Friday, September 18, 2020

The Need for Beginner Coaches

The late Dennis Van Der Meer comes to mind with his excellent operation on Hilton Head that served all levels and introduced tens of thousands to the game. He changed the future of tennis with his teaching methods and focus on proper technique from the beginning.

I made a decent living over the decades following that approach in my own way by focusing on many groups starting with beginners, intermediates, league players, and some private lessons for advanced players.

It was hard work but much fun to bring new players into the game and raise them up to competition often handing them off to college coaches. Fortunately, I had no illusions about my place in the tennis world and loved being paid for hitting tennis balls.

Wednesday, September 2, 2020