AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011 43

MyCoach

48 Best parent forward: the right guidance can enhance a parent’s positive contribution.

50 What do you see? Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova showcases a world class backhand.

51 No limits to success: Craig Louis participated in a multitude of sports before tennis became a rewarding career path.

52 Pre-season cross training: players can recharge their batteries and physically prepare with various cross training activities.

54 Coaches’ corner

55 Coach drill

56 Coach talk

A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS

Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

48 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011

A parent first and foremostThere’s nothing quite like the unconditional support a parent can provide their child. Parents are seen as a hero in a child’s eyes and as such are usually held in high regard.

Most children will strive to make their parents proud, but the key is for parents to remain supportive no matter the outcome on the tennis court.

World renowned coach Nick Bollettieri, who founded the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy in 1978, has seen his fair share of athletes over the years and is well equipped to understand the important role a parent holds.

“As important as a coach’s role is in the development of a young athlete, a parent’s role is tenfold more important,” he says.

“In my 50 years experience of working with youngsters and their parents, the

one thing that has never changed is that kids need their parents to be parents first. There is nothing more important to the wellbeing and development of a child than the unconditional love of a parent. There’s nothing that I can do on the court to ever replace that.”

With this in mind, parents’ respect of a coach’s role is crucial in having a harmonious coach-parent relationship.

“The challenge for both coaches and parents is to find the most effective balance and level of involvement for each individual youngster. This balance is not static, but rather fluid and ever-changing as the child develops physically, technically, psychologically, and emotionally,” Bollettieri says.

“The key is combining a coach that earns the respect of the team with parents

who are confident enough in their role as ‘parent’ to step back and allow the coach to do their job.”

CommunicationMost parents will be happy with knowing how their child is progressing, therefore as a coach you should keep parents in the loop.

Tennis Australia’s National Academy – Melbourne coach Simon Rea believes that open and honest communication helps him to maintain an effective relationship.

“I’ve often found the vast majority of tennis parents are appreciative of feedback as it relates to the development of their child’s progress in the sport,” he says.

“It is often important for the coach to earn the respect and trust of parents in order to enable the developmental gains to take place with the child. When this relationship is sound and stable, it provides an ideal platform for the coach to deliver improvement from a tennis perspective.”

Tennis Australia has a parent program that addresses a range of topics relevant

MyC

oach

A SECTION DEDICATED TO TENNIS AUSTRALIA COACH MEMBERS

Tennis Australia Coach Membership T: 03 9914 4191 F: 03 9650 1040 Email: coachmembership@tennis.com.au Website: www.tennis.com.au/membership

Parents play an important role in the development of their

child as people and athletes. The right guidance can further

enhance a parent’s positive contribution. By Daniela Toleski

Rafael Nadal’s mother, Ana Maria Parera, is a constant source of support.

Best parent

forward

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011 49

MyC

oach

to parents guiding their child through the player development pathway.

The program is aimed at bridging the gap and enhancing the communication between coaches, parents, players, state and National Academies, and Tennis Australia.

This integrated approach is assisting Tennis Australia to guide parents by covering a range of topics including from a psychologist, an athlete education consultant, the national coach, athlete development managers, National Academy coaches and the sports and conditioning coach.

Many rolesAs an athlete advances in their development more professionals become involved. At the same time a tennis parent’s role also extends.

From financial support, emotional support to sacrifices made to create opportunities for their child and being role models, parents have a lot of influence in an athlete’s development.

“Aside from the logistical, financial and time contributions that all tennis parents make, they play a crucial role in providing emotional stability and support in the face of what can be a roller-coaster journey in the life of a young tennis player,” Rea says.

“The importance of a stable, supportive parenting role cannot be overstated when we examine a developmental journey of a young athlete.”

Parents only want the best for their child but their reactions, however big or small,

have the potential to affect their child’s confidence while on court.

“A scratch of the head, an eye-roll after a double fault, a painful wince – children are amazingly perceptive and acutely aware of their parents’ reactions to their performance on the court,” Bollettieri says.

Parents in many instances are unaware of the impact their actions are having on their child, but concealing emotions while their child is competing could provide an enormous advantage in keeping their child focused.

“I can only encourage parents to continue to believe and positively support their child in the tennis journey for as long as the child continues to exhibit a passion, hunger and determination to succeed in the sport,” Rea says. “Understanding all the while that there are likely to be plenty of tough times along the journey that will require patient, steady support in order to negotiate these moments in the best possible way.”

There will probably be testing times that a tennis parent faces, but by keeping their role in perspective, their child will reap the rewards.

“I urge all parents to remember the true goal of parenting should always be to help children reach their full potential as human beings. When raised in this environment you end up with adult children who are happy, healthy, and successful in life,” Bollettieri says. “And, maybe just maybe, if all the other facets in their world fall into place … a champion on the court.”

Tennis Australia’s National Academy parent information modules

1. Psychological independence.

a. Promoting autonomy.

b. Independence is necessary to prepare the athlete for the Australian Institute of Sport environment.

2. Managing your own emotions – parenting an elite player (riding the sideline roller-coaster).

a. Understanding our own emotions and behaviour – using modelling.

b. Communication – giving and receiving feedback.

3. Supporting a player’s emotional control.

a. Understanding the developing brain.

b. How to support and develop coping skills/strategies.

4. Behaviour management.

a. When to debrief inappropriate emotional responses.

b. Principles of behavioural consequences.

5. Building your networks – the concept of team and support .

a. Coach/athlete/parent triad.

b. Role of parent as one of support team.

6. Life on the road – managing the ‘balance’ of elite sport.

a. What does ‘balance’ mean in tennis?

b. Travel away and homesickness.

c. Pragmatics and logistics.

7. Winning and losing v success and failure.

a. Focus on the process v outcome.

b. Finding the positives out of ‘losing’.

c. Impact of a professional model being imposed on a developing athlete.

8. Stress and anxiety.

a. Sources of stress for parents – e.g. how much athletes cost you.

b. Signs and symptoms of stress.

For more information go to tennis.com.au/players/parents/parents-program.

The top 20 tennis parents’ blundersFrank Giampaolo, tennis professional in Southern California, founded Mental and Emotional Tennis Workshops in 2002. Giampaolo presented at the Australian Grand Slam Coaches’ Conference in January 2011 providing his opinion on the top 20 blunders parents make. These included:1. Ignoring your child’s brain and body type.2. Encouraging dependency.3. Not understanding the success formula.4. Asking your child to fix a flawed stroke while keeping them on the tournament trail.5. Refusing to play them down (e.g. in tournaments), when it may pump them up.6. Being inflexible.7. Undervaluing the importance of life skills.8. Watching their matches versus charting or videotaping their matches.9. Overlooking organisational goal setting.10. Focusing only on aptitude and overlooking attitude.11. Misunderstanding choking versus panicking under stress.12. Not seeing stumbling blocks as actually stepping stones.13. Ignoring the school methodology of education.14. Believing that quantity of court time is quality court time.15. Neglecting the rehearsal of change over rituals and between point rituals.16. Ignoring the development of their secondary game plans.17. Overlooking the pain principle.18. Being oblivious to periodisation.19. Consistent skills training instead of flexible skills training.20. Encouraging ‘one-set’ wonders.

Go to mentalemotionaltennisworkshops.com for more information.

By the Stroke Master

What do you see?One of nine Russian women ranked in the world’s top 50, former world No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova is a dual Grand Slam champion. Below we take a look at the key areas that make her backhand world class.

Hips have the ability to rotate and are not restricted due to leg positioning.

Racquet face is vertical at impact and will continue to drive forwards until the ball has left the contact zone.

Effective use of the ground as power is generated from the court.

Both arms work in unison and are in sync with the rotation of the trunk.

Wrists remain stable through the entire contact zone.

MyC

oach

50 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011 51

Craig Louis was enrolled in private tennis coaching lessons at eight years of age. During this time he also participated

in other sports, but two years later his mum’s involvement in tennis had a lasting impact.

“It definitely started in my family, my mum started coaching athletes when I was 10 and she loved it, she really had a passion for the game and improving players’ tennis skills,” Louis says.

“I had a part-time job once I finished school and then would go and help mum at the courts after that. It didn’t take long at all, and I found I had that same passion.”

Louis completed the Tennis Australia Club Professional coaching qualification in 1999. He became owner of the Louis Tennis Academy at the Gunnedah Tennis Club in New South Wales almost six years ago.

“We do a lot of coaching within the schools as well. We coach at five of the local schools and two surrounding schools in smaller towns,” Louis says.

The biggest reward for Louis is being able to witness the passion come through his athletes while they participate.

“I love watching both kids and adults having the passion for the game of tennis. You see it in their faces every time they step onto the court, whether it’s for training or tournaments,” he says.

In November 2010, Louis was a finalist for a prestigious national title:

the Coaching Excellence – Club award at the inaugural Australian

Tennis Awards.“It was a privilege for me to be in

this high standard of coaches,” he says. “I was pretty excited. It was great to be in the group up for this award.”

For 18 years, seven of which have been full-time, Louis has been providing quality tennis coaching for all ages and standards in private, group and squad lessons.

“My philosophy has always been to show my participants how to enjoy and love every aspect of the game,” he says.

This is where maintaining a positive coach-player relationship is vital for Louis. When he establishes this with an athlete, that athlete responds to both positive feedback and constructive criticism effectively.

“Although when coaching you need to be working on fixing a players negatives, I always make sure I praise them for their positives and show them my enthusiasm through my coaching,” he says.

“I have always believed that you can train hard and keep your players wanting to learn and reaching their goals by showing them the great goals they have reached but still outlying the goals we are still working towards and the hard work we need to do to reach them.”

Work ethic is another element that needs to be developed, however participants will look to the coach in search of the acceptable behaviour.

“I like to give each student 110 percent of my time and energy. So I expect the same from them. Each player who sets themselves goals knows the hard work needed to get there, but they also know that I am with them every step of the way to reach these goals,” he says.

Louis acknowledges the assistance his academy has received from the tennis governing bodies in New South Wales and Australia.

“We get a lot of support from Tennis Australia and Tennis NSW,” he says. “They know how passionate we are about tennis here and we work in conjunction with them.”

Looking ahead Louis wants to make sure he continues to provide the right pathway for his players so they can reach their highest ability.

“I am really looking forward to working with a lot of other coaches and Tennis New

South Wales to work as a team to achieve a number of possibilities. If all young players have access to the same tennis programming and opportunities we will find their success, passion and enthusiasm will have no limits.”

Quick factWinning his first local Club Championships in Gunnedah is Craig Louis’s most memorable moment as a player. “Although this didn’t happen until late in my 20s, it is a moment that I had worked and trained so hard for, and one I will never forget.”

Even though Craig Louis

was playing a number of

sports growing up, tennis

became the career path he

ultimately followed.

no limits to success

Craig Louis wants to provide all participants with the same opportunities.

MyC

oach

Name: Craig Louis

Qualificati

on: Tennis Australia

Club Professional coach

Club: Louis Tennis Academy,

Gunnedah Tennis Club,

New South Wales

52 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011

The best female players in the world generally have the luxury of a longer pre-season training block,

as the WTA Tour winds up for the year in October, while the ATP Tour finishes at the end of November. Players who are battling to improve their rankings to gain entry into the upper echelons of the game may find their competition schedules only afford a pre-season of three to four weeks. This obviously affects the volume of cross training undertaken and the variety of exercise options which are performed.

The advantages of cross training during pre-season are extensive. Cross training can provide variety which is stimulating both mentally and physically. It can help the player ‘switch off’ from the daily grind on court, and the use of different muscles

and movement actions can stimulate physiological changes in the body too. If players are nursing specific injuries or have had minor surgeries at the end of the season, some alternative forms of training can be introduced to start progressively increasing training volume.

By alternating training activities, the player is less likely to suffer from overuse injuries and also better able to accumulate a greater overall training load which can contribute to weight loss, and/or improved aerobic and muscular endurance.

A word of caution though – while the variety can be stimulating on many levels, it is important to carefully weigh up the benefits versus the potential risks of doing cross training activities: you don’t want to write off the pre-season with a poor choice of training which results in injury.

In reviewing the various player blogs and tennis websites for the 2011 pre-season period, some of the training modalities utilised by the world’s best were:

■ Rafael Nadal – gym work, soccer and vibration training.

■ Lleyton Hewitt – basketball, sand-hill running and Australian Rules football.

■ Andy Murray – gym, track and bikram yoga.

■ Sam Stosur – boxing, kayaking, stair running and cycling.

■ Kim Clijsters – boxing and swimming.

■ Ana Ivanovic – basketball, beach volleyball and indoor rock climbing.

Let’s look a little closer at some of these cross training activities to see how they might be of benefit to a tennis player:

PRE-SEASON CROSS TRAININGFor the professional or semi professional player, the pre-season training block can be an opportunity to recharge the batteries, engage in different cross training activities and

prepare their bodies to reach new physical heights. By Narelle SiBte

MyC

oach

Similar to tennis, boxing requires anaerobic fitness and a well developed aerobic system.

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011 53

BOXiNGBoxing is a sport of intermittent nature, characterised by short duration, high intensity bursts of activity. It requires significant anaerobic fitness and a well developed aerobic system, much the same as tennis.

Players such as Sam Stosur and Fernando Verdasco have included boxing in their pre-season training programs as it requires coordination, precise footwork, balance and summation of force – factors that all play a role in developing racquet head speed and power on ground strokes. Punch sequences can be choreographed or improvised, the former enhancing the reactive component to the training as the player must react to their opponent’s moves. Work to rest ratios can be manipulated throughout the course of the pre-season to emphasise a greater cardio vascular component early in the block, to shorter/sharper more explosive efforts as competition approaches. This type of training, where punching is included, is contra-indicated for players with wrist injuries, but they would still be able to participate in shadow boxing and the skipping component.

rUNNiNG SaND DUNeSNotable participants of sand dune running are two of the fittest athletes to have played tennis in the last decade – Lleyton Hewitt and Andre Agassi. The nature of the surface underfoot and the elevation of the dune

contribute to leg burning workouts. It’s not just the effort required for the sprint up the dune, even the walk down requires eccentric strength/control of your quadriceps – qualities that are essential in improving a player’s ability to change direction on court. Distances and incline of the dune will determine the physiological load on the player, as will the rest periods between intervals. Players with recent or current ankle stability issues should perform this type of training with caution, as should any player with a history of lower limb overuse injuries.

SWiMMiNGSvetlana Kuznetsova and Kim Clijsters are two advocates of swimming as a cross training activity. Many tennis players will avoid swimming as bodies that have a high muscle content and low fat content tend to sink – making the players very inefficient. But what a great workout. As shoulder stability and strength issues are common in many tennis players, swimming can be a great option to strengthen the region and improve the local muscular endurance of the shoulder muscles. Try to vary the strokes, incorporating freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke into the training session to avoid overloading any one muscle. Another advantage of a pool based workout is that it is non-load bearing on the lower body. This makes it ideal for players with lower body injury concerns or those looking to rest the lower body somewhat so it can be trained even harder the following day.

BiKraM YOGaBikram is a traditional form of yoga which is usually run in a 90 minute class, in a room heated to temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius. It consists of a series of 26 postures and two breathing techniques. As tennis players are stereotypically very tight in

their calves, hip flexors, hips, low back and shoulder muscles, the warm environment and posture progressions can assist the players in improving their mobility. The main danger lurking for new participants in bikram is the possibility of becoming dehydrated due to the length of session and temperature of the room, so frequent hydration is required during and after the class. Professional players such as Andy Murray and Serena Williams are fans of yoga.

Narelle Sibte is Tennis Australia’s AIS National Strength and Conditioning Manager.

MyC

oach

“The difference between boxing and tennis couldn’t be smaller. Similar footwork, coordination of both eyes and hands, focus, it simply is all beneficial for a tennis player.”

– Kim ClijSTerS’ CoaCh Wim FiSeTTe (DeC 2010)

Sam Stosur includes boxing in her pre-season training program.

54 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011

MyC

oach

Coaches’ corner

Observing the behaviour of more experienced coaches during practice and games, and listening during informal periods, makes its mark on coaches. It is largely through these types of experiences that collective understandings begin to develop, and the shared meanings about the occupational culture of coaching start to take shape.

(Cushion, 2001)

With this in mind, one lucky Tennis Australia coach member had the opportunity as part of a

Tennis Coaches Australia – Victoria (TCAV) prize draw to attend a once in a lifetime professional development opportunity; the 41st annual United States Tennis Association Tennis Teaches Conference (USTA TTC) in the United States of America.

Michael Collins, Tennis Australia Club Professional Coach, was thrilled when he learnt he had won the prize draw.

“I knew I was in the draw, but didn’t think much of it. So when I found out that I had won I was very surprised and excited.”

The conference was originally scheduled to run for two and a half days at the Grand Hyatt, New York, however due to Hurricane Irene, it was shortened to a two day event.

“I arrived at the Grand Hyatt, New York on Friday 26 August just 24 hours prior to the city closing down due to Hurricane Irene. This gave me enough time to explore New York as no one was allowed out of the hotel from 5pm Saturday to 12 midday on Sunday – New York had turned into a ghost town.”

Held just prior to the US Open, the USTA TTC provided delegates with educational resources and networking opportunities through a range of interactive presentations and lectures. As with the Australian Grand Slam Coaches’ Conference, attendees were able to choose from a range of lectures or demonstrations based on their individual needs and interests.

Featuring world-class presenters such as Nick Nick Bollettieri (USA) Craig Jones (USA) and Mike Barrell (UK), day one of the conference concluded with a function at Flushing Meadows where delegates heard from Mal Washington (career-high ranking of 11 in 1992). This was followed by the official opening of the US Open and first round matches for Venus Williams and Roger Federer.

“The current big push in the States is for 10 and under tennis. I attended lectures based

around this, as it is an area I have not fully explored within my coaching programs.”

Ten and under tennis tailors equipment and court sizes to children so as to develop skills and participation at a much earlier stage. Over 120 nations have now adopted modified tennis programs including all four Grand Slam countries. Since its introduction in Australia in 2008, MLC Tennis Hot Shots is seeing growing participation, with over 248,000 children participating in the 2010–2011 financial year.

The second and final day featured the likes of Michelle Krause (USA), Butch Staples (USA) and finally Jim Courier, who closed the conference with a one hour presentation. At the conclusion of the conference, delegates were able to attend the first day of the US Open.

“On returning to Australia I have signed up to be an MLC Tennis Hot Shots Deliverer and am very excited to be starting the program next term. I coach at two clubs and one is attached to a school where 90 percent of the pupils are primary level so the program will be a perfect fit for this venue.”

Michael Collins wone this prize as a part of his $33 TCAV upgrade through

Tennis Australia Club Membership.

TOP 5 MOMENTS

The opportunity to meet Nick Bollettieri and ask questions regarding his presentation and life experience.

Presentation on Advanced Doubles by Tom Gullikson.

Presentation by Mike Barrell: he convinced me to do MLC Tennis Hot Shots upon my return to Australia.

Formal function: I was able to network with some very interesting US professionals, to discuss the differences between our two systems. Furthermore, we have exchanged details and will be meeting again at the Australian Open.

Being at Arthur Ashe Stadium for Venus Williams and Roger Federer’s first round matches.

New York, New YorkSam Stosur was not the only Australian winner in New York, with Tennis Australia coach member MichAel colliNS maximising a prized opportunity to attend the recent USTA Tennis Teachers conference.

DiarY from USTa TTC26 August: Arrived in New York.

27 August: Explored New York before the city shut down for Hurricane Irene (5pm).

28 August: Mandatory lock down for Hurricane Irene.

29 August: Day 1 of the conference. Official opening with presentation by Nick Bollettieri. Arrived at Flushing Meadows in the afternoon for a marquee function, at which Mal Washington presented. This was followed by the US Open opening ceremony and first round matches featuring Roger Federer and Venus Williams.

30 August: Morning presentations from, among others, Michelle Krause and Butch Staples. Jim Courier presented and then closed the conference. Full day of US Open.

31 August: Sight-seeing (Macy’s, Central Park).

1 September: Travelled home.

Michael Collins (left) with Nick Bollettieri.

AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011 55

MyC

oach

Stealing and buying time By Rob Leeds, Tennis Australia Athlete Development Manager, Victoria

Focus: developing time stealing and buying skills in developing athletes

Stage: develop (7–10 years), encourage (10–12 years), enhance (12–15)

Equipment: orange balls, green balls, yellow balls Time: 20 minutes

A

A

C

B

D

A B

A

C

A

A

C

B

D

A B

A

C

A

A

C

B

D

A B

A

C

ObjectiveTo play tennis successfully every player needs to understand how to

manipulate time and space. The player that can create space and steal

time is very dangerous. Equally important is having the ability to buy

time and defend space when under pressure, as this allows the player to

get back into the point and potentially force their opponent into error.

Description 1: 30 second test• Players rally down the line or cross court, baseline to baseline to see how

many balls they can hit back and forth in 30 seconds. Each ball counts only if it has landed in the court.

• Players may start with a couple of balls in their pocket so that they can feed a ball in if they make an error. As they get better the coach may provide the players with one ball only.

• Players will find that the best way to reach high scores is to stay up on the baseline and hit aggressively without being too aggressive.

• Depending on the level of player you can manipulate the court size and ball colour.

• If carrying out this activity cross court, the coach can add in the serve and serve return. The clock starts when the returning player strikes the ball.

Description 2: Defend – attack • Players A and B are the attacking players. Players C and D are the

defending players.

• Points can be played down the line or cross court.

• The attacking player’s role is to force the play off each and every ball with the view of forcing their opponent into error or hitting a winner.

• The defending player’s role is to take pace away from the ball, float each ball back into play with the view of buying time and frustrating the attacking player.

• The coach may decide to enforce that the defending players utilise the continental grip only to further enhance feel and touch.

• The coach may also designate a certain number of shots that the attacking player has to finish the point. The defending player wins the point if they force their opponent to go over their shot quota.

• The coach may decide to allow the attacking players to start with a serve.

Description 3: Crazy feed • Points are played full court with one player competing at each end.

• The attacking player (A) starts the point off with a feed of their choice, meaning that they can hit as hard or soft as they like, to anywhere in the court, utilising any type of spin they wish. Player B is the defender and must try and anticipate where the feed is going and look to work their way into the point.

• Player A must feed from as close to the baseline as possible without going over. Depending on standard, the coach can alter this position. The coach may also decide to manipulate ball colour and court boundaries.

• The attacking players are to experiment with different ways of creating space and stealing time.

Coach Coach feed Ball direction Spot markers Buckets

Player Thrower/Catcher Player movement Drop down lines HoopsKey

56 AustrAliAn tennis MAgAzine | November 2011

CoaCh Talk

MyC

oach

Tennis Australia is committed to improving

the quality of coaches of all levels. To ensure the safety and integrity of our sport, the Coach Development team are in the process of streamlining certification into Coach Membership. This began with the requirement of coach screening in 2009–2010. The next development for coach members will see First Aid introduced as a compulsory requirement of Coach Membership from 1 July 2012. This requirement is applicable to all active coaches.

If you already have a current First Aid certificate, please forward a copy to Tennis Australia Coach Membership, Private Bag 6060, Richmond Vic. 3121. If you forward a copy of your valid First Aid certificate prior to 15 December 2011 you will go in the draw to win one of five Coach Membership prize packs valued at $200.

Is your First Aid training up-to-date?

Oakley, one of the leading sports brands in the world is continually

seeking problems, solving them with inventions and wrapping those inventions in art. The philosophy has made Oakley one of the most iconic and inimitable brands on the market, with innovations that world-class athletes around the globe depend on to compete at the highest level possible. The Oakley and Tennis Australia Coach Membership program offers selected eyewear styles at a discount rate – 30 percent off the RRP to qualified coach members.

Selected styles are available at discounted prices. Please email coachmembership@tennis.com.au for an order form.

The 2012 Australian Grand Slam Coaches’ Conference will be held at Hisense Arena,

Melbourne Park just prior to Australian Open 2012 – 12–14 January.

The conference package includes:

• Registration to the event.

• Morning tea and lunch plus welcome cocktail reception and official conference dinner which will host a key note speaker.

• Official Australian Open accreditation (ground pass access for the first three days of the event) which includes free tram travel on the Melbourne tram network.

• Access to speaker notes and presentations.

• Opportunity to attend interactive workshop on Sunday 15 January.

Keynote speakers confirmed to date:

Craig Jones, United States of America (Recently announced). Director, Youth Play and Competition, United States Tennis Association. A former director of tennis and club owner, Jones has earned his reputation as one of the top junior developers across the USA and is considered an industry leader in 10 and under tennis.

Butch Staples, United States of America (Recently announced). Former head tennis professional at Midtown Tennis Club, Chicago. Recognised as 2010 PTR Pro of the Year and honoured as the 2006 and 2009 USTA Recreational Coach Workshop Trainer of the year.

Mike Barrell, United Kingdom Director of evolve9, UK.

Kenneth Bastiaens, Belgium Physical trainer at the Flemish Tennis Federation, Belgium and has coached players including Kristof Vliegen, Kirsten Flipkens and Niels Dessein.

Mario Bravo, Argentina Director of School of Tennis of the Club Independiente de Tandil, Argentina who has coached players including Mariano Zabaleta, Juan Mónaco, Machi González and Juan Martin del Potro.

Frank Giampaolo, United States of America Director of Mental/Emotional Tennis Workshops and author of The Tennis Parents Bible.

Robert Sukhdeo, United Kingdom Manager – Pavilion Sports Club, London.

Visit tennis.com.au/coachesconference for updated schedule or contact: +61 3 9914 4191 or coachesconference@tennis.com.au for more information.

SunglaSSeS by

Workshop dates:Brisbane International ..........................Wednesday 4 January 2012

Hyundai Hopman Cup ......................................Friday 6 January 2012

Apia International Sydney ......................... Monday 9 January 2012

World Tennis Challenge Adelaide ....... Tuesday 10 January 2012

Moorilla Hobart International ...... Wednesday 11 January 2012

Please email coached@tennis.com.au or contact your state Coach Development Coordinator for further information.

AO Series workshops …Professional development workshops will be

conducted in conjunction with the Brisbane International, Hyundai Hopman Cup, Moorilla Hobart International, World Tennis Challenge Adelaide and the Apia International Sydney in January 2012. The theme for the workshops is ‘Business and performance – creating the link’. The workshop will include a breakfast with many great keynote speakers and a ground pass to spend the day watching the tennis.

Coaches’ Conference – new speakers announced Register now for early bird rates!