junior tennis development · CONSULTING
Most junior players train hard.
Few develop well.
I work with serious junior players and the families behind them. Together we build the integrated development system that coaches, strength work, mental preparation, and competition planning rarely form on their own.
01
The problem
with junior tennis
After nearly 30 years inside junior tennis, from club courts to the pro tours, I kept seeing the same thing: talented players working with capable coaches, but missing a coherent system. Everything was fragmented and nobody was connecting the dots.
fragmentation
The tennis coach, S&C coach, and mental coach each work in isolation. No shared plan. No shared language.
misconceptions
Decisions get made based on what everyone else is doing, not what the research actually says about long-term development.
wrong timelines
Short-term results drive long-term decisions. The best choices for a 13-year-old look nothing like those for a 17-year-old.
tournament overload
Competition calendars built on habit and anxiety rather than a deliberate plan tied to the player’s development stage.
02
How I work
I function as your player’s development director. The person who makes sure everything connects, stays honest when it does not, and keeps the long view in focus when short-term pressure takes over.
1
Deep assessment first
I start by understanding the player fully: their current level, physical profile, mental game, coaching setup, and where they want to go. No templates. No assumptions.
2
A plan that integrates everything
Training structure, competition calendar, physical preparation, injury prevention. Built as one coherent system, not a list of separate recommendations.
3
Ongoing coordination
I work alongside the existing coaching team, not instead of them. I am the connective tissue between every specialist involved in the player’s development.
4
Honest, direct communication
With the player. With the family. I tell you what I actually see, including what is not working, because that is the only way the relationship is worth having.
03
Ways to work together
I
Development audit
A one-time deep diagnostic. Where the player is, where the gaps are, and a clear roadmap forward.
II
Development partner
Ongoing monthly partnership. Training plans, competition strategy, team coordination, and regular check-ins.
III
Elite partnership
Intensive support for players with serious high-performance ambitions: national, ITF, or college pathway.
04
From the
blog
Research translated. Myths examined.
Practical thinking on what good junior development actually looks like.
The Long Game
One idea on junior development, in your inbox
The newsletter that goes with this blog. Each issue takes one idea from the research and makes it practical for families and the players they support. Free, and you can leave anytime.
Development is not a program.
It is a process.
The best place to start is an honest look at where things actually stand.