April Update

April has been a wonderful month. The highlight has been the Learn to Rally class on Tuesday evening and our Beginner classes as they learn to rally using the skills we teach. Our Intermediate class has grown as well. The students in the intermediate class are learning to apply their technique in match situations.

Our Learn to Rally classes have learned how to rally using their right and left hand. They have learned how to rally the forehand using a rolling rally. This skill game teaches the student the importance of using the palm to driect the ball and creating topspin.  The students have learned to be friends with the ball and to always make it look good. They have also learned how to rally  over the net by making the winning shot. (We call the volley the winning shot).



Our beginner classes have been larger than normal so we do a lot of cooperative partner practice where the students are tossers and  hitters. Students are able to give cues to their partner regarding when to be ready, pace, and how to make it look good. Students rotate in a round robin format to give them the opportunity to play with different players and perform a different role.


Our intermediate classes have been learning how to rally the ball deep cross court, how to play the serve and return, the transition game, and doubles. Our students always perform fluency to master technique before we begin and actual lesson.


We have added a half session in May and our summer session opens for registration on April 25.

60 Days In

What an interesting start to 2019 we had. We had two full classes and some new students. Our advanced beginner Orange Ball 2 class is really starting to take off. My hope is to use this class as a stepping stone for our students to play more outside of class time. Starting in May is the Junior Team Tennis season and this is a great opportunity for our students to join a team and play with kids from around the Phoenix area.

The start of the year has been one of the wettest on record. We were rained out four times, the fourth being the last day of our Monday classes. The round robin/pizza day will have to wait. Our Thursday classes hit the toughest part, first I ended up with the terrible illness that was being passed around. Then the next two weeks we were rained out. However, it is all falling into place with the make-ups and the next session starting on time.

Be on the lookout for the NET tournament in Tempe. This is a novice tournament for kids who are learning how to play. They get to play a round robin format for three hours. Sometimes they may get as many as eight matches in a three hour period. For registration, you can go to www.mesatennis.com.

The other best part of 2019 is Coach's new vehicle. In case you hadn't heard, at the end of 2019 Coach was in a horrible car accident and his van was totaled. Thank you for all of your patience as we began to reset. I have learned a lot about the power of being present and in the moment these past months. I am grateful to everyone who has stayed with us during this time.
Lastly, I would like to welcome the new director of Encanto Sports Complex, Susan Pleger. I am impressed with her attention to detail and wanting to help the program at Encanto Park take new ground. Welcome Susan.

Ten and Under Tennis Lessons: Focus on Mastery

Ten and Under Tennis Lessons: Focus on Mastery: What is it that keeps some players improving and others plateau or fall behind? Is it that these players are more talented or do they expen...

How Do We Love Our Players?

You and your tennis practice: It’s a love story for the ages. Think about it. You are your practice.   Those daily practices bring fullfillment and mastery. Side by side always. In sickness and in health. For richer or for poorer. This is a legit, serious, long-term relationship.

Love takes shape in a lot of different ways. But no matter how it starts, there are a few things you can count on. For one, love is going to have its ups and downs. It’s going to get rocky. You may yell things you don’t mean like, “I don’t care if there is tennis tonight, I want to go play with my friends at the pool.”
But despite the hard times, if you work together, you and your practice will last the course of time. So carve your name and your practice in a heart in some wet cement. Take some pictures and post them on Instagram—#reallove. And, when you feel like you are losing your passion for your practice, try out a couple of these tips on how to love playing tennis forever.

1. Enter a Non-Elimination Tournament throught www.mesatennis.com
    This is an opportunity to play as many as ten players for three hours in a non-pressure environment.

2. Participate in a USTA playday

3. Create a tennis court in your backyard or driveway

4. Join a Junior Team Tennis Team

5. Be a part of an afterschool tennis club/class if your school is a part of the USTA schools program

Looking Back at 2018

Another holiday season has come and gone. 2018 has had it's victories and adversities. First, 2018 was our fifth year in existence. Yes, we made it to five years. That is something to celebrate. It was a year to look back and celebrate all the students we have taught and how far we have come.  

This past 2018 saw some new opportunities for our students. We support the NET (non-elemination) tournament program and we had several students participate.  We saw several of our students graduate to tournament training programs and participate in USTA tournaments. 

 We also learned how to connect more of our students to outside play opportunities through Junior Team Tennis. Four girls joined together to form Team Svadhyaya out of Encanto Park.   In addition to valuable playing experience, the parents and kids developed relationships that will last for years to come. 

Our summer program featured the Parent and Me program where parents got to bring their children ages 8-10 to participate together. We even had the Mental Skills Coach for the Cubs come and take the students through a mindfulness exercise!

This year saw us get better through professional development, started a website, and learned how to use a smart phone. Yes, I was blessed to have one given to me and it has been very helpful with some of it's functions. I have learned how to use Instagram, check students in, and use slow motion video. 

We developed a relationship with Svadhyaya Sport and began the study of mindfulness. We saw many of our parents show us gratitude and support as we struggled through a car accident at the end of October. You have no idea how grateful I am for your support and patience as we went through this ordeal. Thank you for helping to inspire me to keep going.  Well, that is a brief look at some of the happenings in an eventful 2018. Here is looking to 2019 and even better things to come. We are here to SERVE you.

10sKidz Fall Update

Fall is always one of my favorite times of year. I love seeing the yellow and red leaves of the trees lining Central. I also love the gratitude that is in the air during this time of year.  There is nothing like wearing your warm-ups on those chilly mornings.

It seems that even though the year is coming to an end, it is still a time for new beginnings. The new school year, new sports seasons, and new fall classes. This fall definitely exceeded my expectations. We had a group of girls form a Junior Team Tennis Team, Team Svadhyaya Sport (Svasport). We also had two students take their practice to new levels by playing in  the NET (non-elimination tournaments).  We helped three of our students transition to other coaches who specialize in high performance training. We saw one of our former students perform very well in USTA sanctioned events. She always gets compliments on her serve. One of our mantras is,"Always make it look good because you never know who is watching."

We have had a very successful turnout in our Red Ball Learn to Rally Classes at Encanto Park. This program is the foundation of what we do. Teaching students from simple to complex and allowing them to master the skills that will last a lifetime. 

I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to connect with so many and be their first contact on the road to mastery in the game of tennis.

Serving: Never Miss into the Net Again

When we teach the serve we teach students they have five things they need for it to be successful. The first is technique, the second is get the ball up and over the net, the third is get the ball in the right box, fourth is to move the ball around the service box, and fifth is spin and pace.  After technique getting the ball over the net is critical or you will have a hard time starting a point. To get the ball over the net one must hit UP on the ball, not down.  When you practice, pretend you are serving over a 12 foot wall. This will help you keep your chin up and guarantee you are getting the net clearance you need.