The GreatBase Tennis Podcast

On the 251st episode of the GreatBase tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson talk with Sam Garcia. Sam is currently the director of tennis at the prestigious Quail Valley River Club in Vero Beach, Florida. Sam is an award-winning pro who works at an award-winning club.Steve, Dave, and Sam reminisce. The three have known each other since the 80s. Laughs and lessons are assured for the listeners. Thanks for tuning in.

On the 250th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets share more technical input for those running summer tennis camps. The content will also serve as an intro for first-time listeners and a refresher for those long-time followers.

On the 249th episode of the GreatBase tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson share information, ideas, and insights directed to those involved with summer tennis camps. Their discussion certainly applies to anyone and everyone connected to tennis instruction.The main focus of this session is ground strokes.With confidence, we are sure that our listeners will find a golden nugget or two within this episode to add to their tennis teaching treasure chest.Thanks for listening.

On the 248th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson discuss technical information for teaching stroke production.Today's segment is one of three that were produced with the idea of helping summer tennis camp directors and their staff.

On the 247th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, and Dave Anderson discuss summer tennis camps. Their conversation coincides with their efforts to produce an instructional tape for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). Almost all college coaches direct summer tennis camps.(The tape will soon be shared on the GreatBase Tennis Facebook page)The next few episodes will review input for teaching volleys, groundstrokes, overheads, and serves. Our listeners continually request that we review information, ideas, and insights on teaching basic fundamentals.Our position, summer tennis camps should be a fantastic experience that creates lifetime memories, plus children should be taught extremely well. In previous generations, summer tennis camps were the gateway to tennis teaching careers. To make an understatement, the success of summer tennis camps is of utmost importance for the future success of our sport.

On the 246th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson have a tennis conversation with Frank Butera. Their guest is a tennis teaching professional based in Boston, Massachusetts. The veteran pro teaches adults and juniors at MIT and the Marcus Lewis Indoor Center. He was born in Boston and then raised in Italy until the age of fourteen. He began school in the US without speaking a word of English. Yet he became an outstanding student and completed a degree at Boston College (BC).Prior to BC, he found his way to study tennis with Steve Smith at Tyler Junior College (TJC).  That connection initially took place thirty-seven years ago. The two have continued to work together to help people improve. Frank's passion for the game is second to none. He has a charming personality and an impressive command of teaching solid fundamentals, as Steve says. "It's always fun to see Frank, he's fun and he makes tennis fun." More importantly, Frank knows that if his players are always trying to improve through obtaining solid fundamentals, they will have more fun.From this episode, there are many golden nuggets to add to one's tennis treasure chest. Here are three:* Frank's number one rule: always try.* Frank tells his students to be players, not just payers.* Frank touches upon pickleball and states that one thing tennis players can learn from pickleball players is that sometimes you have to shovel snow off the courts to play.

On the 245th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets have a tennis conversation with Petrus Koekemoer. Their guest is a long-time associate who lives and works in his native South Africa (SA).He currently leads a unique development program serving underprivileged children at the Rosemoor Tennis Centre near George in the Western Cape province of South Africa.Petrus has spent over ten years with the GreatBase tennis pathway. He has traveled to the US numerous times to work with Steve and Dave. Likewise, Steve has traveled to South Africa to work with him. Petrus has documented the improvement of his students through in-depth video work and skill testing. The progress of his players and coaches is extremely impressive. The historical and deep connections between GreatBase Tennis and South African tennis are discussed.  Other topics that are discussed: fact-based instruction for long-term development, the importance of a good beginning, and staying true to fundamentals through all stages of development.Another point of interest is connecting South Africans with South Africans to fundraise to help SA tennis players. In doing so, Petrus is making the effort to unite the SA tennis community. One Vic Braden theme that will surely help him with his efforts. "The dimensions of the court and physical laws dictate stroke production, not a coach's opinion or any unique theory.

On the 244th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets interview Dave Sivertson. On the podcast previous to this edition, Dave shared information, ideas, and insights related to on-court success. The USTA national title holder and ITF international team champion has been equally as successful off the court as on. He is in his fifth decade working as a tennis director.  Dave has served as a tennis director for some of the most prestigious tennis clubs in the United States.Dave has written a 400-page business program for club managers and tennis professionals to improve the productivity and profitability of their tennis operations. The written work is called 'Net Profits.' https://www.netprofittennis.com/To name a few of the industry awards he has won are the USPTA National Pro of the Year, the USPTA Texas Pro of the Year, and the Lloyd Sessions Education Award. He is a master pro with the USPTA (now RSPA) and has served the organization as a speaker, educator, committee member, and officer of the board.

On the 243rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets interview an amazing tennis mind. Dave Sivertson knows games within the game of tennis. The ultimate competitor keeps getting better. He has won multiple national championships and multiple international team championships representing the US.Not everyday does one get the chance to listen to someone who has represented their country. On this episode, there is an abundance of tennis wisdom shared. To make an understatement, his story is inspirational.Dave Anderson's last question leads to a powerful answer. At every level of the game, regardless of the player's age, a strong support system is needed. The session is worthy of writing and re-writing notes.

Dave Anderson joins Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets on the 242nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. Dave leads a highly successful player development program at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas, Texas. He has been in his current position for over 30 years and their program has developed 400 plus college tennis players.Dave shares his thoughts on having recently attended this year's Easter Bowl. The information and insights should be beneficial to all connected to junior players with competitive goals. Congratulations to all the participants of this year's event. To make an understatement, being accepted into the event is no easy feat. The sacrifices made by the parents to be on a path to the Easter Bowl and beyond is anything but simple.

On the 241st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith's guest is Patrick Geoffrion-Amorim. Patrick, a native of Montreal, currently coaches and works in Toronto. He accompanied a dozen or more kids to the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia, for a two-week immersion camp with Steve. One of the highlights of their trip was traveling to the University of Virginia (UVA) for two doubleheaders. The UVA men's and women's tennis teams played Cal Berkeley on Friday and Stanford on Sunday. Patrick's passion for tennis shines through in this episode. Listeners are assured of learning. College tennis is truly special, and hopefully, Patrick and Steve's input paints a picture that encourages people to attend college matches each and every year.Thank you!

On the 240th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Anderson are joined by Patrick Geoffrion-Amorim. Patrick, a native of Montreal, lives with his wife in Toronto.Patrick was thrilled to converse with Dave Anderson for the first time. Patrick is a young passionate coach who understands the benefits of circulating around veteran coaches. In addition to working with Steve, Patrick has also spent a great deal of time with Danny Cooper, Frank Hornig, Richard Hernandez and Miron Mann. Like Dave, these four individuals thoroughly understand the depth and educational merit behind the GreatBase Tennis curriculum.Steve, Dave, and Patrick review thoughts pertaining to practice. The GreatBase Tennis curriculum was formulated over a ten-year period (1980s), during which Steve and his students practiced tennis teaching in a lab setting.Practice may be the most important word connected with achievement in all sports. 

On the 239th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets and Dave Anderson interview David Geatz. What a delight for our listeners to listen to Coach Geatz! Simply put, the native of North Dakota is a delightful man. We promise to have Coach Geatz on our podcast again. Based on his humility, he requested to flip the script and ask us questions. Despite his request, we were fortunate to ask him a number of questions. Next time, we will ask more.  It's not an everyday situation for 99% of the tennis world to sit back and listen to an individual with so much college coaching experience. Coach Geatz coached four college teams for nearly forty years. For the betterment of tennis, we thank you for listening. And thank you, David Geatz.

On the 238th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets interview Brandon Fallon. Their guest lives in SoCal (San Juan Capistrano, California) with his wife and two daughters. He currently is the assistant director of the Laguna Nigel Racquet Club.From a tennis point of view, you name it and Brandon Fallon has done it. The following list might serve as an outline to cover parts of his journey: Starting out with no connections in tennis, being a top five junior in arguably the US's toughest section, playing division I college tennis, playing French tournaments, playing German club tennis, pursuing a world ranking, coaching in college, working over a decade with competitive juniors at an academy, then offering A2Z programs and services for players of all ages and abilities.He also served in a leadership role with the USPTA (now RSPA). Brandon shares how he made the transition from being in junior development to being in club and country club management.  During their conversation, a special emphasis is also put on one of Brandon's specialities, running social events.If and when he writes his autobiography, an appropriate testimonial would be: Big smile, big personality, big heart and someone who is great for tennis in a big way.

On the 237th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Andres Barbosa. Our long-time associate, Andres, played college tennis around the same time the University of Illinois won the NCAA  national championship in men's tennis.A former Illinois tennis player, Michael Kosta, has gone on to become a famous comedian. He is probably best known for being a regular on The Daily Show. Another indicator of his fame would be the fact that he was a guest on the Joe Rogan podcast.Recently on the Craig Shapiro tennis podcast, Michael mentioned that his college coach, Craig Tiley, had a ten-year plan to take his team from obscurity to the national title. Andres asked for Steve's thoughts on this comment. Dave Anderson joining in the discussion was ideal because he spent seven years with Tiley when they were studying the art and science of coaching under the tutelage of Steve.The old saying, " fail to plan, plan to fail " applies. Hopefully by listening to this session, one will find valuable insight into long-term development and the pursuit of excellence.

On the 236th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Doug Cash is interviewed by Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, and Ivan Ozerets. Wow! In regard to this episode, "wow" stands for "words of wisdom."Doug Cash is 75 years young. He is known as one of the best in the world in his area of expertise. Simply put, Doug knows the business of tennis. He was the Chief Operating Officer of Tennis Corporation of American (TCA) for over 30 years. To give you fairly accurate numbers,  he managed over 50 clubs,  over 2500 employees, and over 250 million in annual revenue.He currently is an adjunct professor for the University on Florida's Professional Management Program. He also is a headline educator for the RSPA (formerly USPTA) and PTR. After retiring from TCA, he set up a consulting business (www.cashflowtennis.com) and through this endeavor, he continues to mentor club owners, managers, and teaching professionals. We are confident that our listeners will thoroughly enjoy listening to Doug. After all, laughing and learning is a great combination.

On the 235th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Andy Fitzell, and Dave Anderson reflect upon the 2025 Australian Open. A wide range of topics were touched upon.GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) shares free educational content. Please consider checking out our website (www.greatbasetennis.com). One will find five courses with optional certification exams. Additional information can be found on other platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

On the 234th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Dave Secker talk tennis with Mat Cloer. Mat holds a senior position with the USTA's  Player Development Department. Their conversation is centered around tennis analytics.The saga of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) continues. Our non-profit organization shares free educational tennis content. 225+ podcasts, 5 educational courses, 15+ years of daily Facebook posts, 1000+ Instagram posts and much, much more.

In the 233rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE) podcast, Steve Smith, Dave Anderson, Dave Secker, and Ivan Ozerets share their thoughts regarding tennis academies. Their conversation covers a wide spectrum of points and should serve the purpose of helping to educate the tennis consumer.Thanks for listening and thanks for caring about the growth and welfare of the game of tennis.

The 232nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast is based on a question Steve Smith asked Dave Anderson.  Steve asked David, "What should be a theme to help US tennis?" David answered, "Back to the future."In basing a podcast episode on Dave's answer, Steve stated that there would be no one better to address the topic than the legendary Chuck Kriese. To make an understatement, the words of the veteran coach should be heard.Richard Hernandez joined Steve and Dave. The three asked Chuck questions but unfortunately, Richard's reception was lost halfway through the discussion. Our apologies.Hopefully, our listeners will find the session to be informative and insightful. Most importantly, hopefully, our listeners will find the session to be worthy of their time.

On the 231st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ilja Semjonovs re-visit thoughts and principles shared by the late Don Meyer. Mr. Meyer was a basketball coach who touched the lives of thousands of people. His contributions should not be forgotten. He mentored legends of his sport.To take in his humor, simply YouTube: Don Meyer at the ESPY's.To read more about his story, read the book " How Lucky Can You Be" by Buster Olney.

On the 230th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Education (GBTE)  podcast, Steve Smith, Ilja Semjonovs, Richard Hernandez, and Dave Anderson discuss mentoring and its significance. Listeners are assured of a few laughs and a few nuggets for their tennis treasure chest.Please note that one can find more free educational tennis content on GBTE's website (www.greatbasetennis.com). Five courses with optional certification exams are available. Additionally, there are books, articles, and much more.

On the 229th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Andy Fitzell, and Dave Anderson discuss the ins and outs of making resolutions for the new year. As always, we hope our listeners find value in listening and occasionally can chuckle at our attempt at humor.We wish everyone all the best for 2025.Happy New Year

Merry ChristmasOn the 228th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve, Ivan, and Andy interview Peter Kobelt. To make an understatement, Peter's journey in tennis is remarkable. As a first-year student at Ohio State University (OSU), Peter red-shirted. Then as a red-shirt freshman, he only played doubles. By the end of his collegiate career, he held the OSU record for most doubles matches won and tied the record for most matches won in a single season. Furthermore, he earned the #1 singles ranking in doubles and the #2 national ranking in doubles.He was honored as an All-American multiple times and then proceeded to travel the world playing pro tennis. He reached the ATP rankings, 332 in singles and 378 in doubles. Following his pro career, Peter spent two years working as a volunteer coach at the University of Kentucky. From there, he moved on to the University of Nebraska as an assistant and, at the young age of 34, was promoted to the head coach position.

On the 227th episode of the GreatBase Tennis Podcast, Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell talk about some tennis books from the GreatBase Tennis library.The GreatBase Tennis library now includes all the tennis books from Vic Braden's library. Overall, the GBTE has over 1500 tennis books.Andy Fitzell being with Steve Smith when the last shipment of Vic's books arrived was quite appropriate. The two spent decades under Vic's tutelage.

On the 226th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Andy Fitzell interview Dave Secker. Their guest is the Associate Head Coach of the North Carolina State women's tennis team. Dave, who has previously donated his time to support our efforts to inform the tennis public, addresses numerous issues pertaining to college tennis in the US. To make an understatement, the Englishmen is well-informed.

On the 225th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets interview Jeff Moore. To make an understatement, their humble and honest guest has oodles of wisdom to share. We are confident that the session should be classified as a master class for anyone and everyone hungry for improvement; no matter what the endeavor.As an athlete, he played college tennis for the incomparable Jim Verdieck. As a coach, he led the University of Texas women's tennis team to two national championships. As a consultant, he has successfully impacted a wide assortment of teams, athletic departments, and companies.We highly recommend reading his book, Strive Together. One may contact Jeff via his website (www.mooreleadership.com).

On the 224th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets are joined by Andreas Barbosa. The tennis teaching professional based in Miami has been a frequent guest.  He serves the GreatBase podcast as a contributor, fact-checker, and coach. The main topic of this week's conversation is podcasts; in particular tennis podcasts. Andreas ranks his top three tennis podcasts and Steve mentions approximately fifteen podcasts for fellow tennis enthusiasts to check out. 

On the 223rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell talk tennis. With player development as their purpose, the foursome look backwards with the goal of helping fellow tennis enthusiasts. Listeners are given points to ponder. The panel's insights and perspectives should prove to be of value. Everyone has heard that hindsight is 20-20.  No one has a crystal ball. No one knows for sure what will unfold in the future. Yet foresight to avoid certain tennis pitfalls is of great importance.

On the 222nd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzel discuss a rather simple concept. With reflective thought, a tennis teaching professional should strive to deliver enjoyment, exercise, and education each and everyday.Hopefully by listening tennis enthusiasts and experts will find a golden nugget or two to add to their tennis treasure chest.Thanks for supporting our non-profit organization (Great Base Tennis Education).

On the 221st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets, Dave Anderson, and Andy Fitzell pay tribute to Rafael Nadal. The over-used cliche, there will never be another, applies. We all have heard the phrase, never say never. Yet in the history of tennis, there is one situation that comes to mind where the word never can be used. Never again, will one tennis player win 14 French Opens.The commentary of our foursome is certainly more of a review of Rafa's character than his tennis. With total humility, Rafa displayed the absolute best example of the human competitive spirit. Every curriculum for tennis development from this point forward should have a chapter dedicated to Rafael and his team.  

On the 220th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis with Mike Custer. To make an understatement, Mike has put a lifetime of thought into the whys and why-nots of the tennis industry.He is an accomplished player and veteran tennis teacher with more than 40 years of diversified experience. He started his professional pathway by studying tennis with Steve and then he worked for the legendary Dennis Van der Meer. He has worked with all levels of players but has primarily worked with adult players throughout his career.Mike's input strikes a chord with our mission. The connection of logic, truth, scientific rationale and common sense will ring loud and clear for tour listeners.

On the 219th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozererts interview Jodie Johnson. Jodie had the ambition to be a major athlete but his dreams were side-tracked with childhood health problems and injury after injury. His journey kept him connected to sport through attempted comebacks and tutoring. Even during his work as an engineer and entrepreneur, he kept a career in sport in the forefront of his mind.We are confident that our listeners will learn to respect Jodie's intellectual curiosity and 25 plus years in the fitness industry.  For a 15 plus year period, Steve's tennis school and Jodie's gym were just miles apart in Tampa, Florida. Steve, on a first-hand basis, observed the improvement and results of Jodie's athletes.

On the 218th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets discuss tennis information pertaining to basic stroke-production with Andy Fitzell. Andy is the founder of the GreatBase Tennis podcast and, like Steve, spent decades working with the late Vic Braden.Vic passed away ten years ago on October 6th, 2014.  The goal of the GreatBase is to continue to shine a bright light on the wonderful contributions Mr. Braden made to the game of tennis. His work will always be relevant because his findings were all based on scientific principles. The episode will serve as a solid introduction to first-time listeners and reinforcement for those who have followed the GreatBase content for years.

On the 217 episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Richard Hernandez, and Dave Anderson ask Clayton Stanley questions. The four were part of a unique tennis culture in the 1980s. Clayton started his tennis journey with Steve as his instructor when he was 6 and Steve was 26. Steve and Clayton's father, David, were basically partners in raising a tennis kid.When Richard first observed a young Clayton's ball striking skills, he left his job as a tennis teacher at a nearby club to join David and others from around the world to study tennis. All these years later, Richard and David have collectively developed hundreds of college tennis players.The story at hand started 44 years ago and clearly points out that one would be wise to take a deep dive into the free educational content provided by GreatBase. The pathway is proven.Clayton, Happy 50th.

Robert Lansdorp1938 - 2024On the 216th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets pay tribute to the late Robert Lansdorp. To make an understatement, he was an American tennis treasure. The common sense, toughness, drive and gut-wrenching honesty of Robert Lansdorp should not be forgotten. Everyone connected to the development of players and coaches would be wise to study the purity and simplicity of Robert's principles.  Excerpts from Ken Thomas' (Radio Tennis) interview with Robert highlight Steve and Ivan's discussion. To listen to the entire interview please follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929nO-I7_9k.

Joey Scrivano, Baylor BearsOn the 215th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets have a conversation with Joey Scrivano. He is currently leading Baylor University's women's tennis team. He has served the university for 23 years. Steve lists off a long, long list of accomplishments that highlight the careers of Joey, his coaches, and his players.Parents of college tennis hopefuls would be wise to listen, as would, players, coaches, and everyone connected to the pursuit of tennis excellence. The session is filled with inspiration, insight, ideas, and information.

By listening to Jeff, one will quickly discover he understands the nuts and bolts and X's and 0's of tennis to the nth degree. The development of a tennis mind takes time, lots and lots of time. Simply put, one needs to study tennis to truly be a student of the game. Jeff was first introduced to Steve and his body of work at the age of fourteen and he has been working the information ever since. Thirty years later, Jeff easily has acquired a level of tennis teaching expertise that very few possess.For more free educational content, one may follow Jeff at jefflewistennis.com and victorytennisprograms.com. Also, visit his YouTube channel and Instagram at youtube.com/jefflewistennis and instagram.com/jefflewistennis.Laughing and learning are guaranteed.

Jeff Lewis recently spent a week with Steve Smith at the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia. The two, who have known each other for thirty years, recorded two conversations for the listeners of the GreatBase Tennis podcast.To make an understatement, Jeff knows tennis. He was introduced to a wealth of tennis information as a teenager and through decades of deep thought and diversified experiences is now easily one of the best tennis teachers in the US.   Please connect with Jeff by following him at jefflewistennis.com and victorytennisprograms.com. Also, visit his YouTube channel and Instagram at youtube.com/jefflewistennis and instagram.com/jefflewistennis. Laughing and learning are guaranteed.

On the 212th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Richard Bodian.In 1981, Steve designed and directed (Tennis Tech) the first comprehensive curriculum and college degree program for students seeking occupational competency as tennis-teaching pro-managers. Richard enrolled, graduated, and entered the tennis industry with an education that only a small percentage of the worldwide tennis community truly understands.In addition to working at various tennis facilities on the east and west coast of the US, Richard also worked for Steve and the late Vic Braden. By listening one will discover that the bond between Steve, Richard, and other members of the GreatBase Tennis network is based on fact-based instruction. Their dialogue reveals tennis truths and reinforces fundamental principles. Richard currently works at the New Canaan Racquet Club in New Canaan, Connecticut.

On the 211th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Mike Valentine and Mike McLaughlin. The three old men all worked for the late Vic Braden. Mike and Mike recently made the journey to the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia to observe and contribute to Steve's students. They left assured that Steve and his students are still honoring the work of the late Vic Braden. The trio reminisce and reflect upon the genius of Braden. By listening, one is assured of laughing and learning.

The life story of Arnaud Guillemard is definitely different. Be ready to go from island living to Paris, college tennis to the oil fields, education to being a young parent, and directing junior and high school tennis tournaments.Arnaud is Steve Smith's guest on the 210th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. Ironically 210 is the area code of San Antonio, Texas, the place where Arnaud resides with his wife and two children. By listening one will collect more golden nuggets for their tennis treasure chest. Just as important as the pearls of wisdom learned from life lessons are the laughs enjoyed and the perspectives gained.Thanks for listening.

Melanie Zampardo is Steve Smith's guest on the 209th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast. She spent nine weeks this summer, 2024, serving as an intern.  She survived. Decades ago, Steve was told by an experienced tennis-lifer that if one could complete the challenges of a 24/7 boarding tennis camp that he or she would have proven that they could successfully make their way within the tennis industry.By listening to the episode at hand, one will discover more of an insider's understanding of the GreatBase Tennis pathway. More importantly, one will find Melanie's approach to learning and overall perspective to be refreshing and inspiring. The next generation of tennis teachers and coaches need to be taught and trained for the welfare and growth of our sport.

On the 208th podcast, Steve Smith has a conversation with Spencer Johnson. The two have known each other for just over 10 years. Spencer is now 21 and last year, while playing for UCLA, he was named the PAC 12 Freshmen of the Year.Most GreatBase students are trying to get to college tennis. Spencer, like many college players, now hopes to get to the level where he is playing for a living. By listening one will discover he still is working on the same basics he was taught on his first day under Steve's tutelage. As always, the hope of GreatBase Tennis is to share free educational content that will help players, parents, teachers, coaches, and administrators. Thanks for your support.

On the 207th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets host Scott Perelmen. Their guest recently joined the men's coaching staff at TCU. He brings a ton of experience and a ton of wisdom to the table.Scott and Steve worked together over forty years ago. They were staff members at the famous Vic Braden Tennis College headquartered at Coto de Caza in Southern California.Building a winning college program from scratch to being part of a national championship team to watching Ben Shelton grow up highlight the conversation. If one likes to laugh, learn, and live, they will love listening to The Perl.

On the 206th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith and Ivan Ozerets host Matt Knoll. Matt built a championship culture at Baylor University that was highlighted by winning the 2004 NCAA team championship.Listeners will discover his formula for success. Common sense, grit, and hard work ruled the day. Every parent, player and coach will benefit from the pearls of wisdom and golden nuggets he shares. Today Matt helps student-athletes with college placement. Get in contact by visiting https://www.americancollegeplacement.com/contact.

On that 205th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Dave Anderson joins Steve Smith and Ivan Ozererts to talk tennis. They shared thoughts that mostly pertained to the 2024  Wimbledon.Dave has been based at the Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas for more than 30 years. To make an understatement,  Dave and his staff have made a major impact on the lives of hundreds and hundreds of tennis players. We would like to thank Dave for being a regular guest on our podcast. Our supporters have expressed that they have thoroughly enjoyed listening to Dave. 

On the 204th episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast Cris Valverde, a teaching pro from Portland, Oregon, asks Steve Smith questions. Cris recently spent a week with Steve at the Wintergreen Resort in Wintergreen, Virginia. He traveled across the US with his two sons for an immersion camp.To make an understatement, Cris's passion for our sport is second to none. Cris's dedication to improving his craft is truly inspirational. Cris has completed an in-depth study of our curriculum and asked Steve to discuss a wide range of topics.

On the 203rd episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith, Ivan Ozerets and Andres Barbosa talk about tennis from the service line in. The whys and why-nots of going forward in singles and doubles are discussed. The statement that one only goes to the net to pick up balls and shake hands used to only apply to little kids at the grass root level. Now the statement applies to all levels of play. The disappearance of wooden racquets, the players not wearing spikes on the grass at Wimbledon, and the two-handed backhand becoming commonplace are dated factors. The new theme of  "serve plus one" is instant coffee, a much faster approach than trying to learn to play a complete all-court game. As always, we hope our listeners acquire a higher level of understanding of the complexities of tennis by tuning in. We also hope our listeners will find a way to encourage fellow tennis enthusiasts to not fall victim to net phobia.

Mark Hamlin AgainSir Hamlin is our guest on episode 202.Our podcast's fact checker, Andres Barbosa, and several others requested another opportunity to listen to Mark Hamlin. Great choice! Steve Smith and Mark have known each other for 60 years this year. Mark, 71, worked directly with Vic Braden and has spent the last 45 years applying fact-based instruction to literally hundreds and hundreds of recreational players. Along the way, the American has also developed national junior champions in Germany.By listening one will discover that fundamentals stand the test of time and most definitely apply to the best players in the world today. Time after time, Mark hits the mark. No pun intended.

Tribute to Jim Poling1949-2024Our condolences to Jim's wife, Marianne, and their children, Matthew, Lilian, and Karl. Our thoughts also go out to their family members and their close friends.On the 201st episode of the GreatBase Tennis podcast, Steve Smith discusses his connection with Jim.