My Tennis Journey

PLS NOTE: There is some swearing in this episode and it is not one that is suitable for children.What's it like to be the no.1 12U player in the World? To be the youngest player ever to be signed by the IMG management company. To win a full scholarship to one of the most famous tennis academies in the World.Reckon the future for that player and his family was bright? Fame and riches around the corner?Today's guest, Todd Ley who hails from Adelaide in Australia, was in exactly that position. And has written all about that part of the journey and what happened next in a searingly honest book called Smashed.As you'll hear today, what happened next was not fame and fortune. What came next was darkness and at times despair. A chapter which Todd is now moving on from as he rides the rollercoaster of life working in the world of coaching - and I hope setting down what happened in the book will help him do just that. It has certainly helped me think about the journey we are on as a tennis family and why we are on it. It has helped me gain perspective of what is important and for that I thank Todd.Today's episode may not be easy listening at times, you might not agree with everything Todd says, but do take a listen because Todd's story and messages will I think help our family and our tennis journeys and I hope it will maybe help yours too.Visit Todd Ley's website to find about more about the book and BUY A COPY OF SMASHED NOWThanks to FeedSpot for naming My Tennis Journey as a Top 5 UK tennis podcast - much appreciated! You can see the list here: https://podcast.feedspot.com/uk_tennis_podcasts/MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

In this episode on why players, parents and coaches should absolutely think about what strings they put in their rackets, the Pro Tour stringer Huw Phillips who runs RacketSpec says:‘You wouldn't buy rubbish tyres and put it on a Formula 1 car. It's the same with a tennis racket - it's the strings that hit the ball'He explains that you can make a £100 racket play ten times better by having it professionally restrung with decent strings and you can make a £300 racket play awful by having it strung badly.What's more the strings you have in your racket could result in you or your player sustaining injury if they use strings which aren't right for them. So what are you waiting for? Dive in and find out what it's like to be a Pro Stringer, what strings you should be using on your racket, what the different tensions mean and why a light racket isn't necessarily the way to go for young players.Ladies and gentleman, over to Huw Phillips to tell you all you need to know about tennis strings and tennis restringing. Enjoy…Click this link to find out more about Huw and his company RacketSpecMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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:MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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 UKVISIT THE SECRETS OF SPANISH TENNIS WEBSITEAlternatively, 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.MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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.MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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 HEREhttps://amzn.to/3Cg6ZAQThis 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 HEREhttps://amzn.to/3Cg6ZAQMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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=TOLA big thanks to Peter Clarke who set up the Coachlife website and helped put me in touch with Todd.MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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

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/wgcoachingMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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 @functionaltennisMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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…MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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…

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. MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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…MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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.MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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.

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/

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…MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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!MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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/MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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…MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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!

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…

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!MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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 LIVEMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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...MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

'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. MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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.MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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

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 websiteMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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 LINKMovember website: Find out about the Movember movement and their work in mental healthMUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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.

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 LinksPlease 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.

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 ParentsParenting Aces: Lisa Stone's Top 5 Tips For Tennis ParentsThe 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

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/

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

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/

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/MUSIC CREDITEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_earthMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/5yIbZVOv438

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/MUSIC: Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_earth

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.netTo find out more about padel in the UK please visit: https://www.lta.org.uk/play/ways-to-play/padel/MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_earthMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/5yIbZVOv438

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 dayFor all your padel rackets, padel balls and padel gear, do head on over to PDHSports.com.MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Ellen Taylor is a friend of mine and 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

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 channelshttps://twitter.com/ParentingAceshttps://www.instagram.com/parentingaces/https://www.facebook.com/ParentingAces

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…

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-0049For everyone else, please find out more about SwingVision here: https://swing.tennis/

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

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/MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Matt Allen and Steve Davies from tennis holiday company Active Away went inside the BBC's Dragon's 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 Dragon's 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/MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

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

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…MUSIC CREDITSEarth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyadenCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/_earthMusic promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/5yIbZVOv438

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…