We at MyTennisLessons are excited to announce Josh S. in Cambridge, MA as our instructor of the month for May. He is doing a fantastic job teaching his students. We were able to find some time between lessons to ask Josh a few questions.
(1) In your opinion, what made it so special to work with nationally ranked players who may have gone on to play on their college Teams?
The majority of players that have gotten to this level of tennis did so largely by self-motivation, incredible hard-work, and a relentless capacity to never give up. Such individuals see no boundaries to their limits. When a teacher or coach such as myself spends time on the court they notice such differences. Their training ethics are excellent and that often relates to their individual success off the court as well whether it be academics or volunteer work, teaching, etc.
(2) What did you do to prepare some of your students to particpate or tryout for college teams? What was the most common advice you gave your students and, in return, what was the most common question you received from these types of students?
The best preparation is always matchplay. The best collegiate players from my own personal experience played endless matches, both practice and in tournaments. While many may feel somewhat burned out after the spring of their senior year in high school they need to maximize their potential prior to beginning their first year of collegiate tennis.
Recently, two players this prior summer asked if they would ever play for their desired collegiate team. That is a question they need to have answered prior to applying to the school. Players need to know exactly the level of the college team they are interested in and how they measure up. This is reality. Players need to be realistic. Walk-ons don’t often occur. College coaches recruit and communicate directly with players. Every year the quality of tennis grows. More and more international players are coming and taking spots at all national divisions.
Secondly, it can be very and I mean very hard to work one’s way into the their teams line up after the first year. In the end, it is often best for a player to join a team knowing they will start in the lineup their first year. Players who start gain more experience and tend to improve more than those who do not. Those who quit in college tend to be players who did not start in the line up.
(3) You’ve been teaching tennis for over 7 years now. What was the most unique moment you experienced on court as an instructor?
The most unique moment was certainly when one of my students who I had worked with for over 4 years decided he was going to play division 3 tennis. I will give him the pseudonym John. I spent more time on the court with John than any other player. He didn’t pick up a racquet and start playing seriously until 8th grade. I don’t know any other current or former collegiate player who started playing tennis so late in their adolescent years. John deserves credit for his hard work and success. John was also realistic about his abilities and where he was best suited if he wanted to start and enjoy a four year career as a starting player on his team. That is often hard to recognize. So kudos to John and his successful first year as a division 3 collegiate athlete.
(4) You must be a passionate competitive tennis Player yourself as you competed on the collegiate Level. What made you start playing the game in the first place?
The game of tennis is often a hereditary sport. My father picked up a racquet in his twenties and loved the game. As a yankee who grew up in Queens he spent many summers at Fresh Meadows watching the greatest battle it out at the U.S. Open. He attempted to get both my sister and I into the game. Despite her being three years older I was beating her when I was seven or eight. Victory never tasted better.
My sister decided swimming better suited her but I stuck to tennis. I played many other sports and played soccer for ten years. However, tennis called to me. I loved the movement, the finesse, the touch, and power. There was so much to love about the game of tennis.
(5) What would you say is your overall teaching mantra?
I would say that my mantra is always to recognize that each individual responds differently to teaching methods. We all absorb and learn things differently. It is always great to figure out how tennis players learn. That is part of the challenge of teaching but equally if not more rewarding! Some players are more visual as opposed to auditory. Others respond well to both. The key is to offer a variety of teaching methods. Both I and my student are educating one another. It is always a mutually beneficial relationship similar to an academic classroom.
