Advertise on podcast: ParentingAces - The Junior Tennis and College Tennis Podcast

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 39 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Tennis should build confident kids, not exhausted robots. Adriana Dino shares the coaching philosophy that helps young players grow into thinkers, leaders, and lifelong fans of the game—while showing parents exactly when to step back and when to lean in. Born and raised in Romania, Adriana started with a wooden racket, a straight-talking father, and a coach who changed her life. After playing, studying physical education, and coaching for nearly 20 years in the United States, she brings a rare perspective to the parent-coach-player triangle that drives junior tennis. Tennis Parent Takeaways Support your child with unconditional love rather than constant technical instruction.Learn to recognize when encouragement has become pressure.Gradually transfer responsibility for preparation, performance, and problem-solving to your child.Help your player develop routines for resetting after mistakes and bad line calls.Focus on resilience, confidence, and personal growth—not only wins and rankings.Accept that high-performance tennis may not be the right path for every talented player.Keep your child’s love of tennis at the center of the experience.Lisa and Adriana also break down the mental side of junior competition, including what to do after a bad call, how to reset between points, and why tournaments are one of the best classrooms for resilience. Adriana’s approach is simple but powerful: coach the person first, develop the player second, and keep the love for tennis intact for life. She also shares the unforgettable influence of playing Monica Niculescu as a 14-year-old in Bucharest, and why exposure to higher-level tennis can shape a junior’s mindset long before they’re ready for the professional circuit. This episode is essential listening for tennis parents, junior players, and coaches who want more than wins—they want growth, confidence, and a healthier relationship with the sport. Adriana is based in the DC area and coaches players from beginner to advanced, with a focus on bringing out the best in each athlete as a human being first. Connect with Coach Adriana To get more information on Coach Adriana, visit her website at www.adrianadinutennisacademy.com. You can email her directly at [email protected]. Be sure to follow her on Facebook and Instagram. Connect with Lisa As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consultations to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through the ParentingAces shop. If you’re so inclined, please share this—and all our episodes—with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Be sure to check out our logoed merchandise, as well as our à la carte personal consultations, in our online shop. Credits Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 38 of the ParentingAces Podcast! What if the biggest mistake in college tennis recruiting is treating tournament results like player development? Lisa Stone and tennis parent Jennifer Faulkner unpack the hard lesson every tennis family needs to hear: UTR, rankings, and constant travel are not the same thing as real growth. Jennifer shares the full arc of her family’s tennis journey, from her daughter Melanie’s gymnastics recruiting experience to her son TJ’s path from a late-start tennis player to freshman engineering major and team member at Rose-Hulman. Along the way, she reveals what happened when they lived far from strong tennis training in Austin, Texas, why they were on the road three to four weekends a month, and how they learned the difference between staying busy and actually getting better. You’ll discover: Why a higher tournament load did not always move TJ’s UTR the way they expectedHow video, match play days, and academy changes helped them see development more clearlyWhy engineering schools changed the entire recruiting searchWhat Jennifer wishes she had asked coaches before committingHow the “student-athlete” reality can look very different from the recruiting pitch Jennifer also explains the thinking behind TennisCourtGuide, the app she built to help families find college tennis programs that fit both academic priorities and athletic goals. Instead of forcing families to start with brand-name schools, TennisCourtGuide uses a smarter, wider funnel approach so parents and athletes can compare options based on the balance that matters most to them. This conversation is especially valuable if your player is entering high school, you’re trying to make sense of UTR and recruiting timelines, or you’re wondering whether your child’s development plan is actually moving the needle. If you want a clearer, calmer way to approach college tennis, this episode delivers practical guidance, hard-earned perspective, and a powerful reminder that the right fit is about far more than tennis alone. If you'd like more information on TennisCourtGuide, you can email them at [email protected] or: https://www.tenniscourtguide.com/ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.tenniscourtguide.app&pcampaignid=web_share https://www.instagram.com/courtguide?stkn=YzhvMTN3em4wcHU%3D&utm_source=qr https://www.facebook.com/share/1D7o23T6np/?mibextid=wwXIfr As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 37 of the ParentingAces Podcast! What can stepping into the unknown teach you about life beyond tennis? Lisa Stone and Levi Hecht talk about the courage to do difficult, scary things when you cannot predict the outcome - because the biggest opportunities often begin outside your comfort zone. Drawing on Levi’s experiences in Brazil and Argentina, the conversation looks beyond competition and technique to a mindset that applies everywhere: taking a chance, embracing uncertainty, and trusting that an unfamiliar path can lead somewhere meaningful. Whether the result is a breakthrough in tennis or a completely different kind of growth, the willingness to begin matters. Levi shares the lesson he wants to carry into the rest of his life, while Lisa helps connect that insight to the choices athletes and anyone facing a new challenge must make. It is a candid glimpse at how travel, uncertainty, and difficult decisions can shape more than performance. Key Takeaways for Parents: Waiting for certainty protects you from immediate discomfort but also removes many paths to unexpected upside.The lasting lesson from an experience is often not the specific outcome, but the behavior that made the outcome possible.If you would like to get more information on Levi's South American training, you can contact his coach, Todd Widom, at [email protected]. As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 36 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Former top junior and Division I tennis player Cassandra Torian joins Lisa Stone to discuss how tennis shaped her resilience, independence, and entrepreneurial mindset. Cassandra also shares the stories behind Ruley AI, a rules-reference tool for racket sports and youth sports, and Volleybird, a subscription box featuring gear and products for tennis, pickleball, paddle, and other sports. Key Takeaways for Parents Let your child’s motivation come from within rather than from outside pressure.Teach the rules before conflicts happen, especially when parents may be unfamiliar with the sport.Encourage respectful, evidence-based conversations instead of loud or confrontational arguments.Give young athletes room to experience disappointment and develop their own coping skills.Remember that the lasting value of tennis includes resilience, independence, emotional control, and problem-solving.To get more information on Ruley.AI, go to https://ruley.ai/. For more information on Volleybird, go to https://volleybird.shop/. To reach Cassandra, you can email her at [email protected]. As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 35 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, Lisa talks with Amaury Blondet, a tennis parent, entrepreneur, and creator of PathTennis, about the real-world problems that led him to build a platform for competitive tennis families, coaches, academies, and college teams. They dig into the communication gaps, tournament-planning chaos, and lack of alignment that so many junior tennis families face, and how one tool is trying to bring all of it into one place. In this episode, Lisa and Amaury discuss how PathTennis helps parents, players, and coaches stay aligned on tournament selection, training blocks, rest, injuries, and progress tracking. They also cover why the core search and tracker tools are free, what’s already available for academies and colleges, and how the platform is built to support long-term development, not just rankings. As a tennis parent himself, Amaury knows firsthand the pain points that junior tennis can inflict on the entire family. "Tennis is very costly. So first, to sign up is free," he shares. There are certain features of the platform that will remain free for life even when premium features are added down the road. And for the coaches who are concerned about technology trying to take the place of human interaction, Amaury says, "This is not going to replace you as a coach. This is just a tool to help you get organized." If you are interested in learning more about PathTennis, visit the website at https://pathtennis.com/ or email Amaury directly at [email protected]. Be sure to follow them on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/pathtennis Facebook: facebook.com/pathtennis TikTok: tiktok.com/@pathtennis YouTube: youtube.com/@pathtennis X: x.com/pathtennis LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/pathtennis For academies wanting to learn more:   https://academy.pathtennis.com/ For colleges/universities wanting to learn more:  https://college.pathtennis.com/ As always, Lisa is available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 34 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Coach Todd Widom is back to talk about what's happening in junior tennis development now and comparing it to how he was developed as a young player. Those of you who have been part of our ParentingAces Community for a while should be very familiar with Todd and his no-holds-barred approach to working with junior players and their families. This week, he and I talk about the latest rash of backdraw withdrawals at the National Hardcourts, how technology is impacting junior tennis development for both players and coaches, and what it takes to build trust in the player-parent-coach triangle. If you'd like to get in touch with Todd, you can email him at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also follow then DM him on Instagram at ⁠https://instagram.com/toddwidom_tennis⁠. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 33 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, UK-based coach, Ryan Horgan, joins the pod to talk about the best ways coaches can get young players to listen and integrate the lessons they are trying to teach through a process called Ecological Dynamics. Ryan started playing tennis around age 9 and always felt he was developmentally behind his peers. He was able to have a strong junior career but was soon sidelined by some neurological issues that caused him to pivot. He loved the game so decided to transition into coaching. An opportunity came up for Ryan to work on the island of Cyprus where he now works at an academy training upcoming juniors. In the last year, his passion for coaching took a big leap when he discovered Ecological Dynamics and started integrating it into the communications work he was already doing. If you are interested in reaching out to Ryan, be sure to follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/communicationforcoaches/ - his DMs are always open! As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 32 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Former professional dancer turned performance coach, Kamala Nellen, is back on the podcast (see https://youtu.be/orH0phGwcW0 for our previous podcast together) to discuss training and coaching the whole athlete from the mental/emotional side to the physical. Kamala understands the challenges parents face when trying to help their young athletes find success. Parents want to be cheerleaders or support or problem solvers when, according to Kamala, kids just need an anchor to keep them centered and grounded. For more information on Kamala and the latest edition of her book, WORKING IN, visit her website at https://www.kamalanellen.com/. The direct link to order the book is https://amzn.to/4xttQ34, and the link for the audiobook is https://amzn.to/4hnmbyC. You can also reach out to Kamala directly via email at [email protected]. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 31 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, rising high school senior, Tanner Oberg, joins Lisa to discuss the organization started by his older brothers which he now leads, Rally for Tennis. Rally for Tennis is led by a network of student volunteers across high schools and colleges nationwide — united by the belief that every kid deserves a chance to learn, grow, and belong through tennis. They partner with National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) Centers across the country to support their year-round programs. Rally for Tennis connects high school and college students with kids through mentorship, tutoring, and tennis to teach teamwork, confidence, and a sense of belonging. Tanner's older brothers, Tate (Princeton University) and Cole (Brown University), started RFT in 2021 during their high school years, realizing they could fill a need for mentoring younger players by recruiting their friends to come together as volunteers for their local NJTL. To date, RFT has provided 46,000 hours of tennis instruction, 35,000 hours of academic support, and served 10,000 children. Very impressive! And some recent exciting news: Tanner was chosen as one of 20 regional honorees for the Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award for 2026! You can read the press releae at 2026 ESPN Humanitarian Awards - BJK Youth Leadership. Rally for Tennis is continuing to grow. If you are interested in starting a chapter in your area, you can reach out to Tanner at [email protected]. If you are interested in partnering with RFT and/or making a donation, you can do so at https://rallyfortennis.com/contact-us/. To watch a recent news segment on RFT, go to WBZ MVP (CBS). As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 30 of the ParentingAces Podcast! Coach Duey Evans is back to delve into the work he's been doing over the last year or so, observing player, parent, and coach behaviors in order to formulate a better way to develop junior players. Coach Duey has some insightful observations on the role of tennis parents and how they can recognize their "job" in their child's development. That role includes leaving the junior player to reflect and analyze after play without imposing the parent's thoughts on that process. In this way, parents can help their children learn to trust their inner voice which will, in turn, help them recognize and correct in the moment of a match. If you're interested in scheduling a consult with Duey, you can email him at [email protected]. You can also go to his website https://www.theperformancearchitect.com/ and/or call him at 469-955-3839. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 29 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week we hear from the Program Director of the Harlem Junior Tennis & Education Program (HJTEP), Simone Spigner. Simone, a graduate of HJTEP herself, is a head coach of entry-level programs for its youngest players. She is a PTR-certified teaching professional with more than 10 years of experience in coaching. She attended South Carolina State University on a 4-year tennis scholarship. Simone was promoted to Manager of Tennis Programming in 2021 and was named USTA Eastern's Woman of the Year in 2025. She works closely with former USTA Chair/President Katrina Adams to bring both tennis and education opportunities to school-age children in and around Harlem, New York. HJTEP accepts children ages 5-18 at any stage of tennis development. Its metrics for success in the tennis program include striving for 100% player retention while qualifying 36% of players for tournament play and at least 13% of HJTEP athletes competing at the national level. HJTEP's most advanced players will have also gained tournament experience at the international level with many going on to successful college tennis careers. For more information on HJTEP, visit its website at https://hjtep.org/. You can reach out to Simone directly via email at [email protected]. If you are interested in making a donation of time or money to HJTEP, visit https://hjtep.org/ways-to-give/. To get information on NJTL programs in your community - or to start one! - visit https://www.usta.com/en/home/coach-organize/organization-facilities/national-junior-tennis-learning.html. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 28 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan are back to discuss their new book on leadership in youth sports. Dr. Jerry Lynch, one of the world’s top leadership, performance and team culture specialists, is the founder of Way of Champions, a science-backed, values-based, vision-driven, progressive and pragmatic movement to help leaders, coaches, athletes, and performers to think, act, and behave as champions every day.John O'Sullivan is the founder of Changing the Game Project and host of the Way of Champions Podcast. The mission of CTG is to ensure that we return youth sports to our children, and put the ‘play’ back in ‘play ball.’ John speaks and writes about this mission around the world and is having an incredible impact on youth sports and their management and implementation internationally. While tennis is an individual sport for the most part, there are opportunities for junior players to step into leadership roles along their developmental journey. Whether it's hitting with younger players at their club or academy, captaining a JTT or school team, or volunteering in their community, there are numerous options available. Jerry and John talk about the importance of helping young athletes develop leadership skills, understanding that leadership can often take on various meanings depending on the situation. In their latest book, Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader. The book is broken into three parts: 1. The qualities of team captains 2. The responsibilities of team captains 3. The ten biggest challenges that team captains face The book is designed as a workbook with stories from top athlete leaders and coaches and questions to work through after each short chapter. If you are interested in reaching Jerry, you can email him at [email protected]. To reach John, email him at [email protected]. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 27 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, UTR Sports CEO and Senior Vice President, Mark Leschly and Chase Hodges, are back to discuss the latest happenings in ratings, recruiting, and player pathways. We've seen a lot of news recently about UTR and its elimination from the TennisRecruiting.net website as well as the MatchTennis app. Mark and Chase talk about those relationships as well as their new relationship with the Little Mo series of tournaments. Mark and Chase also share the latest UTR tournament series and discuss how they can be best integrated for overall junior development. For all the information discussed in this episode, go to the UTR Sports website at https://app.utrsports.net/home. For any questions regarding the UTR rating, Chase is available via email at [email protected]. Be sure to follow UTR on Instagram at https://instagram.com/UTR_Sports to keep up with the latest developments. To sign up for UTR Power, go to https://app.utrsports.net/power-perks. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 26 of the ParentingAces Podcast! In this week's podcast, Danielle McNamara is back to take a deep look at the current college tennis landscape and how the NCAA's proposed rule changes could affect recruits and transfer athletes.  Danielle McNamara was the women’s tennis head coach at Yale from 2006-14, and 2016-21. She was also the head coach at Texas from 2014-15. She played college tennis at the University of Michigan, where she became the first player in program history to participate in all three national championships; ITA All-Americans, ITA National Indoors, and NCAA Championships. She is also the former Director of Coach Education at the ITA and current founder of DLM Coaching so is well-credentialed to discuss the current state of college tennis. This episode includes discussion of the recent cuts to college tennis teams, growth of the transfer portal, and the growing strength of non-DI programs. Danielle explains how all of these issues could impact current and future recruits. If you'd like to schedule your FREE 30-minute consult with Danielle, you can contact her through her website at ⁠http://www.dlmcoaching.com or via email at [email protected]. You can watch her informative webinars on her YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@dlmcoaching and follow her on social media at https://instagram.com/dlmcoaching and https://facebook.com/groups/11769060660206931/. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone

Welcome to Season 15 Episode 25 of the ParentingAces Podcast! This week, Lisa speaks with high school tennis player, Sid Chalamalasetty, about his new app, MatchGenie. Sid has been playing competitive tennis while also pursuing a challenging education at The Roxbury Latin School in the Boston area. As he made his way through tournaments, he wished for access to the type of in-depth analytics available to professional players. That led him to develop MatchGeniewhich lets players log matches through live tracking, video upload, or text and voice reflection. The AI breaks down their data into patterns, shots, weaknesses, win rate trends —and turns it into specific training plans and opponent strategies. Coaches get a single dashboard with every player's match data in one place. Parents get real numbers on their child's progress and development.  Sid isn't just a talented player and coder. He also cares deeply about equity in tennis and all sports. Beyond just being a very useful app, MatchGenie includes a 1-1 equity model built into the platform. Every paid subscription funds a free account for an underserved player. Sid has graciously offered free access to MatchGenie to the ParentingAces community. Just go to www.matchgenie.ai to launch. You can also access it via the QR code found in the show notes on ParentingAces.com. If you are interested in reaching out to Sid, you can reach him via email at [email protected] or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/sid-chalamalasetty-58743b337/. As always, I am available for one-to-one consults to work with you as you find your way through junior tennis and the college recruiting process. You can purchase and book online through our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://parentingaces.com/shop/category/consult-with-lisa-stone/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. Please be sure to check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone