NSA Conversation #29: Simon Bartram, Tennis Director at The Toronto Lawn Tennis Club

In this episode of No Strings Attached, host Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Katy Shulaeva, a former professional tennis player and coach. They discuss Katie's early influences in tennis, her journey from junior to professional levels, the importance of coaching, and the lessons learned from her long-time coach Pierre Lamarche. Katie shares insights on resilience, the challenges of transitioning to professional tennis, and the impact of injuries and overtraining on her career. In this conversation, Katy Shulaeva and Bogdan Grygorenko discuss the critical aspects of training, injury prevention, and the mental health of athletes. They emphasize the importance of rest and recovery, the role of coaches and parents in player development, and the challenges athletes face when transitioning out of competitive sports. Katy shares her personal experiences with overtraining and the identity crisis that followed her tennis career, while Bogdan highlights the need for a more balanced approach to training. They also reflect on the evolution of coaching and the continuous learning process that comes with it.'Katy Shulaeva is a Senior Tennis Professional at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, one of Canada’s premier tennis institutions. She holds a Coach 3 certification from the Tennis Professionals Association (TPA) and serves as a facilitator for TPA’s Coach 2 and Coach 3 courses, playing a pivotal role in advancing coaching education in Canadian tennis. Katy has also had a successful career as a professional tennis player, representing Canada on the international stage. Her playing experience brings valuable insights to her coaching, as she has competed at a high level and understands the demands of professional tennis.In addition to her coaching and professional playing background, Katy has been recognized for her leadership in the sport. She participated in the “Women Leaders in Tennis” panel discussion, where her contributions to the game and her advocacy for women in sports were celebrated.Her expertise, leadership, and dedication to tennis make her a respected figure in the Canadian tennis community.

Katherine Sebov is a rising Canadian tennis star who has made a significant impact on the professional tennis circuit. Born on January 5, 1999, in Toronto, Ontario, Katherine began her tennis journey at a young age and quickly rose through the ranks, showcasing her exceptional talent and determination.Sebov achieved a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 136 in April 2023, solidifying her position as one of Canada’s top tennis players. Her breakthrough came in 2023 when she qualified for the Australian Open, marking her Grand Slam debut. She continued to impress by securing her first WTA 1000 main draw victory at the Miami Open, defeating world No. 50 Linda Fruhvirtová.Throughout her career, Katherine has also excelled on the ITF Circuit, winning several singles titles, including a notable $60k tournament in Toronto. She has represented Canada in the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup), contributing to the team’s success with her skill and competitive spirit.Katherine is known for her powerful baseline game, resilience, and commitment to improving with every match. As a member of Canada’s new wave of tennis talent, she continues to inspire young athletes and make her mark on the global tennis stage.

Whole Player Development Pathway: https://www.tenniscanada.com/play/whole-player-development-pathway/In this episode, Bogdan Grygorenko interviews Marie-France Mercier, the director of coaching education at Tennis Canada, discussing her journey into coaching, the evolution of coach education in Canada, and the importance of competency-based coaching. They explore the qualities that make great coaches, the significance of community among coaches, and debunk myths surrounding coaching qualifications. The conversation emphasizes the need for a growth mindset and the development of essential coaching skills, encapsulated in the framework of the five Cs: culture, character, connection, confidence, and competence. In this conversation, Bogdan Grygorenko and Marie-France Mercier delve into the intricacies of coaching in tennis, discussing the importance of feeding and challenging players, developing a coaching eye, and the pathways for aspiring coaches. They explore mentorship opportunities, the increasing representation of female coaches, and the vital communication between parents and coaches. Marie-France shares personal insights from her journey as a coach and a parent, emphasizing the long-term goals of player development and the importance of maintaining a supportive environment for young athletes.Here's what Marie-France says about herself:"For over 35 years, my career has been dedicated to the development of both coaches and athletes at all levels in the sporting industry. I am passionate about seeing people evolve and nothing makes me prouder than to see an individual or team develop.My path in tennis development has ranged from a competitor, on court coaching, a parent of 3 National level tennis players to overseeing the coaching development department at Tennis Canada. In my current role as Director, I manage the Certification Program, Community Tennis Development, and the Coaching Association (TPA) which has over 4300 members. I have also recently taken on the leadership of the Pickleball certification.I am dedicated to the growth of tennis in Canada and focused on creating an ecosystem that supports coaching excellence and future tennis leaders. Increasing participation in the country and making tennis more inclusive and accessible is my key priority.A couple fun facts unknown to many, is that long ago, I was an Alpine skiing coach and I also graduated from the Université du Québec à Montréal with a degree in Education. Reflecting on my career journey sport and education have always been part of my DNA.I also enjoy speaking at international conferences to share perspectives, learn and collaborate to build innovative new ideas and approaches. The best innovative ideas are created when you come together and share."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Coaching Education02:58 The Journey into Coaching05:50 Evolution of Coach Education in Canada08:59 The Shift to Competency-Based Coaching12:01 Maintaining Gold Standard in Coaching14:51 Qualities of Great Coaches17:49 Transforming Coaches' Mindsets21:01 Building a Community of Coaches24:03 Debunking Myths in Coaching27:00 The Five Cs of Coaching Competence30:04 The Art of Coaching: Feeding and Challenging Players31:50 Developing a Coaching Eye: Insights for Coaches36:17 Aspiring Coaches: Pathways to Success39:39 Opportunities for Coaches: Mentorship and Development Programs43:31 Increasing Female Representation in Coaching49:29 The Parent-Coach Dynamic: Building Effective Communication56:33 Lessons Learned: Mistakes as a Tennis Parent

This is the first session of its kind where you guys asked me a bunch of questions and I responded to all of them. If you have more questions please ask them below. Also you can follow me on instagram and ask me questions there: https://www.instagram.com/bgd.tennis/

A past winner of Tennis Canada’s triumvirate of awards—Course Facilitator of the Year, Tennis Professional of the Year, and Coach of the Year—Simon Bartram leads the club’s tennis operations. Certified as a Level 4 Coach and Club Pro 3 by Tennis Canada, and a former ATP-ranked competitor, Simon has been a central part of Toronto Lawn Tennis since 1990. With nearly unrivalled experience in all facets of tennis, Simon has coached former WTA players, and is a past recipient of the Tennis Canada Coaching Excellence Award for his work with Daniel Nestor and other members of the Sunshine Cup winning team.

Andre Labelle has been coaching his entire life on the highest possible international arenas including the Olympics, pro tour, and Grand Slam tournaments. He was responsible for developing many international tennis starts from Canada like Bianca Andreescu (ages 13-19) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (up to U13). He has been working for tennis Canada for many years as a Head National Coach, making direct impact on top juniors in Canada. Andre continues to work at TC in his home town of Montreal to this day.This interview was very special because I worked with Andre for 4 years and it was one of the best times of my coaching career. His knoweldge and expertise is among the best in the world and I was truly blessed to work under his guidance.Hope you guys enjoy this.

I APOLOGIES FOR THE TECHNICAL ISSUES IN THIS VIDEO. IT WAS OUT OF OUR CONTROL. I HOPE YOU STILL ENJOYED THIS EPISODE!Kristaps Petrovs is experienced Fitness coach with over 2 decades of coaching experience. He has worked with over 16 different sports (summer and winter) from juniors to professionals - Olympians and is currently heading the Granite Club's Sports Science department where he oversees and manages 6different sports (water, sliding and racquet sports). Currently he is also working with a professional badminton player in preparation for summer Olympic games 2024 in Paris.Kristaps has also previously worked in Tennis Canada on and off from 2014 till now in various roles and is currently involved in TPA Coach 2 & 3 physical preparation – Fitness content creation and delivery.Kristaps graduated from Latvian Academy of Sports Education with a Bachelor's Sports Science degree with major in Physical education and minor in coaching. He also holds a Master's degree in Sports Science - Strength and Conditioning from Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK Wales).During his time off from coaching duties Kristaps enjoys traveling and exploring new places, loves outdoor activities and spending time with his family!

Carson is a fully certified Coach 3 and Club Pro 2.  He has been coaching at the Saville Community Sports Centre for more than 20 years currently working mainly with athletes aged 10-18.  Carson has been a Provincial Coach for Tennis Alberta leading teams at roughly 40 Junior Nationals.  In 2015 Carson coached the Canadian Women's team at the World Universiade games.  As a player Carson is currently ranked #1 in Canada for the over 35 Masters singles and doubles rankings.  He is also a multiple time Alberta Provincial Open champion.  Carson is one of the founders of the Owen Schlosser World Team Tennis which raises funds towards the Owen Schlosser Memorial Tennis Scholarship at the University of Alberta.

About Coach Lindsay:Coach Lindsay has worked with athletes involved with Tennis Canada since 1996, as well as having been a National Strength Coach with the organization. Coach Lindsay has also provided programming to University Varsity Teams, OHL hockey clubs, European professional hockey clubs, and a wide variety of Minor Associations. Dennis formerly worked in a multidisciplinary rehabilitation clinic as a Physiotherapy Assistant (PTA). Prior to that, he has held fitness and health programming positions in Community, Private Industry, Municipal and Corporate Health centers.Dennis has trained over 100 current NHL Players (and hundreds of retired players) and has been the strength and conditioning consultant to Toronto Maple Leafs. He has trained over 20 medalling individual Olympians, 5 Olympic Teams, and dozens of professional athletes from other sports.About his programs:Our program is designed around that base of experience and the need to better prepare players for the long term of the sport.We program relative to age of development, and focus on all physical literacies. Enhanced athletic ability is the purpose behind the program.Athletes in our Fitness Programs get progressive development in speed, agility, quickness, strength and endurance capacities.

Karl Hale has an accomplished tennis history. He has played competitive tennis internationally, participated as a player and coach in Davis Cup for Jamaica, and is a former Fed Cup coach for Canada. He was named tournament director of National Bank Open presented by National Bank in Toronto on December 11, 2006.Hale was born in Falmouth, Jamaica and played Davis Cup tennis from 1988 to 1999 and again in 2004. He held the Davis Cup record for longest three-set match, winning 23-21 in the final set. In 2003, Hale was coach of the Canadian Fed Cup team that advanced to a World Group play-off tie against Austria. He later returned to his native Jamaica to coach the Davis Cup team in 2005.Hale’s relationships with the players, and sports and entertainment celebrities have helped raise the profile of this world-class tennis event.  Karl was also vice-president of the PTR (the largest tennis coaching organization in the world with over 20,000 members) in 2017/18.  Most importantly, Hale is a passionate supporter of children’s charities.  Hale is well-known and respected for his tremendous philanthropic work. He founded the Helping Hands Jamaica Foundation, which has raised over $2,000,000 for education in his native Jamaica and built 18 kindergarten schools (including one with Serena Williams). He also developed the Daniel Nestor Celebrity Charity event, which raised more than $1,000,000 in support of the Go for Gold Olympic program and North York General Hospital. He has spent tennis time overseas, coaching in Tokyo for five years, teaching adults and juniors at the prestigious Kashiwa Lawn Tennis Club. He worked with several top players and his juniors have received over $1,000,000 in tennis scholarships.If you would like to donate to Karl's foundation you can do so here: helpinghandsjamaica.com