My Conversation with Joel Drucker

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 15, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, father-son duo, Scott and Bode Campbell, share a real-world example of a family from Minnesota (please ignore my mistake in the opening to the episode - I do know the difference between Minnesota and Wisconsin!) trying to navigate high level junior tennis utilizing the resources and content created and curated by ParentingAces. In this episode, you will learn how a parent and family has used this forum to answer questions they had about junior tennis and become exposed to the latest trends in training, college recruiting, and parenting well. Scott grew up in a tennis family and has played - and coached - throughout his life, including having a wonderful college tennis career at DePauw University. When his children were born, Scott knew he wanted to introduce them to tennis as well as other sports due to the lessons he learned through being an athlete. Oldest child, Greta, found her passion in dance (following in her mother's shoes). Middle and youngest sons, Bode and Gus, found their passion in a variety of sports including soccer, hockey, basketball, and, of course, tennis. Though Scott felt he knew a lot about junior tennis and the developmental pathways available, he also knew there was a lot he DIDN'T know. When Bode was 12, Scott stumbled upon the ParentingAces podcast and website and has used our extensive resources to inform his family's journey ever since. Bode continued to play multiple sports throughout middle school but realized last year that if he wanted to fulfill his dream of playing college tennis, it was time to bow out of hockey and the others. He feels like the resources his dad discovered through ParentingAces have made an enormous difference in terms of his on- and off-court training and his college recruiting efforts. Finishing his junior year of high school, staying in traditional school throughout, Bode is excited for what the summer will bring in terms of his development and competitive opportunities. Both Scott and Bode recognize the wealth of resources ParentingAces brings to families who are just trying to understand if and how high-level tennis (college and beyond) can be figured out. They have used those resources to help Bode get to his goal of playing in college and hope other families understand how valuable ParentingAces can be from start to finish. Scott has graciously offered to field any questions you may have via email: [email protected]. You can find both Scott and Bode on Instagram as well. Scott is https://www.instagram.com/scottcoulter5/ and Bode is https://www.instagram.com/bodecampbell_tennis/. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 14, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, we visit with the directors of a junior tennis academy in South Florida about their approach to overall junior development as well as overall human development. Carley and Marcin Rozpedski are a husband and wife duo who have recently taken the reigns at the Inspiration Academy in Bradenton, Florida. Not solely by coincidence, they are located just a few blocks away from the IMG Academy, which many of you will know by name if not by reputation. Both Carley and Marcin are active members of the ParentingAces Facebook community and often offer valuable advice to other Tennis Parents in the midst of this exciting journey with their own kids. As a former top junior and college player, as well as a successful ATP player, Marcin understands what it takes to help a child achieve their dreams on the tennis court. As Carley says, she married into tennis, but now as a Tennis Parent herself, has had her own trial by fire as she has helped guide their three sons on the journey to their goals. We won't go into too much detail here about the philosophy of Inspiration Academy - you'll need to watch/listen to the podcast for that information - but we do have an amazing opportunity for one female and one male player . . . Inspiration Academy is offering ONE WEEK OF FREE ALL-INCLUSIVE TRAINING this summer to the winner of the ParentingAces Tennis Means Love contest! To enter, please complete and submit the contest entry form at https://forms.gle/By9NYSjrNJeR6Ujo8 NO LATER THAN MAY 1. The entry form must be completed BY THE PLAYER - please, mom and dad, do not do the entry for your child (and, yes, we'll be able to tell if you did!). We will choose one male and one female to receive the Grand Prize of one week at the Inspiration Academy during Summer 2024 - travel costs to and from the academy will be the responsibility of the winners though Inspiration may be able to assist if needed. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 13, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, Lisa talks with junior developmental coach, Aaron Rusnak, about how coaching has changed since he first started playing the game as a nine-year-old child. Aaron is a highly respected coach and has been teaching tennis for 28 years. He played on the ATP Tour and was nominated in 2021 by Tennis Channel and Top Spin Magazine as a Top 25 Coach in the U.S.  Aaron has coached College Tennis at a variety of levels and has directed and grown club programs and groups. He has a true talent to see things others don't and knows how to grow and develop a player at any level from the ground up. As a former player he has the knowledge and personal experience to know what players feel like and what they are going through mentally, physically and emotionally. He uses this knowledge to listen to his players then develop a plan around their specific wants and needs. Throughout his career, Aaron has seen our sport - and its coaches and players - change in significant ways. But, instead of fighting these changes, Aaron chooses to embrace them, adapting the way he coaches both players and other coaches in pursuit of their goals. To reach Aaron, you can email him at [email protected], call or text him at 708-471-5416, or follow him on Instagram at @inspire2betennis. You can also find him on LinkedIn at @AaronRusnak and on his website at https://InnovationTennisCoaching.com. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 12, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, we bring you something a little different! For the past 3 weeks, Lisa has been on site at a variety of junior tournaments. She finishes her stint at the prestigious Easter Bowl in the California Desert. While there, Lisa had the opportunity to record conversations with Colette Lewis of ZooTennis; Boys 12s player, Rex Kulman; Junior Developmental Coach, JY Aubone; and Junior Developmental Coach and owner of Austin Tennis Academy, Jack Newman. Since these conversations were done live and in person, and since Lisa's editing skills still leave a lot to be desired (!), this episode may look and sound a bit different from what you usually get from us. That said, we hope you'll check out the video version on ParentingAces.com for the full Easter Bowl vibe! If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13, Episode 11, of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this week's podcast, Lisa checks in with former top junior and college player, Jake Beasley. Jake grew up in the Atlanta area, competing locally and sectionally throughout the Southeast. During high school, he and his family decided he could enhance his training and reach his goal of playing high-level college tennis by moving to the Sanchez-Casal Tennis Academy in South Florida. Jake saw his level rise and, in his senior year of high school, was ready to move back home before heading off to play at the University of South Carolina. Then, COVID. Like many other college athletes, Jake had to make many adjustments to his life on and off the court. He also had a tough decision as he neared the end of his college degree program: stay for a 5th year as an undergrad or stay for a 5th year as a Master's Degree candidate. Jake chose the latter, continuing to play tennis for the Gamecocks while pursuing more academic learning. Once his 5th year was complete, Jake was offered the position of Assistant Coach for the men's tennis team while finishing his Master's before moving on to his PhD studies. In this episode, Jake shares his journey from juniors through college to coaching, along with the wisdom he's gained along the way. You can reach Jake at [email protected]. He tries to avoid social media as best he can but is very responsive to emails! If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13 Episode 10 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Dr. Pamela Ellis of Compass College Advisory joins us this week to talk about the intricacies of college admissions and how families can best approach this very important decision. You've heard me speak - a lot! - about letting your child drive the process of their college recruiting. However, as Dr. Ellis reveals, parents play a crucial role in the college admission puzzle as well. She has worked with thousands of students and their families to help them not only find the best college fit but also to uncover scholarship and other funding opportunities to help take the sting out of higher education. Pamela Ellis has her BA from Stanford, her MBA from Dartmouth, and her PhD from the Stanford School of Education. As with many entrepreneurs, she discovered a need among families for guidance when it comes to applying to and choosing a college for their children. She founded Compass to meet that need. She views her role as a partner with the family to help the student find a college that feels like home while avoiding overpaying for that educational experience. Her team is qualified to work with "regular" students as well as student-athletes in identifying great college fits from a variety of perspectives. To learn more about Compass College Advisory and to contact Pamela, visit their website at https://compasscollegeadvisory.com/. If you are a junior coach who is interested in bringing in Pamela to talk with and/or work with your players and their families, you can reach her via email at [email protected]. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13 Episode 9 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. This week, journalist Joel Drucker is back to share his thoughts on all things junior and college tennis. Joel has been around tennis since childhood. He fell in love with the game, growing up within biking distance to courts in his West LA neighborhood. That love of tennis has taken him around the world as a sought-after journalist and thought-leader in our sport. He has watched the game change over his 6+ decades of life and has seen young hopefuls go on to win at the highest levels of the sport and others fizzle out. Joel recently wrote an in-depth article on rising young junior player, Iva Jovic, who lives and trains in Southern California. He spent time with Iva, her family, and her coaches, trying to understand who this young woman is, not only as a tennis player but also as a person. You can find Joel's article on the Tennis Recruiting website at https://tennisrecruiting.net/article.asp?id=11532. Whenever I chat with Joel, whether at a Grand Slam or a junior tournament or just via text message, I am taken by his thoughtfulness around what it takes to succeed in tennis. He has a unique way of looking at - and writing about - the game which is unparalleled. And I always leave our conversations a little wiser and a little "curiouser" to dig deeper. This particular conversation with Joel meanders into several aspects of junior development, tennis parenting, and what happens when expectations are placed on young players too soon. I hope you'll enjoy Joel's take on our sport and will be inspired to read more of his work! You can find links to his books and articles, as well as a Contact link, on his website at http://joeldrucker.com/. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13 Episode 8 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. In this episode, coaches Brian Wilson and John Nallon of the TBarM Racquet Club delve into the questions we need to ask when choosing a coach for our child(ren). We've been getting a lot of questions lately about what to do when a coaching situation goes south, so we figured it was time to revisit this issue of what to look for in a developmental coach. Both Brian and John have extensive experience coaching themselves but also developing and implementing coaching education, so who better to ask than these two? If you want to jump right to the meat of the conversation, go to around the 12:23 mark in the podcast. We've also been getting questions about spring break and summer training opportunities for junior players. TBarM offers several different options, from a weekend drop-in to a month-long camp to everything in between. To get more information, visit the Junior Tennis page of their website at https://tbarmtennis.com/junior-tennis/. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13 Episode 7 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. Renowned coach, Rick Macci, is back alongside his former student and current neuromuscular neurologist (more info on that in the pod!), Dr. Nivedita Uberoi Jerath aka Dr. Niva, to discuss their new book, BILLION DOLLAR MIND (https://amzn.to/3tMs021). Last year, you had the opportunity to hear from Rick about his coaching philosophy and approach to junior tennis development (https://parentingaces.com/articles/its-a-journey-ft-rick-macci/). In this episode, we delve deeper into the coaching of mindset and how that can impact a junior player's ability to perform at their best on and off the court. This new collaborative effort between coach and player/doctor combines Dr. Niva's neurological expertise with Macci's renowned coaching techniques, offering readers a practical roadmap to fortify their minds and overcome mental obstacles. BILLION DOLLAR MIND explores the intrinsic link between the mind and personal success, connecting fundamental neurology principles with the teachings that have shaped the careers of tennis stars like Venus and Serena Williams, Sofia Kenin, Andy Roddick, Jennifer Capriati, and Maria Sharapova under Rick Macci's guidance. The book aims to help readers: - Develop a profound understanding of the brain, senses, and the significance of thoughts. - Break free from thinking loops and negative thought patterns. - Harness the power of positive affirmations for a resilient mindset. - Cultivate self-love, practice gratitude, and build self-confidence. - Instill self-discipline, enhance focus, and nurture inner strength. For more information, and to purchase the book (ParentingAces may receive a small commission if you purchase through our Amazon link), go to https://amzn.to/3tMs021. There is also a children's version of the book for younger readers, available at https://amzn.to/3TS4o6D. To get in touch with Rick Macci, you can email him at [email protected]. He has also generously shared his phone number for those who would like to chat with him: 561-445-2747. Or visit his website at https://rickmacci.com/. Be sure to follow Rick on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube as well. To learn more about Dr. Niva, visit her website at https://drniva.com. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Season 13 Episode 6 of the ParentingAces Podcast, a proud member of the Tennis Channel Podcast Network. They say necessity is the mother of invention. This week's guest, inventor and CPA Ken Bright, definitely supports that statement! Ken grew up playing competitive tennis alongside other sports. While he was quite the player, even playing on his high school team, he chose another path when it was time for college. However, he always kept playing and competing, growing his love for tennis into his adult life. After noticing he was amassing quite the collection of used tennis balls in his racquet bag, Ken thought there had to be a better solution for rallying those balls to use in future practices and matches. Rally Hopper (https://rallyhopper.com/) was born! Traditional ball hoppers are awkwardly shaped, cumbersome to transport, and add unnecessary weight to your practice. Rally Hopper is a racquet-shaped ball hopper that fits into the racquet compartment of your tennis bag, holding around 30 balls. It has foldable legs which bring the balls to "grab level" during practices and can also be used to pick up the balls once empty. Taking things a step further, Ken was concerned about the amount of tennis string winding up in land fills. So, he created a way to recycle the string, using it to hold the balls in place in the Rally Hopper. Ken is now working with stringers across the US, providing them a simple way to collect their used string and ship it to him for use in this creative new tennis solution. For more information on Rally Hopper, be sure to visit the KickStarter page at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rallyhopper/rally-hopper. There you will find great photos and videos demonstrating its various uses and branding opportunities. You can also follow Rally Hopper on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rallyhopper/ where Ken will be posting purchase and branding options as they become available. If you’re so inclined, please share this – and all our episodes! – with your fellow tennis players, parents, and coaches. You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or via your favorite podcast app. If you haven’t already, be sure to become a Member of ParentingAces by visiting https://parentingaces.com/membership-join. And check out our logo’d merch as well as our a la carte personal consultations in our online shop (Premium Members received FREE SHIPPING every day!). To support ParentingAces' work with a financial donation of any size via PayPal, click here. CREDITS Intro & Outro Music: Morgan Stone aka STØNE Audio & Video Editing: Lisa Stone Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices