My Coach - July 2011 issue

A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

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Managing your business off court: as a new financial year begins, there’s no better time for coaches to review their business.

What do you see? The value of a top ball toss can be measured with a comparison to other sports.

Breaking the surface: a range of surfaces necessitate a range of training regimes.

Work as hard as your athletes: Brett Lennard’s work ethic is an inspiration for the players he coaches.

Coach talk Coach drill Coaches’ corner

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

Managing your business off-court It’s the start of the new financial year and there’s no better time to set some routines to better manage your business.

By Daniela Toleski

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unning a coaching business will at times take you off the court, but there are necessary elements that you need to address to ensure you’re building a successful business.

All the off-court work is beneficial to you in the long run but having an organised approach can help you to use your time more efficiently.

MyCoach

Managing your time Time management skills are very important for small business owners. You probably find yourself performing a full-time on court coaching role, but then need to fit in the off-court administration duties as well.

With only 24 hours in the day, it’s paramount that you have the right processes in place to meet your demands and continue to have a work-life balance.

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Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

“I’m probably 40 hours a week on court and when you’re running a business it’s all the other administration as well,” Tennis Australia High Performance coach Kelly Bisinella says. “It’s definitely hard work, but it’s rewarding work for sure.”

Having set routines are a must if you’re going to stay afloat with all your roles.

Most coaches will have an endless list of duties to perform, from attending meetings, marketing the business to assisting with increasing membership numbers.

There’s also the club-coach relationship to consider, with a positive one between all parties involved proving to be beneficial to both parties. But as with all relationships it takes time and effort to build a strong association.

“It’s important for the club and the coach to align their range of services together,

where the club coach helps out with the tournaments, helps out with open days, helps out the club with quite a lot of club activities and they work together,” Tennis Australia Club Professional coach Jamie Venerys says.

“Also regular reporting to committee meetings on how they’re going to retain the people they are bringing to the club. Working together with the club ensures the club has a sustainable source of financial viability which is club membership.”

However all of these things are time consuming and therefore having a plan of attack to achieve all your goals is essential.

“My job is so varied on a day-to-day basis. I might spend time on the court coaching, admin, program development, stakeholder meetings, marketing and the list goes on. Every day is different,” Tennis

5. Stick to a routine

1. You can make a difference

6. Scheduling

With 24 hours in a day, it’s the way you actually manage yourself and what you do with the time you have that will make a difference.

Setting time limits on your tasks will also be of benefit.

Add meetings/ appointments and block out time for tasks in your online or hard copy calendar.

2. Write down a ‘to do’ list Having the items you need to complete each day written down will help you to prioritise your tasks and tick things off the list! Do the thing you’re avoiding most first, but focus on what’s most important.

3. Change your behaviour Eliminate some of the activities that you’ve noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time on i.e. using the internet for non-work related use. Allocate a certain period for free-time net-surfing once your priority task/s have been completed.

4. Delegate if possible Are there some items, whether on court or off-court, that you can delegate to your assistant coach/es? Taking some of the load off your shoulders will give you more time to accomplish some of your higher priorities.

Things to do t oday...

Once you get into a routine, you’ll be on top of your tasks and manage your business more effectively.

7. Minimise distractions

1. Write a PD for an assistant coach 2. Fundraisin g ideas 3. Meeting w ith Club Presiden t

2pm

4. Marketin g options for Fun Day 5. Lessons 3.3 0pm to 7.00p m

These days everyone has a phone and most probably email on the go, but it could be distracting you. So read or answer emails for a maximum of two hours per day and stick to the tasks and time limits you’ve set.

8. Computer files Organising your files on your computer will help you quickly find the files you’re looking for, without wasting time searching for these.

9. Maintain a work-life balance This is one of the most important tips. If you don’t have a good work-life balance you will end up feeling like a slave to your business and this will reflect in your overall performance. Schedule holidays and take some time out every once in a while.

10. Good health and fitness You’re probably in a good position to also enjoy some regular exercise. This will help you to relieve stress and sustain your fitness. So book in some court time within your schedule and have a hit.

Time … it seems to be going faster and faster every year, but establishing priorities and scheduling your work can make time work for you. Make a difference to your business, take control of your time and accomplish your goals.

MyCoach

Australia Club Professional coach Matt Bull says.

But how can you get to everything you need to accomplish? Australian Tennis Magazine looks at 10 tips to help you get the most out of your day.

Above: A ‘to do’ list can help you prioritise.

Left: Mind the distractions … save net-surfing for allocated free time.

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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What do you see?

By the Stroke Master

If you walk past any tennis court with a coach teaching a lesson on the serve you will most likely hear them explain the serve is like a throwing motion. In the below images greater value is added to this teaching cue as similarities between Nicolas Almagro from Spain and Mariano Rivera who is a pitcher for the New York Yankees are explored.

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1 Base of support

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4

Nicolas Almagro has his feet approximately shoulder width apart and uses a foot back technique on the serve. He has a balanced base that allows him to use the ground as an effective source of power. Almagro’s base is determined by his need to swing up and out to the ball with a throwing motion. Mariano Rivera on the other hand has a wider stance while pitching. His movement is linear as his target is different to Almagro’s. Rivera’s target is directly in front of him without an obstacle in the way. Both players have flexed their legs in preparation for the forward motion of the arm. The energy stored will ultimately be used to contribute to ball velocity.

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2 Separation angle

MyCoach

Both athletes complete their take back having rotated their shoulders passed the line of their hips. This creates a separation angle as the trunk’s musculature is put on stretch.

Research has shown that the effective use of a separation angle in this motion can increase the speed of the trunk’s forward rotation.

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Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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4

Shoulder tilt

Throwing motion

You can observe Almagro’s shoulder tilt that is greater than Rivera’s. Based on the serve having to go over a net Almagro’s motion must be upward and forward. The shoulder tilt also creates greater pre-stretch of his left hip. Rivera has very minimal shoulder tilt due to his throwing motion being on a horizontal plane. If Rivera had a shoulder tilt similar to Almagro then his pitch would travel over the batter.

The most evident similarities are found by observing the arms and elbows of both athletes.

Both have a near full extension with their right arms (slightly bent) for the arm to travel the maximum distance to generate speed. Their elbows are spaced well away from their trunk (90 degree upper arm to trunk angle) to allow the throwing motion and the trunk to rotate in sync. Their palms are facing the ground. Almagro and Rivera share these three commonalities to assist them in gaining maximum ball speed.

5 Weight transfers/force

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Both athletes create a weight transfer specific to the dimensions of their playing area.

Almagro drives his body upward and forward forcing the racquet head down and away from his back (contrary to the scratch the back motion over years gone by). Rivera has already loaded and transferred his weight from his back leg driving his weight towards his target ahead of him. Similar to Almagro, this forward thrust creates a lag with his shoulder (pre-stretch) and arm, allowing them to be accelerated forwards at an increased speed.

The effect is similar to stretching an elastic band and letting it go. The contraction of the elastic band (muscles) occurs at a rapid rate.

Try to visualise Rivera throwing a ball with some of the common flaws we see in the tennis serve. If Rivera dropped his elbow on the forward throwing motion his speed would significantly decrease or if his palm was facing the sky he would have to make significant adjustments before he released to ensure the ball was travelling in the right direction. The effectiveness of the baseball pitch is one to mimic and adapt to the court dimensions that our game is played on.

MyCoach

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Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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BREAKING THE SURFACE Tennis’ unique qualities are epitomised by the fact that the four Grand Slams are each contested on different surfaces with specific playing characteristics. As the following exercises show, contrasting physical demands can require customised exercise tips for the associated rigours.

muscles are stretched beyond their normal length, resulting in small tears or muscle strains. The good news is that statistically, injury frequencies are four to eight times lower for clay than for all other court surfaces that don’t permit sliding.

Characteristics of clay

Grass court tennis is particularly fast, with balls bouncing relatively low. The lower bounce demands greater bending of the knees, which requires strong muscle contractions of gluteals and quadriceps. Explosive power is also needed to get to the ball faster, making reactive speed a key component of successful performance on grass.

Due to the low bounce on grass, the gluteals (buttocks), quadriceps and hamstrings of players can get sore. When this happens, players can compensate (for not bending at the knees) by leaning forward at the waist – which can also

Points on clay are generally longer than on other court surfaces. Balls tend to be ‘heavier’ as the ball’s interaction with the court produces some ‘grip’ and a higher bounce. Simply put a heavy ball equates to a fast ball with lots of spin. As a result of the longer rally lengths, there are more strokes per rally, which subsequently means more balls hit per game and per match. Lateral movement (side to side) across the baseline is a feature as the player has more time to set up on the

higher bouncing ball. However there is also significant backwards and forwards movement as players attempt to contact the ball in their hitting zones.

Overuse injuries of the upper arm are more common during the clay court season due to the above mentioned heavier balls and longer rallies. This stress on the shoulder, wrist and elbow is exacerbated when players have poor strength and/or endurance in the shoulder stabilisers. Groin injuries also seem to spike with increased number of changes of direction or slides, particularly in to an open stance. The

Characteristics of grass

CLAY COURT EXERCISE TIPS

MyCoach

EXTERNAL ROTATION TO PRESS

DUMBBELL DIAGONALS

SUMO DEADLIFT AND LATERAL LUNGE

Start with arms raised to the side of the body, elbows bent to 90 degrees (top).

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Hold dumbbell in the opposite hand to the single leg support.

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Assume a wide stance with toes slightly pointed outwards.

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Rotate wrists backwards towards the wall, keeping elbows at the same height.

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Keeping the back straight, lower hips until you are able to grasp the dumbbell (top).

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Press dumbbell overhead, keeping knuckles as close to the wall as possible.

Begin with the hand in line with the opposite hip and maintain a neutral pelvic position (top).

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Lift the arm in a diagonal pattern, rotating thumb to the top when hand is extended overhead.

Lift chest up to extend the trunk to standing position.

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Bend one leg to allow a lateral lunge, pushing weight through the heel and keeping opposite leg straight.

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Complete three sets of eight to 10 repetitions.

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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Reverse the movement in a controlled manner to return to start position.

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Complete three sets of six to eight repetitions each side.

Perform a lateral lunge to the opposite side and then return to the deadlift position.

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Complete three of six to eight repetitions.

Not everyone can thrive on different surfaces as Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer do, but you can at least tailor preparation to achieve your best tennis experience.

provide discomfort to and place strain on the lower back. This is particularly common at the elite level where many players, both men and women, are over six feet tall and have longer trunks. The sudden and forceful changes of direction as well as lower hitting positions can also bring about knee pain in some

players. This can be difficult to manage when players have a very short period of time to transition between the clay and grass court tournaments (i.e. only two weeks between the French Open and Wimbledon). Wrist pain due to an increased amount of volleying may be expected.

Not everyone has aspirations to play in the Grand Slams, but some of these exercise tips may help you enjoy your tennis experience on different court surfaces at whatever level you play.

Narelle Sibte is Tennis Australia’s National Strength and Conditioning Manager.

GRASS COURT EXERCISE TIPS

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Holding dumbbells in both hands, alternate stepping forwards and backwards off the same support leg.

Forwards and backwards = one repetition.

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In both front and back lunge positions, there should be a straight line through shoulder, hip and back knee (top).

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Maintain a rigid trunk during execution.

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Complete three of six to eight repetitions on each leg.

DROP JUMP TO TENNIS SPLIT ■■

Stand on a box approximately 20–30 cm high (box height can vary depending on age, body size, skill level and training experience).

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Step off (rather than jump) the box performing an explosive jump immediately upon touching the ground. Stiff legs and short contact time.

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Just prior to landing from the explosive jump, a ball is fed right or left to the player, who in turn must perform a dynamic split step to re-act (top).

PRONE SWISH BALL HIP EXTENSION ■■

Lay face down on a stability ball with hips on the crest of the ball.

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Arms stay in a slightly flexed position (depending on ball height).

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Lift legs up and extend hips until the back is in a straight position, then return to the start.

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Keep feet together and maintain straight legs.

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Complete three of eight to 10 repetitions.

Complete three sets of four feeds.

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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MyCoach

FORWARDS AND BACKWARDS DUMBBELL LUNGE

Work as hard as your athletes

ia ard tral enn Aus ch, L s t i t n re en ent coa e: B s: T nal ssm This awareness pushed him Nam cation ofessio d Asse ouse fi li Pr an tH g n s n i e Qua r Club i to look into becoming a tennis n in liam st Ten te Tra Par e l l Mas cate 4 r d coach and Lennard opened his l a r ( O , Fo lub es: tifi ntre nnis C Cer /Centr e tennis business Rising Star C Te nis bs 011 den Clu ns Ten 2 o Tennis Academy in 1998. r W a de th rtst Gar nd Nor Spo lian More than 12 years down y t a i un tra Club ) mm Aus ence – the track and the Rising Star CT T Co , 2010 C ell of c A in A Ex ing ach Tennis Academy operates ds: h g o r c n C a i a o h n Aw or c s: Coac l Regio f in three clubs/centres in d r r rd ita ato Awa cilit Awa an Cap a s i F the Australian Capital i n ing 0 tral Ten 201 earn Aus d L , Territory, including r b a a ali Clu Aw ustr ear A Y Old Parliament House s i e th enn er: T Gardens Tennis Centre, h t O

Brett Lennard caught the tennis bug early and never looked back…

MyCoach

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life-time passion for tennis first started at the Crib Point Tennis Club on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, when Brett Lennard was seven years old.

“Mum and Dad were both very active club members. Dad was the Club President and I used to tag along to their weekend social and pennant competitions, bugging them to hit with me every time there was a free court,” Lennard says.

But it was the anticipation and excitement of going away with family or friends to a country grass court tournament at Charlton and Maryborough that’s remained a vivid memory for him.

“We used to pitch the tent right next to the tennis centre. Everyone was so friendly and the tournament was always extremely well organised. They also made the best chicken salad rolls on earth,” he says.

Later down the track Lennard realised that he enjoyed having direct working relationships with people and helping them out.

“It took me a while to figure out that I could combine my passion for tennis and the desire to bring people together and earn a living doing it,” he says.

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Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

Forrest Tennis Club and North Woden Tennis Club.

“Our business model focuses on grassroots coaching through to players training in our High Performance Academy. We have hundreds of players currently moving through our three Tennis Australia Hot Shot stages, red, orange and green,” Lennard says.

“We are hopeful there are a few that may go on to do special things with their tennis but more hopeful that they are all still playing the game in 50 to 60 years time, then we can be really proud of something … but we try to ensure that all our players both young and not so young feel like rising stars.”

With this in mind, Lennard further developed his skills, attaining his Tennis Australia Club Professional qualification, then his Tennis Australia Master Club Professional qualification in association with Deakin University in 2007, but he believes that engagement has the power to leave a lasting impression.

“We would hope that our coaching teams’ love of the game may resonate through our coaching program and that our passion for the game may also become theirs,” he says.

“We also encourage our players to understand that tennis is a game that should be played and not just practised.

To encourage this we offer a plethora of social and competitive tennis options.”

In March 2011 Lennard was awarded the ACT Community Sportstar Award for coaching and his commitment and dedication was further recognised with a Coach of the Year Award for 2010 in the Australian Capital Region at the Tennis ACT Annual Awards and he was also presented with the Australian Tennis Award in Coaching Excellence – Club in 2010.

“Wow. It’s not often you get a tennis coach speechless,” Lennard says. “It was a great honour. To be a finalist [in the Australian Tennis Awards] I was pretty proud and then to come away with the big gong, I was extremely proud and happy.”

Lennard has found that putting in the hard yards on court as a coach is the best way to further push his athletes.

“Our more experienced athletes are working particularly hard and the best way I have found to inspire them through this process is to work just as hard as they are, inspiration through perspiration,” he says.

Rising to the challenge of working with a diverse range of players with different needs, wants and goals is something that Lennard looks forward to everyday.

“But I still have so much to learn. This game is always changing, the people who play it are always different so it is important for me to look for new and different ways to meet these challenges.”

Brett Lennard wants all his athletes – young and old – to feel like rising stars.

Coach Talk Website upgrade

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When can I play again?

Competitive formats for MLC Tennis Hot Shots – a must see workshop for those who coach young children.

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ecome a fan of Tennis Australia Coach Development and be kept up-to-date with all the latest news and upcoming events.

To find us, log into your Facebook account and search “Tennis Australia Coach Development”.

Full day workshop

ike Barrell is the Director of evolve9 in the UK and is a world renowned tennis expert in the area of children’s tennis. The workshops will cover:

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The benefits of modified tennis formats for children

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Why run club based competitions?

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Preparing children for competition in your lessons

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Creating the right environment in your club

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Free for MLC Tennis Hot Shots deliverers. $66 Tennis Australia coach members. $88 non-members.

Workshop dates: ■■ Thursday 11 August – Brisbane ■■ Saturday 13 August – Sydney ■■ Sunday 14 August – Melbourne ■■ Tuesday 16 August – Adelaide ■■ Wednesday 17 August – Perth

Understanding and developing a competitive orientation in young players Effective planning, marketing and running your competition calendar

Contact your local Coach Development Coordinator on (03) 9914 4146 or visit tennis.com.au/pd to book or for further information.

The best age-appropriate formats for red, orange and green stages Working with and understanding parents.

Tennis

branded polos

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olos are white with grey piping with the Tennis Australia logo on the left chest.

Qualified member price: $35 and non-qualified members $49.

Visit www.australianopenshop. com and click on the coaches section.

Qualified members please ensure you enter your My Tennis ID to gain your discount.

MLC Tennis Hot Shots

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ttract new players to your club and increase revenue with MLC Tennis Hot Shots. Using smaller courts, racquets and low-compression balls, MLC Tennis Hot Shots makes learning tennis easy for new players.

New deliverers can register to MLC Tennis Hot Shots for only $99 (incl. GST) per annum. Existing 2010–11 deliverers can renew their registration for FREE (offer expires 31 August 2011).

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

MyCoach

pgrade your Qualified Coach Membership for $49 per annum and receive a customised website for your coaching business.

Website packages include a personalised URL and a fully serviced single page website linked to the Tennis Australia network, featuring your business name and logo, contact details, venue/s, qualification/s and programs offered.

Visit tennis. com.au/coaches/ membership/ benefits/ marketing for more information.

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Grind your opponent

By Geoff Reese, Tennis Australia Club Professional coach

Focus: rallying, spin control, concentration and endurance Stage: develop (7–10 years), encourage (10–12 years), entrance (12–15 years) Equipment: spot markers, modified balls C

Objective To hit cross court ground strokes with the intention of keeping the ball in play.

Description 1 • Play commences with a co-operative feed.

• Encourage players to rally.

• During the rally players attempt to make the ball clear the net by a large margin (could put a rope above the net).

• By using topspin players gain more control.

• Have a target area at ¾ court.

• Scoring: –– No points are awarded if a player hits an outright winner.

–– Players score one point when their opponent makes an error.

–– If a player hits the target they are awarded five points and play ends. First player to five wins.

–– Even if a player is 4-0 down they can still win by hitting the target, encouraging them to ‘hang in there’.

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Description 2 • As players improve they rotate with the spare player after 30 seconds, while keeping the one ball in play.

• Explain that the time players make errors is often soon after change-over or when losing concentration near end of time limit.

• Spare players can relax but must then quickly concentrate again when due back on court (like real match play).

• Give a five second warning for change over.

• Play for extended time to test technique, endurance and mental application.

• Scoring as above.

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Description 3

MyCoach

• Quicken the pace.

• Players rotate with a spare player after each stroke.

• This encourages quick movement and decision making.

• A great contrast from ‘grind your opponent’.

• Another great endurance test.

• Scoring as above or: –– First to 11.

–– Up and down scoring (lose a point for an error, score a point if a player hits a winner or the target).

Key

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Coach

Coach feed

Ball direction

Player

Thrower/Catcher

Player movement

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

Spot markers Drop down lines

Buckets Hoops

Coaches’ corner The new communication age

– get your business ready

“Information technology and business are becoming inextricably interwoven.

I don’t think anybody can talk meaningfully about one without talking about the other.” – Bill Gates

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Coach websites While many coach businesses can’t see the importance of a website, think they are too small to warrant one or simply don’t know where to start, the reality is that regardless of your business size, the internet is the first information source for many people.

What are the benefits of investing in a website for your business?

1 A website is a marketing tool that can work for you around the clock 24/7.

2 Websites overcome distance barriers and are easily accessed by anyone in the world.

3 An organisation with a strong web presence is seen as being professional.

4 Provides an introductory reference point – a good website allows people to learn more about you, what you do and to make contact with you.

5 It’s integrative – your website can work with other marketing devices such as emails and newsletters.

Twitter

6 It helps attract the right audiences – websites attract people who are already searching for information and are interested in your services.

How do you get online?

You can be part of Tennis Australia’s official website tennis.com.au. Simply upgrade your qualified membership for $49 per annum and receive a customised website for your coaching business. With layouts already in place, all you have to do is add in your personalised content.

For more information on a range of benefits offered through Tennis Australia Coach Membership for 2011–2012, please visit tennis.com.au/coaches/membership/benefits.

Social media Social media is more than just a buzz word – it offers opportunities and measurable results and is increasingly being used as a marketing tool, changing the way businesses can communicate with customers. Engage your audience and they’ll be part of your online community.

The most commonly used channels of social media are Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Facebook Among other things, Facebook allows businesses to keep in touch with stake holders, advise them of social events and upload photos from events.

Twitter enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets – text-based posts which are displayed on the author’s profile page and the author’s subscriber’s feeds. Clubs can use Twitter to send competition result updates, membership/ event reminders, post photos and link the website or Facebook page. Basically it’s another communication tool for you to talk to the tennis community.

The National Academy Brisbane team uses Twitter as a means of communicating with tennis enthusiasts, current athletes, aspiring players, corporate bodies and potential sponsors. @NA_Brisbane has sported a 300 percent increase in followers this year alone.

Grant Jenkins, National Academy Brisbane Strength and Conditioning Coach states: “It is a great way to educate parents and players about National Academy Brisbane initiatives, tours, and post score updates. It provides a means of sharing useful information through a range of shared links.”

Before you jump into using social media, it might be worth conducting some research and putting together a communication strategy that answers some basic questions: Why does my business want to participant in social media?

How can social media be used to improve on overall customer satisfaction?

You will also need to understand the resources required to effectively use social media and should only make the commitment if it can be sustained.

For more information on how Tennis Australia Coach Membership can assist you in taking the leap of faith into social media contact (03) 9914 4191.

Australian Tennis Magazine | July 2011

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MyCoach

he internet and social media have become the future of business marketing; personalised websites and social media sites are no longer just considerations, but absolute necessities.

It is extraordinarily important to have an effective and assertive social media marketing campaign in which your branding is solid and your business offerings are highlighted and appear compelling and attractive. If done correctly, social media can increase consumer connections, broaden and improve brand awareness, promote top of mind business recognition, improve customer service, and create the opportunity for new potential clientele.

The ‘Find a Coach’ section of the tennis. com.au website has received more than 3400 unique searches in the past six months, showing there’s a myriad of people looking for information online. What are some of the ways your business can engage with these potential new clients?

Tennis Australia Club Professional coach Paul Arber and successful operator of Trademark Tennis has recently incorporated social media into his business’ marketing strategies through Facebook.

“Our Facebook page has helped us to communicate with our members and clients in a conversational way, as well as build a positive and connected club presence and culture,” Arber says.