8 overall record and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. While you listen, Abi and Hannah will discuss many different aspects of being a college tennis player, including, the experiences she gained as a player at both Northwestern and Maryland, the transition from being a player to a coach, and what she has learned from her first year of college coaching.

Rod Ray is in his 25th year as the head men's tennis coach at Wofford College, where he also served as the head women's coach from 2000-2008. In 2024, he published his book “Hard Comes First”, which condenses 24 years of college coaching into essential lessons for fellow coaches. In this podcast, rod and dave discuss the ideas and concepts from rod's book, including how he gets his athletes to embrace discomfort, his philosophy on coaches having an unwavering belief in others, and how he motivates athletes to pursue greatness. He also shares why he thinks difficulty is so good for people, how coaches can get out of their own comfort zones and much more.

In today's episode, Abi sits down with Columbia men's tennis junior, Michael Zheng, who was recently crowned the NCAA Division I Men's Singles Champion. Coming into Columbia as one of the top ranked junior players in the country, Zheng has impressed since day one at the college ranks achieving many program firsts over his first two and a half years in New York. Now a two-time NCAA Singles Finalist, Zheng was the first Columbia player to achieve ITA All-American status during both his freshman and sophomore seasons. Over the next hour, Michael and Abi will discuss many different aspects of being a college tennis player, including, why he chose to attend Columbia, how he has handled the success he has achieved, and how he balances being a top tennis player at one of the top educational institutions in the country. We hope you enjoy this inside look into college tennis, and be on the lookout for new episodes every month.

In this podcast, Dave and Paul discuss his tactical system, the Wardlaw Directionals, Paul's transition and immediate success from DIII to DI, how Paul learned to be an effective college coach early on in his career, and so much more.

Harry Jadun was named the Michigan State head men's tennis coach in June 2022. He set several records as a player at Michigan State and is now doing the same as the head coach, helping the program to heights never seen before. Harry has benefited from coaching programs offered by both the USTA and the ITA that have helped enhance his growth as a coach while also serving as an assistant coach at the University of Illinois and Michigan State University. In this podcast, Dave and Harry get into why Harry has enjoyed some much coaching success at such a young age; how growing up in the digital age may be an advantage to him; what he has learned from a number of great mentors, and much more.

Denise Dy was an outstanding college player at the University of Washington, reaching as high as No. 3 in the ITA National rankings. Denise has committed herself to learning as much as possible about the coaching profession and is committed to evolving with the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. In this podcast, Denise shares why continuing education has been important to her career development, how she manages community and athletic department expectations for the program, and how she approaches recruiting now as the divide between the haves and the have-nots continues to widen.

Welcome to the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast with your host Abi Wild, a former women's tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players, for college tennis players, to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world.

Bo Jabery-Madison is about to enter his 20th year coaching the men's team at American River College, which competes in the CCCAA division of college tennis. Bo has led his teams to 13 conference titles while qualifying for the CCCAA Playoffs every year of his tenure.  In this podcast Bo shares why he has stayed loyal to American River College throughout his collegiate coaching career; the differences between trying to develop players in a two-year window vs. a four-year window; the nuances of 3C2A college tennis and much more.

Richard Spurling is a former international college tennis player at FAU and founder of ACEing Autism, a volunteer-driven non-profit organization dedicated to helping children with autism grow through the sport of tennis. In this podcast Dave discusses with Richard how college coaches can help ACEing Autism fulfill their mission and goals; the many benefits of community service and how coaches can easily start an ACEing Autism program on their campuses while receiving all the help they need to get their program going.

Craig O'Shannessy is widely recognized as a world leader in teaching and analyzing tennis strategy. He has worked with numerous professional tennis players, including Novak Djokovic, throughout his illustrious coaching career. He is very familiar with the college game; playing college tennis himself and having worked with many college coaches and their programs through the years.     In this podcast, Dave asks Craig to clear up any misconceptions about the first 4 ball concept that Craig popularized. Craig also puts himself in the shoes of a college coach and discusses what would his approach to identifying talent and what he what his practice focus would be throughout the fall season of college tennis, if he were to become a college coach tomorrow.  We apologize for a bit of background noise during the early part of this podcast but stick with it, it is well worth a listen.

Tyler Thomson, the associate head coach for the UNC women's tennis team since 2018,  served as the head women's tennis coach at the University of Minnesota for 11 seasons and the College of William & Mary for 6 seasons. In his time at UNC, he has helped the team to one NCAA title, four ITA National Indoor Championships and three ACC Conference titles. In this podcast, Tyler shares why he made the move from being head coach after 17 seasons to an associate head coach; why building a great culture and focusing on human development trumps winning; how he keeps perspective in work and in life; his work with the ITA Women's Hall of Fame and a whole lot more.

Welcome to the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast with your host Abi Wild, a former women's tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players for college tennis players to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world. In today's episode, Abi sits down with recently graduated Texas men's tennis player Eliot Spizzirri. As the two-time ITA National Player of the Year, Spizzirri has been one of the top college tennis players at the Division I level throughout his career. He concluded the season with a 29-6 overall record, including 21-4 in dual matches, playing on the top line in all of those. Fourteen of his 29 wins came against top-50 opponents. In the fall of 2023, Spizzirri won the singles title at the ITA All-American Championships. While you listen, Abi and Eliot will discuss many different aspects of being a college tennis player, including, the transition from college tennis to the pro tour, why he decided to go to college after a successful junior career, and how Texas has developed him into the player and person he is today.

Lauren and Dave discuss a wide range of college tennis topics including Dave's hiring as the new ITA CEO starting in January 2025, important news that coaches need to know, and what he is excited for as Fall 2024 rapidly approaches.

Jay Tee began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the men's and women's teams at Cleveland State helping both programs to many achievements. After struggling to identify a head coaching role at the NCAA DI level, Jay opened up his mind to the possibility of coaching another division. In 2012 he accepted the heading coaching role for both programs at the University of Chicago where he has gone on to many accomplishments culminating in a NCAA DIII title on both the men's and women's side this past May.   In this podcast, Dave and Jay, discuss the transition from DI to DIII coaching, how Jay's self-reflection during Covid allowed the teams to break through some plateaus, and finding the right fit for your coaching talents.

Welcome to the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast with your host Abi Wild, a senior women's tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players for college tennis players to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world. In today's episode, Abi sits down with Keiser women's tennis player Violet Apisah. Since beginning her collegiate career at Keiser, Violet has been a part of one ITA National Team Indoor Championship in 2023 and has been NAIA National Runners-Up for the past two seasons. While you listen, Ansh and Violet will discuss many different aspects of being a college tennis player, including, why she chose to go to junior college before enrolling at Keiser, her success on and off the court, and what it is like to balance academics and athletics. We hope you enjoy this inside look into college tennis, and be on the lookout for new episodes every month for the next three months.

At one point this season, Gabby Moore helped her team to a 16-match win streak and spearheaded another resurgent year for McNeese State. She served as the head men's and women's tennis coach at Jackson State for five years after a great career playing for another HBCU, the Southern Jaguars. In this podcast Dave and Gabby discuss transitioning from coaching two teams, to coaching one; how she manages the stresses of the life of a college tennis coach as a single mom, enjoy a disagreement over the let rule, and much more.

Earlier this year, legendary University of Georgia Head Men's Tennis Coach, Manny Diaz, announced this would be his last season leading the Bulldogs after 36 years at the helm. During his career, Manny and his teams captured 29 conference championships, four NCAA titles, and two ITA national indoor championships to name just a few of his many accomplishments.   In this podcast, Manny shares what he learned from his predecessor and mentor, Dan Magill; some of his favorite memories; how he stayed connected and relatable to his players with each passing generation, and much more.

Welcome to the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast with your host Abi Wild, a senior women's tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players for college tennis players to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world. In today's episode, Abi sits down with Case Western Reserve men's tennis player Ansh Shah. Since beginning his collegiate career at Case Western Reserve, Ansh has been a part of two ITA National Team Indoor Championships as well as an NCAA Team Championship in 2023, the first for the entire Case Western Reserve athletic department. While you listen, Ansh and Abi will discuss many different aspects of being a college tennis player, including, why he chose to play at Case Western Reserve, his success on and off the court, and what it is like to balance academics and athletics. We hope you enjoy this inside look into college tennis, and be on the lookout for new episodes every month for the next three months.

Jason Harnett has devoted much of his professional coaching career to the growth and development of Wheelchair tennis in the USA. A former college tennis player at the University of Washington, Jason is now the Director of Wheelchair Tennis at the USTA having coached many of the top US Wheelchair Tennis players in recent decades. The growth of wheelchair tennis providers, wheelchair tennis tournaments, US Open slots and prize money, and collegiate wheelchair tennis programs has been nothing short of remarkable in recent years. However, with this growth comes a dire need for additional collegiate wheelchair programs across the country so that junior wheelchair players can continue their tennis journey. In this podcast, Jason shares some of his work to date and what steps college coaches could consider to start their own program.

Welcome to the very first episode of the ITA Student-Athlete Podcast, with your host Abi Wild, a senior women's tennis player at Hawaii Pacific University. This podcast was created by college tennis players for college tennis players to share the stories and experiences of our unique sport with the world. In today's episode, Abi sits down with NC State women's tennis senior Amelia Rajecki, who is someone that she has grown up playing tennis with, and against, in England. Since starting her collegiate career at NC State, Amelia has risen to become one of the top players in all of college tennis, being named an ITA All-American in singles and doubles in 2023, while earning a career-high ITA Singles Ranking of No. 3 in the Nov. 15 rankings release. Over the next hour, Amelia and Abi will discuss many different aspects of being a college tennis player, including, why she chose to come to college America and NC state, her success, and what her plans are next. We hope you enjoy this inside look into college tennis, and be on the lookout for new episodes every month for the next four months.

Lindsay Peterson is a former standout player for Nebraska Volleyball helping the team to an NCAA title in 2000. She coached at Northern Colorado and Virginia Tech before taking on the Director of Operations role at the University of Nebraska.   Lindsay has enjoyed a front-row seat to the rise in popularity of women's college volleyball in recent years and in this podcast, Dave and Lindsay discuss the factors that have led to the growth of interest in volleyball and other collegiate women's sports; how volleyball coaches have helped grow attendance at their matches and the story behind the world record women's sports attendance record set last year.

Brendan Sullivan, the founder and CEO of the newest ITA partner, ZAMA Health joins Jon Fagg, the UTA Athletic Director and host, Dave Mullins, to discuss how student-athletes and coaches at UTA are maximizing their use of the ZAMA Health app. They discuss some of the key features of the app which is free for all ITA member programs, the current state of intercollegiate athletics and its impact on the mental health of coaches, and several best practices to ensure the safety of student-athletes.

Nadia Abdala was named the head women's tennis coach at the University of San Diego (USD) after serving 8 years as the assistant coach. She has made an immediate impact as the head coach helping the team jump to another level of competitiveness amongst the best teams in the nation.   In this podcast Nadia discusses how she managed her relationships with her players during the transition from assistant coach to head coach, her passion to help women in coaching, and her new favorite drill.

Dave Mullins is the current Chief Operating Officer with the ITA and has served in this role since 2019. Before joining the ITA, Dave spent 12 years as a coach in college tennis, last serving as the head women's tennis coach at the University of Oklahoma. Dave also spent time in college tennis as a player, competing for Fresno State where he would earn All-American honors. In this podcast, Dave & Lauren Conching discuss the questions coaches submitted, covering everything from WTN to managing dual matches to rules' questions with Anthony. If you enjoy this unique podcast, let us know so we can do more!

Andres Pedroso is in his second stint with the University of Virginia after serving as the Associate Head Men's coach from 2010 – 2014. He was named the Head Men's Coach in 2017 and in his short career as a head coach, he has won back-to-back NCAA National Team Championships in 2022 and 2023. He is a three-time ACC Coach of the Year, three-time ITA Atlantic Region Head Coach of the Year, and was twice named the ITA National Coach of the Year   In this podcast, Dave inquires about Andre's fascinating background having worked on Wall Street and flirting with a career as a sports agent. They also discuss the importance of scheduling, recruiting the right fit and how Andres deals with the pressures of being a top DI coach.

Dan Oosterhous was named the Athletic Director for Recruiting at the Air Force Academy this past summer after 14 years as the head men's tennis coach. Dan achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force after serving in multiple combat-support overseas deployments. In 2013 he suffered two brain stem strokes but recovered to compete as a member of the 2014 and 2016 USA Invictus Games team and continue his coaching career.   Dan has served his country, the Air Force Academy, and college tennis with great distinction, and in this podcast we learn more about Dan's new role, his views on the current and future state of NCAA Olympic sports, what lessons coaches can apply from the US military and some recruiting insights.

Tara Collingwood is a renowned Sports Dietician, author and TV personality. She has served as the Dietician for the Orlando Magic, UCF Athletics, the WWE and the USTA. She is a performance coach at the prestigious Johnson & Johnson Performance Institute where she teaches executives how to manage their energy. In this podcast she discusses how coaches can improve their own energy levels, stay healthy throughout the long dual match season, how to speak with athletes about their dietary habits and much much more.

John Shackelford served 33 seasons as the head men's tennis coach and three seasons as Director of Tennis at the University of the South - Sewanee. During his tenure, he won 551 matches and 12 conference titles. In 2021 he was named as the Director of Athletics and continues to serve the Sewanee community, coaches and student-athletes.   In this podcast, John and Dave discuss John's commitment to one University over 38 years, how John found ways to develop as a coach, the challenges of sustaining success over a long period of time and advice for coaches with families.

Mark Booras, the head men's tennis coach at Tulane University for the past 14 seasons, received some devastating personal health news during the 2023 spring season taking him away from his team, his family, and everything else in his life for several months. In this podcast, we discuss Mark's journey over the last several months, his recovery from a heart transplant to date, and his hopes for the future. Mark also shares some advice on the necessary skills the current college tennis coach needs to acquire to excel in this profession, the importance of patience, and some lessons he learned from coaching some of college tennis's finest players.

In this podcast, Liz and Dave talk about the lessons Liz has learned over her four decades coaching college tennis; the differences between coaching at each of the three NCAA divisions; advice for young women interested in becoming a college tennis coach; and how she balanced the demands of coaching and raising a family.

Geoff Russell worked for the USTA Player Development department for 13 years. During his time at USTA PD he worked with many of the top players and coaches in the world. Geoff is a leader in sports performance and data analysis. He leverages innovative solutions in optical data, visions, and wearable technologies to provide objective, measurable, feedback around development areas of focus. He is now working as a consultant for a number of college tennis teams, helping them to maximize their use of technology as it applies to player development and recruitment.   In this podcast, Geoff discusses how coaches can implement some level of technology into their coaching modalities; what mistakes he has seen coaches make when trying to help their players reach their full potential; some themes he sees emerging after watching hundreds of hours of college tennis over the last several months and lots of other helpful insights for coaches.

Peter Smith was inducted into the ITA Men's Hall of Fame this past May. Some of his career highlights include a 639-232 overall record; 5 NCAA Team Championships during his tenure at USC; a two-time ITA DI Coach of the Year recipient while also being the only coach to date to lead four different men's programs to national top-25 rankings – Long Beach State, Fresno State, Pepperdine, USC. We cover a lot of ground in this podcast including some wonderful stories from Peter's tenure as a college coach; the importance of building relationships; recruiting; focusing on the small details; learning from mistakes and more.

Dr. Jaco Keyser is the head women's tennis coach at the University of South Alabama. He is also a professor at the South Alabama business school and the host of The Rest of Us Podcast. Jaco just completed his 21st year as a head coach but also served some time as the men's assistant coach at South Alabama.   In this podcast we discuss his transition from the men's game to the women's game; how he manages his very busy schedule; his passion for promoting college tennis to a larger audience and much, much more.  

Ryan Kucera is the head women's tennis coach at UW-Milwaukee. He started his coaching career right out of college as the head women's coach at DII Minnesota State. Within one year he had turned the program around with several players breaking school records and receiving conference coach of the year honors. In May of 2022, despite his young age, UW Milwaukee offered him an interview for their head coaching role, which he aced and was ultimately offered the position. Ryan just wrapped up his first year at UW Milwaukee and the Horizon League and has an incredibly bright college coaching future ahead of him. In this podcast, you will see why Ryan is rising up the coaching ranks at a rapid pace; he is very clear on his coaching philosophy and shares some great takeaways for coaches to consider as they start planning for the 2023/2024 season.

Dr. Tim Baghurst is a Professor of Education and the Director of FSU Coach at Florida State University. He earned his doctorate in kinesiology from the University of Arkansas and has three additional graduate degrees achieved in three different countries. His research focuses on coaching education and development with an emphasis on coach health and well-being. In this podcast, we discuss a wide range of topics from coach mental health to the team integration of international student-athletes. This podcast is full of important insights and key takeaways so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

If you have not already picked up a copy of Legendary Kentucky Coach, Dennis Emery's new book, Serving Up Winners: 10 Steps to Building your Program, I recommend you do so as soon as possible. In this podcast we discuss the traits of the most successful coaches, marketing yourself and your program, sustaining success over a long period of time, and the current state of Division I college athletics.

Josh Molino, the head men's tennis coach at Kansas Wesleyan, has spent the last five seasons laying the foundations for long-term success in the classroom, on the courts and in the Salina Community. In this podcast, we discuss the impact Josh's exposure to some of the best coaches and players in the world at a very early age had on his path to becoming a coach; why coaches should find time to volunteer their expertise; some fundraising strategies plus a whole lot more.

Jamea Jackson is in her first season as the head women's tennis coach at Princeton. Jamea turned pro at age 16 reaching a career WTA high of No. 43. After just six years she had to call an end to her professional career and reimagine her future career plans. Her first coaching opportunity landed her at Oklahoma State from 2009 – 2013 where she combined her coaching duties with her work on an undergraduate degree. She then served as National Coach for the USTA Player Development department for nine years.   In this podcast, we discuss Jamea's unique path to a head coaching role in the college game; what she learned during her time at Oklahoma State and USTA PD; how she maximizes her practice time and managed her transition to the head coaching role at Princeton.

Joe Gilbert is the founder of JMG Tennis Academy, located in Sacramento, California. He is the only coach in the country to win the “Development Coach of the Year” award twice, awarded to him by the United States Olympic Committee in 2013 and 2018. He has helped to develop numerous top junior, college, and professional tennis players over the last 15 years.   In this podcast, we discuss some mistakes coaches make in the recruiting process; how college coaches can facilitate a smoother transition from junior tennis to college tennis; how to maximize the potential of players with limited athletic ability and Joey shares his development philosophy which has proven to be very successful at every level of the game.

Davidson Kozlowski is in his 11th year leading the men's tennis program at Drake University. During his time at Drake, he has been named the conference coach of the year on six occasions while qualifying his teams for seven NCAA tournaments. He has also helped the program to its highest ITA National Ranking of #16. Davidson served as the men's assistant coach at UAB prior to arriving in Des Moines, Iowa. In this podcast we discuss why he left his forever home in Alabama for Iowa; his approach to community engagement initiatives and what can be done to make college tennis more relevant at both the local and national levels.

Dr. Timothy Russell is the President and CEO of the ITA. He spent three decades as a distinguished educator at Arizona State, The Ohio State University and the University of Rochester. He became well-known in the tennis world for his tireless work and leadership as a long-time USTA Volunteer. Due to his extensive contributions to the tennis world, he has been inducted into the ITA Men's Collegiate Hall of Fame, the USTA Southwest Hall of Fame, and the USTA Central Arizona Hall of Fame.   Tim has led the ITA for the past eight years ushering in many positive changes to ITA business practices to help keep pace with the ever-changing landscape of college athletics while at the same time building the credibility of college tennis with key stakeholders in the global tennis industry. In this podcast, we discuss the future of college athletics, the NCAA COC decision to pilot the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships in the fall of 2024 and 2025, and the potential role of television coverage in college tennis.

Billy Porter is the Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Southwestern University and has seen significant success and steady improvement in both programs since his arrival in 2013, including an NCAA Elite 8 appearance for the women's team and an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance for the men's team in 2021.  In this podcast, Billy discusses the differences and similarities he sees in coaching men and women and how he's adapted his coaching style to be most effective with both teams.  He also shares his ideas on building a successful program and then the challenge of sustaining it over time. 

Simon Earnshaw, the head women's tennis coach at NC State, won nine NCAA Division II National Championships while serving as the head coach at Armstrong Atlantic. In 2014 he took over the reins at NC State and has helped the program to multiple program firsts including a run to the Final Four in 2021 and an NCAA Division I Doubles Title in 2022. In this podcast, Simon shares what he learned during his early days of coaching at the Nick Bolleteiri Tennis Academy; some of his keys to consistent success on the court; his struggles to find the right fit at an NCAA Division I athletic department, and lots more.

Justin DeSanto has taken what many would consider to be an untraditional path to becoming a Division I Head Coach.  In June of 2021, he was named the Head Men's Tennis Coach at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), his first head Coaching job, after having worked his way up from a Volunteer coach with the Yale women's team to an Assistant Coach at NCAA Division III powerhouse Williams College followed by five seasons as an Assistant for the Wichita State men's team.  All of this with zero college tennis playing experience!  As a matter of fact, Justin didn't start playing tennis until he was in high school but his story proves the point that great coaches don't have to be great players.  Listen to this episode to learn more about Justin's amazing rise up the coaching ranks plus all of the fantastic work he is doing in the wheelchair tennis space.

Olga Harvey spent nearly 20 years in the corporate world before joining the Women Sports Foundation in 2017 as the Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, where she made an immediate impact on the sports world.   Olga is passionate about the transformational power of sports and play equity on and off the court. In this podcast we discuss Olga's incredibly interesting story of how she came to the United States from Russia and her path from graduation from Cornell University to where she is today at the Women Sports Foundation.   We also dive into the 50th anniversary of Title IX and discuss important topics such as "How do we educate and empower the next generation of advocates?" and "What do the next 50 years look like for girls and women in sport?".   Additional Resources: Relevant WSF Research reports: 50 Years of Title IX: We're Not Done Yet - Women's Sports Foundation (womenssportsfoundation.org) FINAL6_WSF-Title-IX-Infographic-2022.pdf (womenssportsfoundation.org) Coaching Through a Gender Lens - Women's Sports Foundation (womenssportsfoundation.org) Beyond X's & O's - Women's Sports Foundation (womenssportsfoundation.org)   We Play Interactive Digital resource for coaches and leaders: We Play Interactive - Women's Sports Foundation (womenssportsfoundation.org)   Tara Vanderveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching: Women's Sports Foundation Continues to Close the Gender Gap in Coaching with the Tara VanDerveer Fund for the Advancement of Women in Coaching - Women's Sports Foundation (womenssportsfoundation.org)

As we approach the HBCU National Tennis Championship, host Danielle McNamara sits down with Alan Green, the Director of Tennis and Head Men's and Women's Tennis Coach at Xavier University of Louisiana, who led both his men's and women's teams to the 2021 HBCU National Tennis Champ title.  Green is entering his 20th season leading the Xavier programs and is an alumnus of the University himself. A New Orleans native, Green is a three-time ITA/NAIA National Coach of the Year. In this podcast, Green and I discuss the history and importance of the HBCU National Tennis Championship, as well as some of the unique and special characteristics of playing and coaching at an HBCU. Green shares with us his path to Xavier and some of his own ideas on how to enhance and elevate college tennis more broadly.