Steve Keller PTR

Steve Keller, Director of Education for the Professional Tennis Registry, (PTR) is responsible for the educational direction and content of PTR within the United States and abroad. Keller oversees PTR clinical training, content delivery, design and professional development courses to create opportunities for certified tennis professionals. Keller has been a member of PTR since 1986, and a member of the United State Professional Tennis Association (USPTA) since 2005.  He spent eighteen years with the Dennis Van der Meer organization, prior to joining Tennis Corporation of America (TCA) organization.

Keller is responsible for the educational direction of content of PTR with the U.S. and abroad.

SZ: What are the current development trends influencing the education and credentialing of professional coaches?

SK: This is a terrific question. The tennis teaching industry has come a very long way in the way it now educates and certifies tennis coaches. PTR previously had one general certification from 1976 through 2010, basically a one size fits all education/certification program. In 2011, we made the change to incorporate specified education and certification for coaches working in different areas of the game. For example, the manner or methodology in which you teach an adult how to play the game is vastly different from how you introduce a young child to the game. PTR now offers four distinct educational pathways for coaches with areas of concentration in 10 and under, 11 to 17, Performance, and Adult Development.

SZ: What are the benefits of a consumer working with a certified professional?

SK: Certified professionals have made it a point to reach higher in their commitment to education. In the current marketplace, consumers have become savvy to reach out to credentialed coaches. The consumer mindset has gradually shifted to the thinking of, “If I am willing to invest in a particular coach, I want to have a degree of assurance that this person has gone through an educational program that will best serve my needs.” Additionally, certified professionals are not only licensed but have the ability to be insured. There is a lot to be said for “peace of mind,” knowing that you are walking out on a court with a professional that is licensed and insured.

SZ: This year the PTR & USPTA announced a programmatic alliance in an effort to elevate the standards of tennis teaching professionals. Explain the collaboration between the PTR & USPTA. In what ways will this alliance improve the resources of professional coaching?

SK: This is a very exciting time in the industry. We have several areas of collaboration with the USPTA. A new continuing education requirement for coaches as well as a joint partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and USPTA featuring education for coaches working with players under the age of ten through The Coach Youth Tennis initiative.

Both organizations have realized a need for continuing education for quite some time. We feel it is crucial for professionals to expand their knowledge and stay current with the latest information available. By having both organizations in this together, coaches can see that the industry and teaching organizations take this seriously. The bottom line is simple, we want better qualified coaches in the sport. Quality coaches produce quality results, everyone wins in the  long run. Coaches, students, and parents all gain in the end. One quick note on The Coach Youth Tennis Initiative. PTR has been a leader of 10 and under education for the last several years (in fact we have certified more than 2,500 coaches in 10 and under tennis over the last three years alone. In having the USPTA partnering with PTR and the USTA this will make a huge difference in getting children off to a good start in the sport and hopefully keep the growth of the game healthy for many years to come. Finally, PTR and the USPTA have agreed to collaborate on conferences and professional development opportunities for members. Reciprocity is given to coaches attending either organizations events.

SZ: Does PTR have a Sport Psychology component to their certification? How important is an understanding of Sport Psychology in the overall mix of a teaching professionals development?

SK: We do have components relating to Sport Psychology within our Master of Tennis program. PTR has been very fortunate to have an association with Jim Loehr from the inception of the organization. In fact, Jim Loehr was just inducted into the PTR Hall of Fame this past February. PTR has only three people inducted into the Hall, our founder Dennis Van der Meer, legendary coach Jim Verdieck from the University of Redlands, and now Jim Loehr.

We have annually offered a program in conjunction with our International Symposium with Dr. Loehr’s, Human Performance Institute. His program offers an incredible educational opportunity for coaches working with mental training and performance. The amount of information in this area has grown substantially. We are currently looking at additional opportunities in this area that will have broader outreach to our membership.

SZ: Competitive junior tennis is becoming more and more stressful as parents hope their child secures a college scholarship from tennis. There are many stories of cheating that occur regularly in junior tennis. Is the education and development process helping coaches discuss these issues with junior players and parents? Coaches receive pressure from parents for their children to win, and parents pressure their children to produce.

SK: I am pleased to announce that we do cover this area. When developing content for our new educational pathway, our CEO Dan Santorum insisted on having the areas of sportsmanship and fair play covered in our new curriculums. Dan has a son competing in youth sports and has personally coached many young athletes in a competitive environment. Many coaches have gotten away from educating their players in this area but as you can see we take this matter seriously and will continue to lead the charge with our junior development educational offerings.

SZ: What would you like to see going forward in advancing the standards of professional teaching?

SK: With the evolution of our educational pathway, we have recognized the need for coaches to become well rounded. The more educational opportunities we can provide for our coaches the better for the industry. I would strongly encourage all coaches from the most seasoned veterans to the novice coach just starting out to seek out quality education. PTR has challenged coaches over the years to “Make a World of Difference.” PTR will continue to raise the bar higher and challenge coaches to continue their personal and professional growth

SZ: You’ve been involved in professional tennis education and development for quite a while. Do you have any favorite, quotes, tips or stories that keep you focused on the long game of your career?

SK: My favorite quote is from Francis Bacon, “Knowledge is Power.” Personally, I still make it a point to attend as many educational and professional development events as possible. I LOVE to LEARN, every little gem I can pick up along the journey is precious. The additional education I gain is beneficial to not only myself but also to the coaches I meet along the way. Anytime I can create content or share information I feel tremendously rewarded. I also must add it is an incredible feeling when the wheels are up on my flight out of a city that I have made a difference in the life of someone that will then in turn make a difference in someone else’s life. That is direct impact and extremely powerful.

SZ: Steve thanks so much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to participate in this discussion.

*Featured guests are not former nor current clients of Susan Zaro

*As published on Examiner.com

The Riekes Center

 Gary Riekes created the Riekes Center for Human Enhancement to build self-esteem in young people through a strength-and-fitness academy. Along the way the model expanded into a mission statement that includes, “Providing each student with the best possible opportunity to define and accomplish individual goals, build character and learn transferable life skills through Creative Arts, Athletic Fitness and Nature Awareness, in an environment on non-judgment and mutual respect." A nonprofit organization, the Riekes Center offers a large selection of classes, monthly gym memberships and a wide range of customized fitness programs. About a quarter of its participating students receive financial aid or scholarships to participate at the Riekes Center.

SZ: What is your definition of human potential?

GR: I think human potential is the acquirement of your quality of life in terms of the joy and love that you bring to your life and passion in attainment.

SZ: How does a participant at the Riekes Center achieve that?

GR: The idea of the Riekes Center exists for an individual student. Can anyone come - yes. Can anyone join - no. The concept isn’t about a student becoming a part of something, they are already there. They are a human being. It’s hard to describe on energetic terms as opposed to concrete terms. We ask, what does a student want? There are programs offered in creative arts, athletic/fitness and nature. We are not trying to get students to join something, they are not becoming part of a club. To me any person is as important as anyone in the history of the world. Participants here can come whether they can pay or not, we offer scholarships. In terms of what they want to do once they are here, we can create curriculum in whatever is the easiest to learn and provide a mentor for whom they are comfortable to implement it. So a participant should be happy in terms of what they are doing because they can also say, “I don’t want this.”

At the Riekes Center honest communication is one of the things that is mandatory. For example, “I don’t want to learn to play the drums or I do want to learn to play the drums.” Whatever it is they have a goal of something they want to attain. Often in life the process by which you are accomplishing your concrete goal is more enjoyable than actually obtaining it. It’s the way those processes happen, through human relationships and the methodologies and all those lessons that you learn. Navigating that path is one of the keys to what we provide for people here. The ability to navigate their life with quality in terms of those connections, interactions and the methodologies that are used to acquire something are so beautiful and often that’s lost by an outcome.

SZ: It’s the process of setting a goal for themselves and the gift of developing a relationship with a mentor who actively engages in the process with the student.

GR: Yes and I think if I were just interacting with a machine I wouldn’t have fun. I like playing with people. I used to have a pinball machine in my basement and I became bored with that quickly because I found out how to cheat because I had a key. I could set pinball records but it became meaningless. People admired me for having these large pinball records but the win had become more important than the playing. I love the “doing” with other people.

SZ: If you win all the time there’s no learning involved.

GR: There was no quality to the experience. At the Riekes Center we are about helping people accomplish their goals and they have to have specific goals. That’s the premise of the Riekes Center. For example, “I want to be a better tennis player, or musician.” In some areas we have programs that can help someone all the way to the world class level. There’s a smile that comes over someone when they are accomplishing their goals. A smile that they feel inside themselves and that’s what I’ve always loved. That’s the thing that fuels me the most. It’s like a nuclear reaction inside of me. It doesn’t matter the age or whether the student won a contest or whatever. If we didn’t have our mission come to fruition from the smile from the inside of someone else then this wouldn’t affect the quality of my life. But it does all the time.

SZ: Because you see it all around you.

GR: Yeah all the time. I guess it’s maybe caring, but how people accomplish their goals is the standard outcome and that’s wonderful.

SZ: It’s also having people find the achievement within themselves. The Riekes Center provides mentoring around that. You’ve created a network of mentoring.

GR: It’s a different mentoring formula. We have specialized programs and at times we have a world class or highly accredited teacher telling a student what to do because the student needs that information. That’s very expensive and we can scholarship some people but we don’t have world class coaches in all the areas because most people can’t afford it and aren’t that serious that they need that level of instruction all the time. So we can take the curriculum and use someone who’s vibrant and who can relate well, generally someone that’s younger who can teach the information. We create modules so a student learns “A” than “B” but then can teach “A” to someone else. It becomes a peer/mentor formula and it creates a lot of friendships.

SZ: Who have been the major influences, people and or events in your life that helped formulate your ideologies?

GR: I know it’s my mom and dad. My mom and dad were opposites. My mom was a virtuoso musician and attended music school. My dad was a business man and played football at the University of Minnesota with Bronko Nagurski. My mom and dad were totally different people. My dad was a very serious academic. My mom was wild, wooly and a rebel of her age. She was a classical violinist who worked her way through school as a waitress and singer. Her stage name was Valentine Lee. She was a boopity boop singer. They were so supportive and so loving that’s the reason the Riekes Center exists, to provide that same feeling.

Another influential person in my life was football coach Mouse Davis. I worked for him for about ten years. He had a huge impact on my life. Mouse was football coach at Portland State and invented an offensive called the “run and shoot.” I think he’s one of the greatest football coaches of all time. He’s also the toughest man I’ve ever met.

SZ: Toughest mentally, broad vision or expectations?

GR: Tough in terms of everything. Tough in expectations, work ethic, getting the job done, just a very amazing brilliant genius with a huge heart, courageous and really knows how to yell. He’s a larger than life character.

What I learned from Coach Davis is a brilliant way of doing things that allows for things happening on multiple levels. For example, instead of using one quarterback throwing one football to one receiver he used four quarterbacks, four receivers and four balls. I always thought he was a wizard because he would correct mistakes by the receivers and quarterbacks without looking at them. At the time I thought it was impossible and it took me years to understand his offense well enough to see it was in the timing. Things happen at given timings so you can tell by the timing that things happened correctly or incorrectly. It was one of the most brilliant things I’ve seen in my life.

SZ: Through your experience with Coach Davis what did you bring back to the Riekes Center?

GR: What I brought back was infinite. I brought back a perspective that was totally different from what I’ve ever been taught before. The dimension upon which he was actualizing things was totally different. Earlier you said, “You have to be bright enough to learn Coach Davis’s system.” No, not really, but the players had to be rapid enough to learn it. It takes years and players don’t learn it in a day. They have to do the same thing over and over again.

SZ: Eventually the process becomes part of you.

GR: Right, you have to keep doing it until you can do it and it takes time. It’s not immediate gratification. But what people don’t realize is that the experience, the camaraderie, the friendships of the person mentoring them while they are striving to learn it is the beautiful experience. It’s a big life lesson. So that’s what I brought back to the Riekes Center, not just the “run and shoot” which I teach, but that the process is the art.

SZ: The process becomes the ballet of the sport.

GR: Exactly.

SZ: Name a few things that you are proud of that the Riekes Center has achieved in the last five years.

GR: The thing I’m most proud of is that even though the majority of participants at the Riekes Center are youth, we have a huge program for the elderly. So many older people go, “I’m ninety-two years old and can’t do xyz.” The truth is we taught my dad to rap in his eighty’s. There’s so many things older people can do like singing and music. They have time to study and and come to classes. For me when a group of people have preconceived ideas of what someone doing rap looks like and then you put a ninety year old in a class, it’s neat to see the bonding and collaboration between people in the group. The class may be made up of youth just starting out learning to rap, or more advanced put in with some seniors just learning. It’s a nice collaboration. We create a place where everyone can feel welcome and comfortable. There are people of all different abilities and ages. At times we pair people who are tremendous musicians with people who are not very skilled and that’s great. I am most proud that we have been able to accomplish real world diversity and have it work. I am proud that we are trying to not intellectually break stereotypes but in energy/spirit and values. You feel it when you come in here.

SZ: The beauty of the what the Riekes Center strives to create is that a person is asked to create goals for his/herself in terms of what they wish to achieve/learn. That achievement is not tied to worth. A participant is asked to achieve what they want but not say, “But I’m not good enough because my results aren’t as good as someone else’s.” The student is asked to identify the goal for themselves not in comparison to another. If the person wants to win some event for their sense of accomplishment then work harder or acquire the skills to accomplish the goal. That authenticity differentiates your perspective from most human beings.

GR: Well I had a long period of my life when I had a lot of time to think about these things.

SZ: What are the future goals for the Riekes Center?

GR: We currently rent our building and we are working to own it. We are going to do a capital campaign for an urban and rural center. We also have begun Riekes Philosophy and Methodology (RPM), where we train people on how to build a culture. So far we’ve worked with a group of teachers from an academy in Kenya who came here for several trainings. It’s been very interesting.

SZ: Are there any upcoming events at the Riekes Center you would like to mention?

GR: Our “Rally for Riekes” fundraising event will be held on Sept. 20th here at the Riekes Center. Interested individual can check our events calendar on-line to learn more.

SZ: Gary your influence on tens of thousands of people’s lives in the bay area over the years in so many ways is extraordinary. Thank you for taking the time to chat with me about the Riekes Center.

*Featured guests are not current nor former clients of Susan Zaro

*This article is as published on the Examiner

Voices from the bench, part two

“As research has accumulated on coach-athlete interactions, it has become clear that coaches can have either a positive or a negative impact on the lives of athletes at all levels of competition. A positive coach-athlete relationship can enhance athletes’ psychological and social well-being, foster the development of self-efficacy, positive values and coping skills, and promote continued involvement in healthy physical activity. In contrast, negative coach-athlete relationships create distress, foster the development of dysfunctional attitudes towards achievement and competition, create needless interpersonal distress, and contribute to sport competition attrition.” Frank Smoll & Ronald Smith, University of Washington. 

Part one of the interview began with the reflections of an athlete who made the high school soccer team yet hasn’t been called off the bench to play during league games even though he keeps trying to win over the coach and have a chance to prove himself. Part two is the opportunity for his parents to voice their concerns as they've attempted to figure out how to participate in problem solving their child’s high school athletic experience when they see how much participating on the team and being part of a team means to their son. 

This interview is not designed to solve any issues but to give the athlete and his parents a voice as they know they are not the only family that has experienced this type of situation. It’s a reminder for coaches to keep in mind their power and influences on the population of athletes they oversee. High school is a vulnerable developmental time for youth. It’s more than sports. It’s the bigger picture of personal development, inclusion in groups, and learning from adult role modeling.

SZ: How do you make sense of what has been occurring regarding your son being on the high school soccer team and not having an opportunity to participate during games?

Parents: It’s really hard to make sense of it. When you see your child making sacrifices, not missing any practices, has a consistent strong work ethic, and you see that he’s not receiving a reward for all the time he’s put into the game it’s hard to watch him on the bench. As parents we become frustrated. At the same time we didn’t want to make things worse by talking to the coach because rumor was that if we talk to the coach, he would put our child even further on the back burner. So we felt caught. We attend all the games and we volunteer our time to the team. 

We have gone to the coach and asked, “What does he need to do to earn more playing time?” The coach replies, “To keep doing what he’s doing.” That’s the response we received. I consulted with a friend of mine who coaches and asked, “What does that mean when a coach says that?” His reply was, “It’s a way to get you off his back.” 

SZ: As parents talking to the coach has not stimulated conversation that gives you and your son feedback to which he can create a proactive goal.

Parents: As parents what we saw was our son on the bench for a majority of his competitive time on the team this year. At the beginning of the season when he had some playing time he was sitting amongst his teammates. Towards the later part of the season when his playing time decreased he began to sit away from the team. He no longer looked a part of it. I (mom) played sports growing up and my take away is that sports is about team building. That’s my understanding of what high school sports programs are supposed to be about. Creating a team where players root for each other and support one another. I think the coaches ultimate job is to foster that cohesiveness in that environment. 

SZ: Do you think this experience affects your son in terms of developing confidence and learning interpersonal skills with his teammates?

Parents: I think because of the situation he definitely worked harder. But almost too hard saying, “Okay I wasn’t good enough so I’ve got to work even harder.” As parents we hear this and see that he can’t work much harder than he already is. He was practicing six days a week and bumping up his work-outs outside of practice. He was coming home and saying, “I need to do this and this to get faster because coach says I wasn’t fast enough.” As parents we thought he was becoming overly focused on this which we thought wasn’t healthy.

SZ: Like he’s almost obsessed with the idea that he will finally get to a place in his performance to please the coach and have an opportunity to play. “I will deliver the “product” and give him what he wants to earn my chance.”

Parents: Yeah. What about him being able to be who he is? We were lost as to how this was fostered in all of this. Our son has an incredibly strong work ethic. We’re not saying it because he’s our child but because we see it through his actions. He’s the last player off the field at practice. He does the extra stuff regarding being on a team that should be what “product” is and rewarded. He is a team player. We hear from the coach what a great person our son is yet we’re like, “If you think so highly of him why don’t you give him a chance on the field?”

SZ: The coach isn’t acknowledging him by giving him something that would give him satisfaction for his efforts.

Parents: Satisfaction or give him feedback that his extra effort is playing off. Give him recognition for his self-esteem. There was a point in the season his self-esteem was very, very low. He was so frustrated he asked, “Why am I doing this. Maybe I shouldn’t play next year.” We asked him, “Are you playing for the coach or for your teammates, your friends?” We told him he needed to think about it and we stepped back. 

SZ: Do you think the coach has any awareness of the impact of his behavior?

Parents: We don’t think he was truly aware until we went and spoke with him. We had seen our son go from Defensive League Player of the Year to no playing time. When we spoke with the coach we asked how could he have been moved up to Varsity and then demoted? In his Freshman year he made the Varsity team but the coaches told him he would not receive much playing time. They told him they would rather he start off with J.V. and get playing time. We felt this was sound coaching advice. 

SZ: Critical ages for development of sport confidence are 11-15 years old and 16-24 years old. Inner confidence of athletic skill abilities is a key component of mental toughness. Your son is missing this window through the situation at school. Do the school administrators have knowledge of the situation?

Parents: We visited the schools admin and asked, “What is the school’s philosophy on playing time for student athletes?” The response from the school admin was, “It’s entirely up to the coaches.” We were then directed to the athletic director who hires the coaches. We try to approach things with a positive spin and when we attend game after game and our son spends all the time on the bench it doesn’t feel right. This isn’t a professional league. Our belief is that a coaches job is to teach because they have a passion for the sport. Teach these players to be a team and be leaders. We felt this coach was a poor role model for this philosophy. 

SZ: Does your school have funding for a coaches education program such as the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), or other coaching programs that could help the coach develop proactive coaching tools and philosophies that would benefit the development of players?

Parents: Supposedly our coaches at the school were trained through the Positive Coaching Alliance. I am not knowledgeable if this coach attended the training but I would be interested in knowing if he did. 

SZ: You took the PCA training as a parent?

Parents: As parents we were presented with the materials. I really liked the information because it took playing away from winning and losing. The J.V. coach last year was a good example of that training. His team may not of had a winning season but the team was extremely positive after their games. All the players played and had a chance to learn and came away from their season saying, “Our coach taught us so much. We were taught to be graceful in defeat and to pick ourselves up from losses as a team and move onto the next game ready to play harder.” They really improved as a team as the season progressed.

At one game this year the team was four goals behind and there was no way to turn the game around. The coach still didn’t pull any of the kids off the bench. As parents we were sitting there thinking, “Why wouldn’t the coach give the players time on the field in this situation.” Whether the team is so far ahead or so far behind seems a likely time to pull players off the bench that haven’t played.

SZ: You wonder how the coach would react if the subs came into the game and scored a couple of goals. What do you say to your son regarding this situation? What is his motivation to continue to participate on the team and does he have any other sport options?

Parents: He does play another sport and is doing well in it. But he plays soccer because he’s played on teams since the 5th grade. He plays to be with his friends and he loves the game. But he had no idea he would be demoted as far as he was this year. For a time we thought he would quit. As I mentioned earlier we talked with him and said, “Let’s think about why you are doing this sport. Is it for the playing time or to be with this group of friends?” He said, “To participate with my friends and celebrate our wins or console each other when the team loses.” We also emphasize to him that he made a commitment to the team and to these other players. We encouraged him during the season to talk with the coach which he did and ask for the coaching that he needs to have a chance to play. When the coach responded, “Keeping doing what you’re doing.” We encouraged him to go back and ask the coach to be more specific. What does, “Keep doing what you’re doing” mean since he was doing what he was doing but not receiving any results or rewards.

SZ: The feedback didn’t have specific attainable goals attached that he could learn or develop into a specific task or skill.

Parents: The coach was missing concrete examples and goals to target.

SZ: What would you and other parents who have young players spending their time on the bench like to see happen differently?

Parents: We would like the coaches to have an organizational list with them so they know which kids have had playing time and how much. An assistant coach could keep track. If we could see a logical path it would be more acceptable. But game after game seeing the same kids on the bench is disheartening. As much as we hoped our son would get into the game we also hoped the other boys on the bench would also have a chance to play. As parents watching we also felt like we were on the bench. We have to keep a happy face when the team wins even though your child didn’t get to contribute. 

SZ: Anything you would like to add?

Parents: Just to say that going forward it would be useful for a coach to be clear at the beginning of the season. Sports night orientation is a good time to announce, “Your child may make the team but they may not necessarily receive any playing time.” That would be clear cut. 

SZ: It feels like a betrayal in that the coach announced he was taking a smaller team so all the players would receive playing time. Your son isn’t the team clown or been a problem. He’s been a consistent hard worker and team player.

Parents: Yes, a really hard worker. Parents who know him and know about his skills ask, “Why isn’t the coach putting him in?” We feel this season has been a poor example of problem solving and role modeling. At one game the coach was carded by the referee for his behavior in reaction to a call made on the field. To us this isn’t role modeling leadership. It causes us concern.

SZ: In the heat of the moment coaches need to maintain their composure. 

Parents: A coach should maintain his leadership by demonstrating to the boys the ability to stay calm and manage his emotions versus reacting. Through the majority of my sons playing years he has had the good fortune of coaches that model leadership behavior. Our son has always been so eager to play and as a parent our hope is for that energy within him to remain alive. We don’t want it pushed away. 

SZ: Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about your sons experience this year playing high school soccer. (Since this interview the parents have returned to the A.D.’s office to discuss the potential for changes to the program going into next year).

*Featured guests are not current nor former clients of Susan Zaro

*This article can also be read @ examiner

Voices from the bench, part one

“As research has accumulated on coach-athlete interactions, it has become clear that coaches can have either a positive or a negative impact on the lives of athletes at all levels of competition. A positive coach-athlete relationship can enhance athletes’ psychological and social well-being, foster the development of self-efficacy, positive values and coping skills, and promote continued involvement in healthy physical activity. In contrast, negative coach-athlete relationships create distress, foster the development of dysfunctional attitudes towards achievement and competition, create needless interpersonal distress, and contribute to sport competition attrition.” Frank Smoll & Ronald Smith, University of Washington. 

This is a two part interview that begins with the reflections of an athlete who made the high school soccer team yet hasn’t been called off the bench to play during league games even though he keeps trying to win over the coach and have a chance to prove himself. Part two is the opportunity for his parents to voice their concerns as they attempt to figure out how to participate in problem solving their child’s high school athletic experience when they see how much participating on the team and being part of a team means to their child. 

This interview is not designed to solve any issues but to give the athlete and his parents a voice as they know they are not the only family that has experienced this type of situation. It’s a reminder for coaches to keep in mind their power and influences on the population of athletes they oversee. High school is a vulnerable developmental time for youth. It’s more than sports. It’s the bigger picture of personal development, inclusion in groups, and learning from adult role modeling.

SZ: How long have you participated in competitive soccer, both at school and leagues outside of school?

Athlete: I’m a junior and have been playing in the high school program for three years. I began playing soccer when I has in the fifth grade and played CYSA through middle school into the beginning of high school. The first two years I participated on the junior varsity team. As a junior I’ve made the varsity team roster. 

SZ: So your soccer skills are developed. Were you an active player when you were on the Freshman and Sophomore junior varsity teams?

Athlete: Yes, I actively played my Freshman/Sophomore years. Freshman year I started every game. Sophomore year I was team captain and started every game. I was honored at years end by being given the Defensive Player of the Year Award. When I made the Varsity team, my junior year I wasn’t given much playing time. 

SZ: Was there a different coach?

Athlete: Yes, there was a new coach. 

SZ: Prior to this last year you were experiencing a lot of playing time. The school doesn’t have a no cut policy, you actually made the team.

Athlete: Yes I made the Varsity team by trying out for it.

SZ: Did you have a falling out with the coach?

Athlete: No, he and I actually do well together. We don’t have anything against each other and I’ve never talked back to him or done anything to upset him. 

SZ: How does the coach explain that you were an active participant prior years and this year you are not put into any league games?

Athlete: Our Junior Varsity coaches from last year are the same. I guess the new Varsity coach hasn’t talked to them to learn about how my skills can help the team. I would think that a new coach would talk to past coaches to hear what players are like and get to know them.

SZ: Are there a lot of new players on the team?

Athlete: No, the team is made up of mostly juniors and seniors.

SZ: How often do you practice as a team?

Athlete: We practice Monday through Saturday. Wednesday’s and Fridays are game days.

SZ: So the team practices/plays six days a week. Do you participate in the scrimmages?

Athlete: I did play in scrimmages. Those were mainly in the beginning of the season when we scrimmaged against other teams, so the coach could see us play and decide on how to best use our skills.

SZ: Did you play in whole games during the scrimmages or just parts of the game?

Athlete: Usually I’d play a half then be taken out. I’d be put in from time to time in the second half. 

SZ: How many official games and tournaments are there during the season?

Athlete: We have one tournament in the beginning of the season, four pre-season games then about fourteen team league games.

SZ:  Did you play in some of those?

Athlete: Yes, I was given some playing time but not a lot.

SZ: Do you attend all the team practices?

Athlete: I’ve never missed a practice. I attend each and everyone of them.

SZ: How does your coach explain to you you’re not having an opportunity to play in actual competitive games?

Athlete: He says, “I haven’t seen product from you.” Meaning in the time I am in I haven’t made a goal or an assist. That’s all he care about, “Is a player making daily product for us?”

SZ:  Are other players experiencing the same situation, where they made the team and they aren’t being put into the real games?

Athlete: There are quite a few of us on the bench that are not given playing time.

SZ: The field of youth sport psychology talks a lot about sport as teaching youth life skills. What life skills lessons are you learning from your current athletic experience?

Athlete: This current athletic experience makes me want to drive harder and harder and become better and better because if I am not getting playing time there must be something wrong that I am doing. I mean the coach says, “I just need to put out product.” Well that advice is not really going to help the player on the bench. If the coach needs “product” put me in the game so I can make “product.” But the way it is now leaves me to where I have to do stuff on my own outside of practice and see if that will help me so he notices. Where he notices and thinks, “Oh he’s making product now.”

SZ: Is your situation and relationship with the coach motivational?

Athlete: I guess for an average kid probably not. But I make it where it has to be motivational. I can’t make it bring me down. I just use it to boost me up, but it can be very demotivating. Like okay, I’m just sitting here everyday watching all my buddies play and I’m sitting here. It can be very demotivating.  

SZ: Coaches are highly valued role models. What are you learning from your coaches role modeling?

Athlete: His style is very precise. He’s had a long soccer coaching path. He grew up playing soccer and played in college. He’s very experienced but his coaching style is where it has be precise all the time. Yes, we want to win a championship and everything but with that you have to have a little heart in it too. Like let kids who aren’t very good play. And sometimes even when they are good players the coach doesn’t let them play. The coach just wants “product” all the time. Like, it’s high school Varsity soccer but then again it’s high school soccer where kids are playing to have fun, make friends and be better human beings. 

SZ: From this experience what are you learning about adult behaviors, and attitudes around team and youth player development?

Athlete: There came a time in our season when we were playing an important game. We were down 1-0 in the second half and the team kept fighting and fighting because our fitness was so high compared to everyone else and the coach pushed us to our limits we were able to fight to the end. The team scored to go into over time and ended up winning 2-1. The game can get to a point where you move from being a boy to a man. 

SZ: Fast forward three years. If you were to look back on this athletic experience in three years could you see this as something positive or something that could have been done differently?

Athlete: Something that could have been done differently. Because flashing back, all those memories of the team winning games, then thinking, “Wow I don’t really care about it. I didn’t get to contribute in it so it’s not really a memory for me. Only other people got to play and have that moment.” 

SZ: If you were coaching this team what would you do differently?

Athlete: Know it’s a game and you want to put in the strongest team to win. But in situations where the team is up 2-1, that’s not a great lead but when your team is strong enough defensively to keep the lead, put guys into the game. Have the guys participate for enough time to make “product.” In my current situation the coach puts one of us  from the bench onto the game for like five minutes just to give the others a break. 

SZ: This word “product” is gonging me in the head each time you say it. You’re not a “product.” 

Athlete: I feel like I am harping because when I do play I feel like I’m making “product,” by playing well defensively. I know I am not making goal “product” but I’m hustling to every ball, getting to them and I’m hustling on defense. I know that other guys are making “product” but I’m the one that created those opportunities for them because of my defensive play. I got the ball to other team members which made the “product.”

SZ: It’s team work.

Athlete: Yeah but the coach doesn’t acknowledge or notice the little things. He just wants the big stuff, boom~goal!

SZ: What’s your relationship with your team mates? What do they say to you if anything about the bench sitting situation?

Athlete: My relationship with my team is really good. We are all good friends. I always talk to one of the captains who I am close with. He tells me I just have to work harder and I definitely deserve playing time but that like coach says, “We need product out there.” The coach just looks at the bench like, “Okay, who is going to be my answer.” He’s looking for that type of player. It’s all about whether the player can be the final “product” or what not.

SZ: The word “product” is still gonging me in the ear when you say it.

Athlete: It’s a gong in my head too because he always says it, “product, product, product.”

SZ: So that’s how you would run the team differently. You would allow the players to connect together as a team and give everyone playing time. What does this coach need to know about how it feels to be an active participant on a team, work hard each practice and not have the opportunity to engage in the action? 

Athlete: I would tell him, I wish you could be in our shoes. You were probably a player who received a lot of playing time growing up. I wish you could be on the bench looking at all your buddies play but you’re always on the bench. I wish you could have the feeling of that in your head of being on the bench and realize, that’s a good memory for the guys on the field but I’m not making a lot of shared memories from this experience. That’s what I would want him to know and how we feel. I wish he could be in our shoes.

SZ: Has this experience changed your attitude about sport participation? 

Athlete: It definitely has changed me personally. It makes me want to train harder so I can be a step ahead. It might not get there but I’ve just got to keep on grinding and everything because there’s always going to be that natural born soccer player with natural speed and everything.

SZ: What if this coach is not going to acknowledge your talents, drive and desire even as you work harder and harder.

Athlete: I try not to look at people like that. They have to do something to really get me mad. What would hurt me is if he never noticed me at all. Because at practices he definitely notices me. He doesn’t really acknowledge the other guys that are on the bench during the games. If he didn’t acknowledge me that would make me angry. The fact that he does acknowledge me makes me feel a little bit better. 

SZ: I am impressed with your persistence, attitude and composure. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about your high school soccer experience.

*Featured guests are not current nor former clients of Susan Zaro
*www.susanzaro.com

*This article can also be read @ Examiner

Arizona Sun Devils women's tennis

Sheila McInerney enters her 30th season as the Sun Devil’s woman’s head tennis coach. McInerney has led the Sun Devils to 18 NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearances and eight quarter final appearances in her tenure. Her teams have made the NCAA tournament in twenty-seven straight years and twenty-nine years total. McInerney’s teams hold a high commitment to academics and had three members named to the PAC-10 All-Academic team as well as being the only team at Arizona State to post a perfect Academic Progress Rate score. 

In her collegiate years, McInerney attended USC, where she captained the Trojans during her senior season. The four-time All-American also was a four-time Trojan Spirit Award winner. During her time at USC the Trojans won three national championships. After college she played on the WTA tour and achieved a world ranking in the top seventy-five. 

SZ: You have a wealth of experience as a player having played junior, collegiate and professional tennis prior to your coaching career at ASU. What types of coaching did you receive on the mental game of tennis to prepare you for matches, and keeping your focus during matches as a junior? 

SM: I’ll be honest I don’t think we received much growing up. When I was growing up my dad was pretty involved in my tennis in a good way. I read a lot of books and one was, The Power of Positive Thinking. I think Norman Vincent Peale wrote it. Through the years as a coach I’ve been to a lot of seminars and listened to Jim Loehr who has contributed a lot to the tennis industry. Loehr emphasizes players having routines, and breathing techniques. Growing up the phrase “sport psychologist” wasn’t really allowed. But now, whether it be tennis or any other sport here at Arizona State we employ a sport psychologist that the player’s go to see. Certainly thirty years ago that service wasn’t available for players. Its really changed.

SZ: You’ve been the head coach at ASU for thirty years. What changes have you introduced over the years to prepare your teams mentally for the tennis season?

SM: Our staff works with the team around goal setting. We meet with the team after the tennis season is over and discuss summer goals, short and long term. When the player’s return in the Fall we check in with them and ask what they’ve done around their goals. We ask them what their short and long term goals are for the Fall. At the end of the Fall we move onto Spring goals, team goals, individual goals. We do a lot of goal setting. I meet individually with the players and work with them to construct individual goals. Then our sport psychologist meets with the team to work on team chemistry, and accountability goals. When I first began coaching I thought I could do everything. I see myself as a positive person and I’ve been involved in tennis all my life. I know how to get a player pretty well in their developmental progression from point A to point B. But then I realized that each player’s at a different starting point regarding being on a team. So from a coaching stand point our staff works with players more on technique, and the mental training we have the sport psychologist provide assistance in team dynamics because that becomes extremely important.

SZ: So the coaching staff sticks closer to more technical, strategic player involvement.

SM: Right, but also match play. I help the players understand momentum during a match. For example, when a player is in a match and they lose a couple of points, they need to slow things down. When they are up 3-1 in a match, that’s the time to keep their foot on the gas and keep up their playing pace. Our staff works with the players on mental match situations that are specific to tennis competition. 

SZ: Are any mental skills practiced off court?

SM: In the last three or four years we’ve done a lot more. Basically my experience with players is that they are visual learners. We video practices. Not every practice, but when we play practice matches we video the match. All our competitive matches in season are videoed. The player can now go right onto their i-pad or i-phone and receive instant feedback. That’s been a big help. Technology has made it easy for us as coaches. After matches players can go in and watch the video and we review. Tennis was always a little more difficult because there’s six matches going on at one time. Most schools now days have invested in cameras on every court. We look at technique, strategies, body language,  whether the player was performing her routine before starting a point, breathing etc. 

I think the players have really benefited from that. During a practice I can tell a player, “Keep your head up on your serve,” and they player may think she is doing that, but when I pull up the video she can see what her head was doing, it’s made a big difference. 

SZ: There was a period of time you traveled with Lindsey Davenport and Chanda Rubin who both had successful tennis careers. What mental qualities did they have that gave them a boost over their opponents? 

SM: Lindsey was such a good player, a great ball striker. She had fantastic stroke technique and really understood the game. Lindsey did not like to lose. That was a strong point with her. She was young, fifteen, when I traveled with her. Later as she continued to physically and mentally develop she got into great physical shape. When you are in great physical shape you become mentally stronger. I think visualization, and all that stuff is hugely important, but from a mental stand point if you look at tennis in general, you are mentally stronger when you are in great shape.

I look at Novak Djokovic, and you can say all you want about him, sure he’s got great coaching and all but he’s so fit. He has that much more confidence in himself. I see that across the board in all sports. Even the professional golfers are training and working out like never before. Tiger Woods brought this into the sport. Getting back to Djokovic, he’s changed his diet, he’s used one of those CVAC Pods, it’s incredible. 

Being physically fit has really taken over the sport of tennis and it’s helped player’s mentally. I find that within my own tennis team that the better shape the player’s are in the more confident they move on the court. One of my favorite quotes by Vincent Lombardi is, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” If a player gets tired out there they will make poor decisions. The player will go for big shots because they are tired and can’t stay in the point. Every player experiences nerves. All the top players in the world admit to it. But once a player gets themselves into great playing shape they feel they deserve to win. The mental and physical preparation is related. 

SZ: Year after year in big events such as the Australian Open, The French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open the women often have lopsided matches Many of these in the semi-finals and finals. In your opinion do you see these lopsided results as being more physical or mental defeats? 

SM: If you look at the great players like Tracy Austin even at fifteen years old, she always believed she was going to win the U.S. Open. If you look at how Richard Williams brought up his daughter’s Venus and Serena, he gave them the message they were going to be the number one and two female tennis players in the world. They entered their professional tennis career with that mind set. I do think that some of it is mentality. I look at Maria Sharapova, the media and some people don’t care for her tennis. But I have the utmost respect for her because she is not the most natural athlete, yet she works hard, she competes fiercely and rarely loses to someone she shouldn’t lose to. She gets nervous, but is a great competitor, believes in herself and fights to the end. Looking at Serena, she is a pretty confident person. She gets nervous but I think she just sort of toughs it out. Some player’s who are in great physical shape, for example, Ana Ivanovic or Jelena Jankovic move forward but then drop back. So it may be mental lapses. 

I find Rafael Nadal interesting because he’s very humble. I recently read an article where he basically said he never thinks he’s better than anyone else. What he does do is work so much harder than his opponents. That’s why his body breaks down. There’s just so many different levels. If you look at the top women overall I think the mental game plays into it a bit. Steffi Graf was another mentally tough player. You have to add to this list Li Na who just won the 2014 Australian Open. Her current coach is Carlos Rodriquez who previously worked with Justine Henin. Li Na said that in the off season her work with Rodriquez was very tough, very strong. So I think mentally this helps players overcome anything. Li Na’s level of play has improved. 

SZ: When a player puts that much physical work into their preparation, it develops mental ownership that no-one is going to take this match from me because I’ve put too much work into the preparation. My opponent is going to need to beat me every point.

SZ: Over the years some of your player’s have continued onto the professional tour. What do player’s need to know about the next step? What overall skills do they need physically and mentally to prepare for the next level?

SM: I think the hardest part probably of the transition from college to the pro’s is the lifestyle. I think some of these college players can go out there and do fairly well on the tour but it’s a challenge because they’ve got to love to play. They’ve got to love to compete because the tour is not an easy lifestyle. Media coverage at the Majors highlights the glamor. But making it on the tour starting at the beginning without a ranking is the hard part. It’s lonely, it’s not easy. As I continue to say in my opinion the player has to be in the utmost shape. The beauty of college tennis is that the best player’s have won a lot and they’ve learned how to win matches. Once a player is on tour they have that experience and believe in themselves. Along with that the players need a strong support system. In the old days we’d be on tour and have buddies to practice with. Now it’s a little more of an isolated existence. It’s difficult for a player starting out if they don’t have a lot of financial backing, which is another challenge. The player needs to be really hungry, because it’s going to be challenging. 

Whereas in college, although it’s still an individual sport the players are supplied with coaches everyday on the court, have access to video, a sport psychologist and  nutritionist to consult with, pretty much everything they need. After college when the player is off on their own they’ve got to have somewhat of a support system because it’s tough. 

SZ: What’s your favorite part of coaching at the collegiate level? 

SM: I’m helping 18-22 year olds mature. For some of these player’s it’s their first time away from home for an extended period. It’s a big thing to see them develop as people and players. I think I am a pretty laid back coach. I’m pretty organized and focused as a coach. I think though that some player’s may feel as though I am a tough coach. Whereas I don’t see myself as a tough coach. I think the young players need to learn a certain amount of discipline. Things have changed in coaching. Today’s athlete comes in and has high expectations and the school is providing much more support. 

But players arrive at college and they have personal coaches back home, the school provides tutors, sport medicine doctors, trainers, etc. Yet, I don’t always feel player’s are as confident in themselves as they used to be. Young players have so much done for them in their junior years. College may be the first time that they have been on their own and are not the big fish in the small pond anymore. So I think from a confidence stand point it’s very interesting. As coaches we try to encourage the players to be more accountable. We try to help them become more independent. I remember my college days at USC and I would call my parents collect once a week to check in, “Collect call from Sheila,” and hope they would accept the call. (Laughing....). Now the players call their parents three times a day, or text.

As a coach a lot of things have changed. I think the fun part for me is keeping up with the times. I’m much more flexible as a coach than I was when I began years ago. As a tennis staff while working with the players we ask them a lot of questions. If we “tell” the kids it’s in one ear and out the other. Growing up playing tennis I learned to place the ball in the court in response to situations. We find that a lot of young players don’t know the strategic game. We ask the players questions. For example if the ball is hit crosscourt where is the next ball going to go? Where would you expect this next ball to go? But as a coach, I’ve adapted, and have to to stay involved.  

We also have our team play a lot more matches than when I first began coaching. You were asking about the mental parts of the game earlier. I find player’s coming in aren’t as competitive, match tough as they used to be. We have our player’s compete more in practice because it’s not the end of the world if they lose in practice. So there are many aspects of a players development I get to see over the four year period. 

SZ: Do you have any favorite quotes, stories or tips that have guided your career?

SM: We hand out a lot of quotes to the team. A lot of the time the player’s bring in quotes. Nothing profound but, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me.” In college tennis whatever team wins four matches wins. So each player needs to take care of their match and not rely on another player to win for the team. “Don’t let your ship come in, swim out to it.” They need to go after what they want. Going back to these player’s having a lot done for them, many just wait and let things happen. The good player’s go after what they want. From a coaching standpoint, “Player’s don’t care how much you know, they want to know how much you care.” As a coach player’s need to know how much I am invested in how they are doing in school, how their family is doing, how life is going. But with that being said it’s got to go both ways. The coaching staff can’t be the only giver, the players need to give back. 

SZ: What would you like the public to know about the ASU Sun Devils tennis team and the upcoming season? 

SM: We take a lot of pride in their individual and player development. Our players get better as the season goes on. So I think that’s sort of the mantra of our program, “Maximize your ability.” If the players want to get better they will improve through this program because we invest a lot of time in them. Thirty years later I see myself as a much better coach. I think the public needs to know how fortunate student athletes of today are. They come to a division one school and receive great coaching. Athletes receive tutoring, and opportunities through the school such as, internships, leadership programs or mentors. One thing that’s always rankled me a bit, particularly in football, is when I hear, “Are student athletes really athletes?” They are. I mean these schools do so much for the athletes of today. If the player doesn’t finish college, they went pro early, or didn’t put the effort in because the schools are bending over backwards for these athletes. College athletes of today have fantastic opportunities. 

SZ: Sheila thanks for taking time for this interview. The Sun Devils play Stanford March, 29th @ Stanford.

*Photos provided courtesy of ASU media.

*Featured guests are not current nor former clients of Susan Zaro

*This article can also be read @ examiner