Calling tennis parents, tennis coaches and tennis people - please do play today’s episode as Alison has an inspirational story and shares inspirational guidance on her tennis journey and her approach to coaching which has kickstarted a love of tennis in some of the UK’s rising stars like Hannah Klugman and Arthur Fery. From a tennis parent perspective, I loved hearing Alison talk about the importance of the relationship between the coach, the player and the parent too. The importance of being a team together! Can you honestly say that about your relationship with your coach? Alison also talked about how maybe competing week after week here and there and everywhere isn’t necessarily necessary and the importance of fun! Listening will give you some inspiring guidance on the parental journey. From a coaching (and parental) perspective, there’s so many words of wisdom in this episode from what it takes to be an effective Head Coach to her reflections on coaching Hannah Klugman and Arthur Fery to the characteristics promising juniors share. Fascinating insight after fascinating insight! From a playing perspective, have I mentioned that Alison has Captained her country?! We’ll cover that too. As you can probably tell, I’m very excited about this episode! Hope you’ll enjoy it too… MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Ever read a book that has changed the way you think, the way you behave? Today’s interview is with the co-author and a stakeholder in the publication of a brilliant book that has had such an impact on me!  The book is called Sports Performance Parenting and the co-author in question is Gordon MacLelland from Working With Parents in Sport. This edition of the book is a collaboration with British Gymnastics and joining Gordon and I to talk all things sports performance parenting is Alex McGregor, the Head of Performance Pathway at British Gymnastics.  The subtitle to the book is Child First - Gymnast Second - A Holisitic Approach To Sports Parenting. To be honest you can easily replace the word Gymnast with Tennis Player as it is a book that is relevant to all sports parents. Its suitability as a read for tennis parents is highlighted by the fact that the introduction is written by Judy Murray.  As a tennis parent to three players, I know the joy that the tennis journey can bring. I also am very aware of the challenges, the emotional rollercoaster and the tough times. I hope you will find today’s episode as useful as I have for taking on these challenges and making the most of the adventures you have with your players. The Sports Performance Parenting. book is co-authored by Gordon and Sarah Murray. The edition I read has been published by British Gymnastics. I really do strongly recommend it. Do please click the link to buy a copy of the Sports Performance Parenting book. Gordon is the CEO and founder of Working with Parents in Sport (WWPIS). Gordon has a background in education and coaching and after a successful career coaching all age groups from U7’s through to adults and running sports programmes in schools, he is now a leading figure in the ‘parental engagement’ space. He is also a sports parent himself of two children who are involved in performance sport and aware of the many challenges that parents face. MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

There’s loads of podcasts about tennis from the Pros to the grassroots - but I’m not aware of any podcasts that are hosted by juniors with a focus on junior tennis - until now! In today’s episode Stan Salmon (13) a junior tennis player from Derbyshire interviews Emily Appleton about her journey from the juniors to the Pro Tour. Emily had an amazing junior career reaching no.10 in the World and is now making strides as a Pro. As you’ll hear, Emily has some great guidance for juniors on how they can enjoy their tennis journey and gives a great insight into the highs and the challenges of being a Pro Player. One area which Stan speaks to Emily about is what guidance she would give her 13 year old self knowing what she knows now. I think Emily’s answer is brilliant - and worth sharing part of it here: ‘I don't think when you are 13 anything means so much that you need to get stressed about it when you're on court. It should be a place where you're just having fun and getting better and growing as a person on and off the court.’ Emily's Mum, Sally, writes a really insightful blog about the reality of being a parent to a Pro Player. It's an amazing read! Please click to take a read of Reality Tennis.

Sally Appleton is the Mum to Emily Appleton. Following a successful junior career which saw her reach World no.10, Emily has gone on to be a professional tennis player competing around the World on the Tour. Today’s episode is an episode of two halves. In the first half, I asked Sally about her experiences as a tennis parent to Emily as a junior. Then in the second half we get to chat about a parent’s perspective of being a Mum to a pro player! Sally’s in a brilliant position to do this as she publishes a blog called Reality Tennis which gives a parent’s perspective of what it’s like for a player trying hard to make it in the pro world. The good, the bad and the reality of life on the Pro Tour. As you’ll hear, the rollercoaster ride of what life is REALLY like for large numbers of pro players may be somewhat different to what you think life is like… Visit Sally's ace blog here: https://realitytennis.wordpress.com/

Ceire Mullins has had an action packed journey from GB tennis junior to international padel player and now Head Coach of Church Broughton Tennis Club where she will take over from me! As you’ll hear, Ceire has an infectious energy for the the sports of tennis and padel… MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

What does it take to make the journey from a talented junior to being a rising star on the pro tennis tour? There’s many variables and if there was a set recipe I’m sure thousands of parents and coaches would cook it up for their little proteges! But I firmly believe lessons can be learned from those who have made the journey. Today, I’m really excited to talk to one such stakeholder. Shane Deacon is an LTA GB National Pathway Coach, he’s the inventor of the amazing TargetBound tennis coaching aid and he has also played a key role in the journey of the British Tennis player Toby Samuel who made his Wimbledon debut back in July. Shane’s passion for the journey and what it takes to thrive shines through…enjoy the episode! If you haven’t yet seen the amazing TargetBound which Shane invented, please take a look at this amazing tennis rebound board! MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Dear Tennis Parents, I totted up recently and our three children have played around 800 matches at tournaments. I know what attending tournaments with your child/children can be like. I know it can be rewarding, inspiring and joyful. I also know it can be stressful, challenging and frustrating. Today’s episode is with a leading sports psychologist who can help us tennis parents with our journeys! I know this is an episode I will listen to again and again… For more info on Callum Gowling please visit his website: https://www.liquidsportpsychology.co.uk/ MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Hello everyone, as anyone who knows me knows…I love Church Broughton Tennis Club. I love the role we play in the Community and seeing so many players of all ages enjoying our brilliant game(s). Today, I’m announcing that I’m going to be stepping down as Head Coach at Church Broughton at the end of Dec. And I want to explain why… MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Andrew Jarrett has had an amazing tennis journey from the early years in Derbyshire, to playing Davis Cup for GB, Coaching GB at The Olympics - and then going on to Wimbledon as The Championships Referee from 2006-2019. Andy has talked all about this and a whole lot more in his book Championship Points which has gone to the top of the Amazon charts! In this episode, we talk about a subject which is close to our hearts - County Week or LTA Summer County Cup as it is also known. An event we know is incredibly important to players and GB tennis families.  County Week is one of the oldest competitions in the British sporting calendar having first been played in 1895. This year’s event will see Counties compete in a women’s and men’s event in seven divisions at grass court venues across the land. Players like Emma Raducanu, Dan Evans, Harriet Dart, Joe Salisbury, Jodie Burrage, Jack Draper, Sue Barker, Tim Herman and Andy, Jamie and Judy Murray have all played County Week. It is an event we know is incredibly important to players and GB tennis families and is my favourite tennis competition. Mr Jarrett and I would like to tell you why we believe it is such an important event… PS If you are a tennis fan, I highly highly recommend Andy’s book Championship Points which is available at Amazon. It’s the perfect read for the coming holidays!

Ben Bartram may only be 17, but as you’ll hear he’s already had a series of amazing adventures in the wheelchair tennis world! He’s won the Junior US Open, risen inside the top 20 men’s rankings and recently returned from being a member of the winning GB World Cup team alongside Alfie and Gordon. Ben’s passion for the journey shines bright, but just don’t ask him to play FIFA - you’ll hear why! Enjoy…

I truly believe that listening to Sandi Procter’s tennis journey is worth an hour of your time! The LTA President has an incredibly compelling back story within our sport! Ever wondered how the red, orange and green balls came about? Wonder no more! Been impressed with the LTA’s Tennis Leaders programme? Find out how Sandi made it happen! Having listened to Sandi’s journey, I'm confident she'll make good things happen as LTA President. Whether you’re a tennis player, coach, parent, official or volunteer, I feel sure you’ll enjoy hearing about Sandi Procter’s inspirational tennis journey… If you get a sec, please do hit the SUBSCRIBE / FOLLOW buttons so you get notifications on forthcoming episodes - we have some exciting ones planned! MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

You might not be aware but we are currently in the midst of the LTA Junior Nationals. These are singles and doubles competitions for 16U and 18U girls and boys. You might not be aware but I think you should be aware and I think your tennis playing children or pupils should be aware to! Today’s guest is Richard Joyner, the Tournament Director of the LTA Junior Nationals and together we’d like to put forward the case on why the LTA Junior Nationals are worthy of your attention. The events showcase the future stars of British Tennis and as you’ll hear there are some amazing rewards for the winners and runners-up… Click the link to follow the LTA Juniors National LIVE MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

I'm writing this on my 50th birthday! Having successfully navigated through to my half century, I figured that it would be a good time to tell My Tennis Journey. My good friend and LTA Lifetime Achievement Award winner Keith Reynolds kindly offered to do the honours of interviewing me. I loved chatting to Keith about my early tennis years, my time working in beer and football and meeting some of the game's biggest stars and why I left that all behind for a chapter in tennis! I hope you'll enjoy listening... MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

'What affects my tennis and training the most?' Today's guest Mylène Petitpas posed this question and explained the answer is nutrition because food affects every part of our body from head to toe! As a tennis parent, I find what foods to give the children before, during and after tennis tournaments puzzling. I try my best when it comes to providing decent nutrition options - but if truth be told I haven't found much information out there to help. So I've tried to go and find some answers! Mylène is passionate about the area of tennis nutrition and I hope you'll enjoy our conversation - as you'll hear I learnt a lot and get the feeling the food offerings are going to more nutritious and if truth be told a whole lot tastier too... In this episode on tennis nutrition we cover: What to eat before a tennis tournament (I wasn’t getting this quite right!) What to eat during a tennis tournament (I’m a changing my ways!) What NOT to eat during a tournament (you might be surprised at this!) Should you be using energy gels or electrolytes? (I’ve noticed them at tournaments!) What to eat after a tennis tournament (are our trips to the Golden Arches advisable?!) Mylène has very kindly put together a tennis nutrition ebook that talks you through her thinking - do take a look here: And you’ll find Mylène’s Instagram here so you will. MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Abbie Lench (LTA Head of Clubs, Parks, Counties and Volunteering) and Simon Spalter (Tennis Volunteer Community Facebook Group) join me to look at the amazing contribution volunteers make to the clubs and counties of British Tennis. We cover a range of topics which will hopefully help existing volunteers and inspire new volunteers. As a Coach and tennis parent, I am aware of just how much work volunteers do in our club and our county. And I know it is the same throughout the Country - this episode is a big thank you! If you are a chair, treasurer, secretary, maintenance manager, social poster, fixtures and tournament and event organiser, committee member or are interested in volunteering - this one is for you… Please do take a look at the excellent Tennis Volunteer Community Facebook Group. And the LTA has a wealth of material for tennis volunteers on their website. MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

Exciting news! A friend Hugo and I have launched a new Community Interest Company called We Say Play. A Community Interest Company is - in the words of Wikipedia - ‘designed for social enterprises that want to use their profits and assets for the public good.’ And that’s exactly what we want to do! I’d love it if you’d have a listen to this short little podcast to hear about our We Say Play mission to inspire children to get playing… To find out more about We Say Play or to get in touch - we’d love to hear from you - please head to the We Say Play website

What if you could put on a Virtual Reality headset and be transported to a tennis court when you can train like you do on a court in the real world? Not a game, but a fully immersive, impressively real training environment. That’s what Sense Arena have made happen!  Find out all about Sense Arena from their Tennis VP, Yannick Yoshizawa and World renowned Coach Claudio Pistolesi who has worked players like Monica Seles and Robin Soderling… If you’d like to find out more about Sense Arena please head to the Sense Arena Virtual Reality Tennis website MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

When I was researching today’s guest, I came across an article on the LTA website with a headline that said: ‘How Tennis Saved My Life.’ As I read the article, I immersed into the World of a man who has faced some incredible challenges, who was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2012 and who has had some dark days. Yet through the challenges and the dark days, tennis has always been a beacon shining bright. Oli Jones is a tennis coach and Mental Health Ambassador for the LTA as well as Movember. As we’re in the midst of Movember, it seemed the perfect time to hear Oli’s story and discuss how we can keep ourselves and our friends and family mentally well. I found listening to Oli moving and inspiring, I hope you do as well… EPISODE LINK Movember website: Find out about the Movember movement and their work in mental health MUSIC CREDITS Earth by MusicbyAden https://soundcloud.com/musicbyaden Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0

October is the LTA’s Parents in Tennis month so it was a perfect time to speak to Kay Gilbert in the latest of our series of My Five Top Tips For Tennis Parents. Kay is one of the driving forces behind the Tennis Parents Community Facebook Group - which I highly recommend - and as you’ll hear has some brilliant tips for tennis parents! If you are a tennis (or sporting) parent please do take a listen, I’m sure you won’t regret it… If you’re a tennis parent, please do consider joining the Tennis Parents Community Facebook Group - practical advice, discussions and tips which I’m sure you’ll find useful: https://www.facebook.com/groups/476342577251252 Alternatively, head to Facebook and search for Tennis Parents Community.

This episode shows what a wonderful adventure sport can bring you both on the court and off it! Thaddea Lock is the UK’s no.1 pickleball player and is enjoying a fantastic chapter in what is America’s fastest growing sport. I’d heard how pickleball is taking America by storm in the way The Beatles did in the 1960s. I knew from a work point of view that the ace TopspinPro pickleball version has received a very warm welcome in the community. If truth be told though I didn’t know too much about pickleball, what it is, why it is becoming so popular and whether there is a scene in the UK. Thanks to Thaddea, that has all changed! Thaddea has had an amazing journey in tennis and followed it up with a really exciting chapter in pickleball. I’m sure you’ll enjoy hearing all about it… Useful Links Please click the following link to find out about pickleball in England from Pickleball England. Do use this pickleball club locator on the Pickleball England website if you’d like to give the sport a try! And head to this link if you’d like to find out all about the new and ever so ace TopspinPro for Pickleball: https://topspinpro.com/pickleball-training-aid/ Finally, if you are looking for a Pickleball paddle please head over to our friends at PDHSports.com.